Johnny Crossan
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Andrew Crossan | ||
| Date of birth | 29 November 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Derry, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Inside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1954–1958 | Derry City | ? | (5) |
| 1958 | Coleraine | 0 | (0) |
| 1958–1959 | Bristol City | 0 | (0) |
| 1959–1961 | Sparta Rotterdam | 20 | (5) |
| 1961–1962 | Standard Liège | 33 | (6) |
| 1962–1965 | Sunderland | 82 | (39) |
| 1965–1967 | Manchester City | 94 | (24) |
| 1967–1970 | Middlesbrough | 56 | (7) |
| 1970–1975 | KSK Tongeren | 105 | (4) |
| Total | 370 + | (80 +) | |
| National team | |||
| 1959 | Northern Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| 1959–1967 | Northern Ireland | 24 | (10) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
John Andrew Crossan (born 29 November 1938), commonly known as Jobby or Johnny Crossan, is a Northern Irish author, radio sports analyst, entrepreneur, and former football player. His brother Eddie was also a player.
Crossan began his career playing for Derry City, where he played as an inside forward. His talent was spotted by several leading English clubs, including Arsenal FC and Sunderland FC. When the latter made a substantial offer, Derry City offered Jobby a payment deal which he rejected, offering his own. When the Sunderland negotiations broke down, Derry City dropped Jobby, who signed for Coleraine. Derry City, still aggrieved by Jobby's actions, reported themselves to the Football League authorities for technical breaches of regulations, thus ensuring that Jobby would face disciplinary action.
In January 1959, a commission of inquiry imposed small fines on Derry and Coleraine, but banned Jobby from all forms of football for life. A partial lifting of the ban was allowed following an appeal, in May 1959 the inside forward signed for Dutch Champions Sparta Rotterdam, where he was first called up to the Northern Ireland squad.
He went from there to Standard Liège, where he played in the semi-final of the European Cup against Real Madrid. In 1963, Jobby returned to football in the UK (following the lifting of his 'life-time' ban) when he was signed by Sunderland, with whom he made it to the old First Division. He then signed for Manchester City who were playing in the old Second Division. As team captain, he helped them make their way into the old First Division, before being sold to Middlesbrough after a loss of form following a car crash and other health problems.
...
Wikipedia