Errol Crossan

Errol Gilmour Crossan (6 October 1930 – 23 April 2016) was a Canadian professional soccer player, active primarily in England, who played as a right winger.

Errol Crossan
Personal information
Full name Errol Gilmour Crossan[1]
Date of birth (1930-10-06)6 October 1930[1]
Place of birth Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Date of death 23 April 2016(2016-04-23) (aged 85)
Place of death Langley, BC, Canada
Position(s) Right winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949 Marpole Athletic Club
1950–1951 St. Andrews FC
1951–1954 New Westminster Royals
1954–1955 Manchester City 0 (0)
1955–1957 Gillingham 76 (16)
1957–1958 Southend United 40 (11)
1958–1961 Norwich City 102 (28)
1961 Leyton Orient 8 (2)
1961 Toronto City
1961–1962 New Westminster Royals
1963–1966 Vancouver Columbus FC
1966–1969 New Westminster Royals / Labatt's
Total 226 (57)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
Norwich City F.C. in 1959 with – from left, standing: Roy McCrohan, Ralph Hunt, Ken Nethercott, Barry Butler, Ron Ashman, Matt Crowe; crouched from left: Errol Crossan, Terry Allcock, Terry Bly, Jimmy Hill and Bobby Brennan.

Early and personal life

Crossan was born in Montreal. His family moved to the Isle of Man when he was eight, before returning to Canada in 1949, where he began his career with the Marpole Athletic Club.[1]

Career

After making his Pacific Coast League debut with Vancouver St. Andrews FC[2] in 1950–51, he played three seasons with New Westminster Royals from 1951–52 to 1953–54. He helped the Royals capture the 1952–53 league title and then the 1953 Canadian championship.[3]

In 1953, he played in a North American championship match, helping the Royals win the Jack Diamond Trophy over the Chicago Falcons.[4]

After a proposed move to England to play for Liverpool in 1953 fell through,[1] Crossan joined Manchester City in January 1954. He later played for Gillingham, Southend United, Norwich City and Leyton Orient, scoring 57 goals in 226 games in the Football League.[5][6][7]

Crossan played a significant role in Norwich's 1959 FA Cup run, when the team from the Third Division reached the semifinal, beating Manchester United along the way. Crossan played in all 11 ties, scoring four goals.[8]

He later returned to Canada to play for Toronto City, before moving west to resume his career in the Pacific Coast League.[2] After a season with the New Westminster Royals,[9][10] he joined Vancouver Columbus FC. He spent the next three seasons with Columbus FC where he won his second Canadian title in 1964.[11] He then rejoined Westminster Royals.[2]

Crossan was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Norwich City Hall of Fame in 2002.[1]

He died on 23 April 2016 in Langley, British Columbia.[12]

Honours

Team

Westminster Royals

Vancouver Columbus FC

Individual

References
  1. "Canada Soccer Hall of Fame". Canada Soccer. 9 October 2019. p. 12. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. "Story of the Pacific Coast League". Canada Soccer. 3 April 2019. p. 165. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  3. Norm Gillespie (19 August 1953). "New Westminster cops soccer tie". Google. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  4. Trevor Swangard (13 October 1953). "Royals Rule as Champs". Google. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  5. "Errol Crossan". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. "59er Crossan still "so tied" to Norwich City". Canada Soccer. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  7. Jones, Ken (14 April 1999). "Football: Golden Canary memories". The Independent. London. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. Walsh, Peter (3 May 2016). "Tributes to joker in Norwich City's famous 1959 FA Cup run side". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  9. Jukich, Roy (23 June 1962). "Crossan, Woods banned 2 years for pay rebellion". The Vancouver Sun. p. 16. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  10. Jose, Colin (1998). Keeping Score - Canadian Encyclopedia of Soccer. Vaughan, Ontario: The Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 146. ISBN 0-9683800-0-X.
  11. Roy Jukich (21 September 1964). "Italians Celebrate Dominion Cup Victory". Google. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  12. "Honoured hero Crossan, 85, passes away". Canada Soccer. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  13. "Story of the Pacific Coast League". Canada Soccer. 3 April 2019. p. 124. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  14. "Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia". BC Soccer. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
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