Graham Cross

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Graham Cross
Personal information
Full name Graham Frederick Cross
Date of birth (1943-11-15) 15 November 1943 (age 81)
Place of birth Leicester, England
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1960–1976 Leicester City 498 (29)
1975–1976 → Chesterfield (loan) 12 (0)
1976–1977 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 (3)
1977–1979 Preston North End 45 (1)
1978–1979 Lincoln City 19 (0)
Total620(33)
International career
England U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Graham Frederick Cross (born 15 November 1943) is a former professional footballer and cricketer. He is the record appearance holder for Leicester City, making 600 appearances for the club in all competitions (as Community Shield now considered a full appearance).

Contents

Football career

Cross was born in Leicester. He spent most of his career playing for Leicester City originally as an inside forward, then later as a centre-half and occasionally a right half. At Leicester he holds the record for the most appearances for the club with 600 between 1961 and 1975. [1] He went on to join Brighton & Hove Albion and then Preston North End. He made the record number of appearances for the England Under 23 side but never made a full international appearance.

Cricket career

Cross also represented Leicestershire as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler between 1961 and 1977. In 83 first-class matches, he scored 2,079 runs (average 18.39), highest score 78 with eight fifties and 61 catches. He took 92 wickets (average 29.95), best bowling 4/28. In 51 List A matches, he scored 701 runs (average 20.61), highest score 57 not out with three fifties and 17 catches. He took 63 wickets (average 20.23), best bowling 4/11. [2]

Appearing irregularly because of his football commitments, Cross was nevertheless a good enough player to find a place in Ray Illingworth's successful county side of the mid '70s. He was a member of the Leicestershire team that won the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1975. [3] Cross's last appearance came when the side was stricken by illness in May 1977. A scratch side had to be assembled to play Hampshire at Grace Road in the B&H Cup. Showing his characteristic adaptability, he kept wicket for the only time during his career.

Honours

As a player

Leicester City

Leicestershire County Cricket Club

Records

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References

  1. ↑ "Former Player Remembers: Graham Cross (Part One)". LCFC. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Former Player Remembers: Graham Cross (Part Two)". LCFC. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Middlesex v Leicestershire 1975". Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "1971/72 Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN   0354-09018-6.
  6. ↑ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 491. ISBN   0354-09018-6.

Further reading

Wilson, Jonathan (2011). Brian Clough. Nobody Ever Says Thank You. London: Orion Books. p. 173. ISBN   9781409123170.

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