Remembering Graham Cross' City Career

[Foxes1]

43 minutes ago, Markyblue said:

Went to his testimonial game cant remember which year or who against. 

1973 against Derby County

[Stoopid]

8 minutes ago, StevieLynex said:

? a young Malcolm Partridge

Yeah - think you're right. Thanks. 

[Guest StevieLynex]

 

[String fellow]

I'm pretty sure that that is Malcolm Partridge next to Mike Stringfellow in the City team photo. The photo below must be the 1975 B&H Cup Final at Lord's against Middlesex. From left to right, it's Roger Tolchard, Graham Cross, Ray Illingworth, Chris Balderstone, Barry Dudleston and Ken Higgs. So, two professional footballers in County's victory!

[Guest StevieLynex]

5 minutes ago, String fellow said:

I'm pretty sure that that is Malcolm Partridge next to Mike Stringfellow in the City team photo. The photo below must be the 1975 B&H Cup Final at Lord's against Middlesex. From left to right, it's Roger Tolchard, Graham Cross, Ray Illingworth, Chris Balderstone, Barry Dudleston and Ken Higgs. So, two professional footballers in County's victory!

I think it might also be Graham MacKenzie behind Higgs - Aussie, fast bowler

[Angus Scott]

I see Crossy occasionaly on my golfing jaunts. He looks fit enough  to still be playing for us

[sacreblueits442]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

There were a few in the old days ....

 

I was too young to appreciate cross ......who of the defenders we had over the past twenty years would the slightly older posters liken him to ??

...so far as I was concerned he was Mr. Leicester City!!!

I would liken him to Evans, not in style of play but as the foundation of the defense.

[Guest StevieLynex]

48 minutes ago, String fellow said:

I'm pretty sure that that is Malcolm Partridge next to Mike Stringfellow in the City team photo. The photo below must be the 1975 B&H Cup Final at Lord's against Middlesex. From left to right, it's Roger Tolchard, Graham Cross, Ray Illingworth, Chris Balderstone, Barry Dudleston and Ken Higgs. So, two professional footballers in County's victory!

[boots60]

Good dependable wing half turned defender & stalwart of the team for over a decade who read the game well. Took no prisoners.

Internationally unfortunate to be from the same era as Bobby Moore & Norman Hunter.

 

[Remember Kember]

I might be wrong but i think he had to go in goal once part way through a match after shilton got injured. 

 

Also played inside forward in the early days before playing centre back. A legend 

[steve555]

2 hours ago, Foxes1 said:

I have at home somewhere the 45 rpm vinyl record they bought out, think it was for his testimonial

The A side was " The Tank" , the B side " This is the season" ( for Leicester) . The lyrics went somehing like ," this is the season for Leicester, this is the season for us,we're going great in front of every gate & we're not gonna stop until we reach the very top, were we belong".  

Shame it only took another 40 odd years!

Edited 15 November 2020 by TOMMYG

[Guest StevieLynex]

11 minutes ago, TOMMYG said:

The A side was " The Tank" , the B side " This is the season" ( for Leicester) . The lyrics went somehing like ," this is the season for Leicester, this is the season for us,we're going great in front of every gate & we're not gonna stop until we reach the very top, were we belong".  

Shame it only took another 40 odd years!

 

[Stoopid]

3 minutes ago, TOMMYG said:

The A side was " The Tank" , the B side " This is the season" ( for Leicester) . The lyrics went somehing like ," this is the season for Leicester, this is the season for us,we're not gonna stop until we reach the very top, were we belong".  

Shame it only took another 40 odd years!

In the mid 70s I was in a proto-punk band and we used to do a shocking version of 'This is the Season'.

Every time I got to the 'for Leicester City' part, the drummer used to shout out 'for Queens Park Rangers!  - crashing the cymbals to drown me out.

Did everyone a favour really. 

[steve555]

3 hours ago, Dorkingfox said:

Chris Balderstone also played cricket and football.

Leicestershire won their first-ever trophy in 1972, the inaugural Benson and Hedges Cup at Lords and Balderstone took the man of the match Gold Award. He scored 41 not out and steered the team to the trophy. This marked the beginning of a golden era for Leicestershire, with 5 trophies in 5 seasons, and Balderstone was at the core of the side.^[3]

In 1973 Balderstone played his first full season of cricket and jumped right to the front-rank of English batsmen, making 1,222 runs at an average of 42. He passed the 1,000-run mark in 10 of the next 12 seasons, batting either in the middle order or as an opening batsman. His runs were an important part of Leicestershire's first county Championship success in 1975, and he weighed in with 43 useful wickets in that season too. In 1976, Balderstone was called into the England Test team to make his international debut aged 35 having focused in his younger days on football (Carlisle and Huddersfield)

 

 

Balderstone made history by playing County championship cricket & a football league match on the same day. He scored 51 not out for Leicestershire at Chesterfield, played for Doncaster in a 1-1 draw with Brentford in the evening, before returning the next day to complete his century & then taking 3 wickets as Leicestershire clinched the title for the first time.

[Dorkingfox]

2 hours ago, StevieLynex said:

I think it might also be Graham MacKenzie behind Higgs - Aussie, fast bowler

MacKenzie was one of the best bowlers ever, was fantastic in the one day game, only a short run with brilliant upper body strength.

Edited 15 November 2020 by Dorkingfox

[fuchsntf]

6 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Hard to compare really. When I first started going to Filbert Street he often played further forward than he did later. 

Him and and McLintock used to interchange constantly which used to baffle opponents in those days.

That midfield fluidity was a real innovation that City brought to the game,  and Cross was fundamental to it.

As he became older he dropped back more, but still moved well further forward. 

As for modern equivalents - hard to say really. Bit of Maguire maybe in his forays forward,  but a Crossy was a better defender. And faster. 

I often think we took him for granted a bit at Leicester. 

I reckon its a generation thing..To an older loyal city & Football fan he quietly became & stayed a Club legend ...

Probably the First modern era player to be seen as  "Mr Leicester"

 

got picked to Play in several England representive teams ( seen as trials), but just got injured,in the last moment...Alf Ramsey once said when asked,Why Graham

hadnt yet been selected for an England game...Ramsey said.. "Bobby Moore" Grahams hurdle is simply he is the 2nd or 3rd best centerhalf in England..!!

Bill Shankly,said We tried to buy him, we get fed up of seeing him & his brother ( Sjoberg), stand like a blue Wall...!!

Note!! Shankly mentioned that he liked what Gillies,did with Cross, and it gave him a later idea how he could use Emlyn Hughes..

 

Got to know him a little, sort of 2nd Level aquaintance,through County, Midlands ,National Sporting Cliques...Gave comfortably & readily support & encoragement,

Or just open cross-exchange banter,across other sports. One of the Greats & stalwarts of Leicestershire sport but especially his 2 foxes clubs Football & cricket..

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 November 2020 by fuchsntf

[ftfagos]

Similar to Colin Todd - both possessed similar attributes to Bobby Moore but there was only one Bobby Moore.

[String fellow]

The various football/cricket references here remind me of a rare visit that my grandmother's brother Tom Bloor (T.S.Bloor) made to my grandparents' house, whilst he was chairman of City in the early seventies. I was hoping that he'd talk about football, but he spent almost the entire time talking about cricket! His butcher's company is still going.

[Stoopid]

52 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

I reckon its a generation thing..To an older loyal city & Football fan he quietly became & stayed a Club legend ...

Probably the First modern era player to be seen as  "Mr Leicester"

 

got picked to Play in several England representive teams ( seen as trials), but just got injured,in the last moment...Alf Ramsey once said when asked,Why Graham

hadnt yet been selected for an England game...Ramsey said.. "Bobby Moore" Grahams hurdle is simply he is the 2nd or 3rd best centerhalf in England..!!

Bill Shankly,said We tried to buy him, we get fed up of seeing him & his brother ( Sjoberg), stand like a blue Wall...!!

Note!! Shankly mentioned that he liked what Gillies,did with Cross, and it gave him a later idea how he could use Emlyn Hughes..

 

Got to know him a little, sort of 2nd Level aquaintance,through County, Midlands ,National Sporting Cliques...Gave comfortably & readily support & encoragement,

Or just open cross-exchange banter,across other sports. One of the Greats & stalwarts of Leicestershire sport but especially his 2 foxes clubs Football & cricket..

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting point about Shankly - he said in his book that when Liverpool were promoted in the 60s he took Leicester as a model of how to play the game. He had massive respect for Gillies the way we played with Cross,  McLintock & Gibson especially. 

[fuchsntf]

7 minutes ago, Stoopid said:

Interesting point about Shankly - he said in his book that when Liverpool were promoted in the 60s he took Leicester as a model of how to play the game. He had massive respect for Gillies the way we played with Cross,  McLintock & Gibson especially. 

[Guest StevieLynex]

Cross, Graham I lived opposite Graham at 35 Whitney drive EYRES MONSEL,we use to play together as kids,I remember playing catch me when I was about 12 years old I chased Graham for miles down to Aylstone shops and back could not catch him, I remember GRAHAM leaving school to play for Leicester city. I left Leicester at 15 years old in 1959 to live in Australia Colin Curtis
30-08-20 Colin Curtis

Cross, Graham I was a Leicester City fan when Graham was a junior. I thought he was dishy so I was furious when I found out that he'd asked my friend if I'd go out with him and she'd said I wouldn't as I had a boyfriend!
20-08-20 Bree Hardwick

Cross, Graham Remember Graham playing for North End back in the 70s.
20-08-20 Chris Freeman

Cross, Graham Graham is my mum's cousin and I love him. He had 599 football appearances.

09-08-20 Catherine plumb

CROSS, Graham Graham Cross is one of my cherished memories. I watched him many times as a season ticket holder in the old Double Decker stand at Filbert Street. Thank you Crossey
29-10-18 James Dalby

CROSS, Graham I played football with Graham at Newrey School when we were both about ten years old. We won the Rice Bowl and I still have the photo of the team. Smashing chap.
Gerald wickes

[nnickn]

was the Rice Bowl final played at Filbert Street

[murphy]

6 hours ago, StevieLynex said:

Other footballers/cricketers:

 

Arnie Sidebottom (father of Ryan) played for Yorkshire and Man Utd

Jim Cumbes played for Villa and Worcestershire

Ted Hemsley played for Sheff Utd and Yorkshire

Ian Botham played for Scunthorpe and Somerset

I think the most famous and accomplished one is Denis Compton - Middlesex, England and Arsenal.  One of England's best ever batsmen and won the league and FA Cup with Arsenal.

 

I went to school with Chris Balderstone's son Michael as it happens.  

[Guest StevieLynex]

2 minutes ago, murphy said:

I think the most famous and accomplished one is Denis Compton - Middlesex, England and Arsenal.  One of England's best ever batsmen and won the league and FA Cup with Arsenal.

 

I went to school with Chris Balderstone's son Michael as it happens.  

Always remember when Carlisle, with Balderstone in the side, were briefly top of the First Division.