davieG Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 599 games never to be beaten. Graham CrossImage by: LCFC Archive In the latest of his ‘The Week in History’ blogs, Club Historian John Hutchinson recalls the debut of a great Leicester City player who went on to break the Club’s appearance record. Fifty two years ago this week, on 29 April 1961, a young local 17-year-old made a scoring debut for Leicester City in a match against Birmingham City. The youngster went on to make more appearances for the Club than any other player in the Club’s long history. His name was Graham Cross. Between 1961 and 1975 Graham, an England Under-23 international, played a record-breaking 599 games for Leicester City, mainly at wing-half and centre-back. Most of these games were in the top flight. They also included two FA Cup Finals, two League Cup Finals, and games in Europe. A fine all-round sportsman, Graham also played first class cricket for Leicestershire CCC. Graham made his debut in the last league game of the 1960/61 season. He was in the side because of an injury to captain Jimmy Walsh, who was to lead Leicester City out at Wembley for the FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur seven days later. Leicester City fell behind after 10 minutes but, a minute before half time, Graham Cross equalised when he banged a corner kick low into the net for his maiden goal in his debut match. Howard Riley added a second shortly after half time. Birmingham equalised six minutes later, before Ken Leek scored the winner after 67 minutes. This was to be top scorer Leek’s last ever goal for Leicester City. Days later, he was sensationally dropped for the FA Cup Final for non footballing reasons and never played for the Club again. Leicester’s 3-2 victory secured them 6th place in the top division. Earlier this season, Graham told me about his time at Leicester. “I made my debut against Birmingham when I was 17. I scored and that made me the youngest Leicester player to score at top level. I was 18 when I played in Ian King’s place at centre-back in the European Cup Winners’ Cup against Atletico Madrid. I was up against this big guy, their star player. We had a dubious penalty against us and were unlucky to lose 2-0. What an unbelievable experience to play in that stadium!†In the first team, Graham worked a tactical switch, or shuffle, with Frank McLintock which baffled opponents. By 1963 City were top of the league and then they beat Shankly’s Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final. “That semi-final against Liverpool was like the Alamo! Mike Stringfellow scored early on and then I don’t think we got out of our half in the second half when they were kicking downhill. Banksy (England goalkeeper Gordon Banks) played so well for us. Shankly was an horrendous loser, but using Tommy Smith he did the same as us the next season so he must have been impressed! “The FA Cup Final itself was a big disappointment. We’d had so many injuries leading up to it and we didn’t perform. We were hopeless on the day. Although they were fighting relegation, Manchester United had big stars like Law, Charlton and Crerand. They were all good apart from their goalkeeper, Gaskell, who dropped everything! We’d tempted fate the previous day when BBC TV persuaded Colin (Appleton, Leicester’s captain) to be filmed practising receiving the FA Cup at Wembley. A mistake! “I played against so many great players. There was a photo of Jimmy Greaves passing five of us, all on our backsides, whilst he was sticking the ball in the net. Then there was Denis Law, Besty, Bobby Charlton, Keegan, Channon and Wyn Davies. When I played against him I felt I’d done 10 rounds with Tyson! “Frank O’Farrell (Leicester’s manager from 1968-1971) was, for me, the best manager. What a gentleman! He and his coach Malcolm Musgrove were fantastic. I had absolute respect for them. They were the best we ever had. We got through to the 1969 FA Cup Final. In 1970/71 the defence was rock solid. I was mortified when O’Farrell went to manage ManchesterUnited. He wanted to sign me and I’d have jumped at the chance but it didn’t happen. “When Jimmy Bloomfield (Leicester’s manager 1971-77) arrived we didn’t hit it off. I was a regular in the side but we disagreed. He played me as a man-to-man marker, which wasn’t for me. I was a player who read things. There was a massive fallout. “The 1973/74 side was a great footballing side. We had a terrific forward line, with Weller and Worthington. But Bloomfield wouldn’t give me a new contract for 1975/76, so I decided to keep playing for cricket for Leicestershire. We won the Benson & Hedges Cup. When I came back, Bloomfield suspended me for a fortnight. The next season was a complete waste. I’d played 599 games and missed out on the 600th. I was loaned out to Chesterfield in March. It all went sour at the end, but I’d loved playing for Leicester!†Graham’s career at Leicester City was truly outstanding. It is safe to say that his appearance record will never be beaten. His consistently impressive, high-energy and committed performances will live in the memory of all who saw him. It all started 52 years ago this week. Read more at http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/010513-twih-cross-city-debut-802866.aspx?#D29g8i6TELpJsCMr.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike the Metal Ed Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/28/28850/28850.html A cricket career not to be sniffed at, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanguedocFox Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 Graham Cross was part of my City upbringing: I remember his debut season and thinking what an astonishing player he was. It was disgraceful that he never got to play his 600th game: mean-minded and spiteful treatment of a great player. If he'd been with a "name" club he'd have been an England regular. Top man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwan is a Welshman Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 An absolute hero. Statue anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broughtonblue Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 Driving instructer a few years ago in countesthorpe if im correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowwolf Posted 1 May 2013 Share Posted 1 May 2013 An absolute hero. Statue anyone? Yes we can put it outside a post office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanguedocFox Posted 2 May 2013 Share Posted 2 May 2013 Yes we can put it outside a post office. Cruel. Funny, but cruel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthefox Posted 3 May 2013 Share Posted 3 May 2013 Why won't his appearance record be broken ?. Its rare for a player to stay so long at one club i agree, but it could happen. Andy king for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike the Metal Ed Posted 3 May 2013 Share Posted 3 May 2013 Why won't his appearance record be broken ?. Its rare for a player to stay so long at one club i agree, but it could happen. Andy king for example. It could happen, but Andy King has been at Leicester now almost half the time Steve Walsh was here, and has about half the appearances Steve Walsh has. If King features regularly next season he'll be about one season ahead of Steve Walsh's appearance total, and yet Steve Walsh comes nowhere close to Graham Cross's record. 599 is a lot of matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hankey Posted 3 May 2013 Share Posted 3 May 2013 http://cricketarchiv...8850/28850.html A cricket career not to be sniffed at, either. Pity the same couldn't be said of his Post Office career!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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