Graham Cross

Graham Cross
Personal information
Full name	Graham Frederick Cross
Date of birth	15 November 1943 (age 81)
Place of birth	Leicester, England
Position(s)	Defender, midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1960–1976	Leicester City
1975–1976	→ Chesterfield (loan)
1976–1977	Brighton & Hove Albion
1977–1979	Preston North End
1978–1979	Lincoln City
Total
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).

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

Football League Second Division: 1970–71
Football League Cup: 1963–64; runner-up: 1964–65
FA Charity Shield: 1971^[4]
FA Cup runner-up: 1962–63,^[5] 1968–69^[6]

Leicestershire County Cricket Club

Benson and Hedges Cup: 1975

Records

Leicester City all-time leading appearance maker: 600 games
Leicester City all-time leading appearance maker in the first tier (Premier League and predecessors): 414 games
Leicester City all-time leading appearance maker in the FA Cup: 59 games
Leicester City all-time leading appearance maker in the League Cup: 40 games (Joint record)

References

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

External links

Cricket Archive
Famous players - Graham Cross^{[permanent dead link‍]}
Football Heroes - Graham Cross
Profile and stats at FoxesTalk
Lincoln City profile^{[permanent dead link‍]}