David Cross (footballer)
Encyclopedia
David Cross is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He scored 223 goals in 599 appearances in the Football League
and the North American Soccer League
. Cross was born in Heywood
, Lancashire
.
, Norwich City
(with whom he won the second division championship in 1972), and Coventry City
. He is remembered as being the only Coventry City player to ever score hatricks on the opening and closing days of a campaign. He joined West Bromwich Albion
for £150,000 in November 1976. He made his Albion debut against Manchester City. Cross then moved on to West Ham United
for £180,000 on 9 December 1977. He made his debut a week later, against West Brom.
Cross scored 9 goals in 21 league games during his initial season at the club, but this wasn't enough to prevent relegation
to Division Two
. His first full season brought 18 goals, with 12 the following season.
Cross played as the lone striker during the 1980 FA Cup Final
win against Arsenal
. He scored 22 goals with the side that won Division Two in 1980–81, ensuring the club's promotion back to Division One
. Cross was awarded the 1980–81 golden boot after scoring 34 goals.
Following promotion, Cross again became the club's top scorer for the 1981–82 season, with 16 goals. He scored four goals in a game on two occasions, against Grimsby Town
on 11 April 1981, and against Tottenham Hotspur
on 2 September 1981.
Cross played his last game for the east London club on 15 May 1982, scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers
at Molineux
. He went on to play for Manchester City
, Oldham Athletic
and spent the summers of 1983 and 1984 with Vancouver Whitecaps
(46 appearances 29 goals) before rejoining West Brom for the 1984–85 season. He signed for Bolton Wanderers
in 1985–86, and ended his playing career in England on loan to Bury
at the end of the campaign. He then had a brief spell with AEL Limassol
of Cyprus before retiring.
After retirement, and a period selling pensions, Cross joined the coaching staff at Oldham, moving up to assistant manager in 2002. He later became a scout
for West Ham.
West Ham United
for Derbyshire
and Lancashire
for many years, and acted as twelfth man for Lancashire First XI on several occasions. Jennifer played Netball Superleague
for Northern Thunder and Leeds Met Carnegie, and has appeared in the Lancashire Women's Cricket set-up. Kathryn, the youngest, played cricket for Lancashire Women's First XI at the age of 13; at 15 she was the first girl to be named in the Lancashire County Academy, and progressed to the England Women's Academy and Development Squad. Having impressed for England women’s academy in 2010, Kathryn was called up to England women’s tour of Australia in January 2011 following injuries to Claire Taylor and Beth Morgan.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. Cross was born in Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
Football career
Cross played for RochdaleRochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
, Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
(with whom he won the second division championship in 1972), and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. He is remembered as being the only Coventry City player to ever score hatricks on the opening and closing days of a campaign. He joined West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for £150,000 in November 1976. He made his Albion debut against Manchester City. Cross then moved on to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for £180,000 on 9 December 1977. He made his debut a week later, against West Brom.
Cross scored 9 goals in 21 league games during his initial season at the club, but this wasn't enough to prevent relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. His first full season brought 18 goals, with 12 the following season.
Cross played as the lone striker during the 1980 FA Cup Final
1980 FA Cup Final
The 1980 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Arsenal at Wembley. West Ham won by a single goal, scored by Trevor Brooking.To date, it is the last time a team from outside the top flight has won the FA Cup...
win against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He scored 22 goals with the side that won Division Two in 1980–81, ensuring the club's promotion back to Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Cross was awarded the 1980–81 golden boot after scoring 34 goals.
Following promotion, Cross again became the club's top scorer for the 1981–82 season, with 16 goals. He scored four goals in a game on two occasions, against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
on 11 April 1981, and against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
on 2 September 1981.
Cross played his last game for the east London club on 15 May 1982, scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
. He went on to play for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
and spent the summers of 1983 and 1984 with Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)
The original Vancouver Whitecaps were founded on December 11, 1973 and during the 1970s and 1980s played in the North American Soccer League . The Whitecaps achieved success, winning the 1979 Soccer Bowl. The Whitecaps of that era included international players such as Alan Ball, but also "home...
(46 appearances 29 goals) before rejoining West Brom for the 1984–85 season. He signed for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 1985–86, and ended his playing career in England on loan to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
at the end of the campaign. He then had a brief spell with AEL Limassol
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou , commonly known as AEL Limassol , is a Greek Cypriot multisport club based in the city of Limassol, the port of Cyprus....
of Cyprus before retiring.
After retirement, and a period selling pensions, Cross joined the coaching staff at Oldham, moving up to assistant manager in 2002. He later became a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for West Ham.
Honours
Norwich City- Second Division champions: 1972
West Ham United
- FA Cup winner: 1980
- Second Division champions: 1981
Personal life
Cross has three children, a boy, Robert and two girls, Jennifer and Kathryn, who have all achieved success in sport. Robert played Second XI cricketSecond XI Championship
The Second XI Championship is a season-long cricket competition in England that is competed for by the reserve teams of those county cricket clubs that have first-class status...
for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
and Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
for many years, and acted as twelfth man for Lancashire First XI on several occasions. Jennifer played Netball Superleague
Netball Superleague
The Netball Superleague is the elite netball competition in England, Wales and Scotland. The league, which runs from November to June, features nine teams from all areas of Britain. It is regularly shown on sports broadcaster Sky Sports, thanks to a major television deal signed in 2006. Naming...
for Northern Thunder and Leeds Met Carnegie, and has appeared in the Lancashire Women's Cricket set-up. Kathryn, the youngest, played cricket for Lancashire Women's First XI at the age of 13; at 15 she was the first girl to be named in the Lancashire County Academy, and progressed to the England Women's Academy and Development Squad. Having impressed for England women’s academy in 2010, Kathryn was called up to England women’s tour of Australia in January 2011 following injuries to Claire Taylor and Beth Morgan.
External links
- David Cross at westhamstats.info