 Crossley in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Geoffrey Crossley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1969-06-16)16 June 1969 (age 56) | ||
| Place of birth | Barnsley, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1989 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–2000 | Nottingham Forest | 303 | (0) |
| 1990 | →Manchester United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1998 | →Millwall (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Middlesbrough | 23 | (0) |
| 2002 | →Stoke City (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2003 | →Stoke City (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2003–2007 | Fulham | 20 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | →Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 17 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Oldham Athletic | 59 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Chesterfield | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 452 | (1) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990 | England U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1997–2004 | Wales | 8 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012 | Chesterfield (caretaker) | ||
| 2018 | Notts County (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mark Geoffrey Crossley (born 16 June 1969) is a football coach and former Wales internationalfootballer.
As a player, he was agoalkeeper from 1988 until 2011 and he has previously played for numerous clubs in England's top flight, notably forNottingham Forest, where he became the only goalkeeper to save aMatt Le Tissierpenalty kick.[3] He has also played forManchester United,Millwall,Middlesbrough,Stoke City,Fulham,Sheffield Wednesday,Oldham Athletic andChesterfield. He earned three caps for theEngland U21 team, but opted to switch allegiance toWales and received eight full international caps between 1997 and 2004.
Following retirement, he moved into coaching and has worked as a goalkeeping coach at Chesterfield, Sheffield Wednesday,Barnsley andNotts County. During these times he has spent two spells in caretaker charge of a club, having managed Chesterfield in 2012 and Notts County in 2018.
Crossley was born inBarnsley and began his career withNottingham Forest in 1987 as a trainee. He started the 1988–89 season as fourth choice butHans Segers andPaul Crichton were transferred in quick succession toWimbledon F.C. andPeterborough United respectively, and whenSteve Sutton fell ill, Crossley found himself thrust into the first team, playing in league wins overLiverpool andNewcastle United and a League Cup win overCoventry City before Sutton's return. He had a loan spell atManchester United during the1989–90 season but was never selected for the first team, although he played three times for the reserves.[4] He had two spells in Forest's team, firstly when Sutton was injured and later when Sutton suffered a loss of form.
He was a huge favourite with the fans and indeed with Brian Clough, who affectionately nicknamed him 'shithouse'[1]. Despite being prone to occasional mistakes, he made over 300 appearances in thirteen years with the club, becoming first-choice 'keeper at the start of the 1990–91 season. This was strengthened bySteve Sutton's move toDerby County in 1992. Crossley played in the1991 FA Cup Final loss toTottenham Hotspur, where he saved a penalty fromGary Lineker. He missed a run of games towards the end of the 1991–92 season, including theFull Members Cup andFootball League Cup finals againstSouthampton andManchester United respectively due to a breach of club rules.Andrew Marriott wore the gloves in his place, although Crossley regained his place for the next league game after the second final. He also has the dubious distinction of conceding the first Premier Leagueown goal, in Forest's 4–1 defeat atBlackburn Rovers on 5 September 1992.
He was granted a testimonial match during the1999–2000 season by Nottingham Forest, which was played in front of 15,000 supporters. During that season, Crossley found himself on the bench numerous times, playing second choice 'keeper toDave Beasant. He was finally released from Forest, in 2000 as the club's financial troubles required them to reduce the wage bill.
Crossley joinedMiddlesbrough on a free transfer to provide competition as well as cover for the number one spot at the club. He made seven appearances in the2000–01 season, but was sent off againstArsenal in November 2000,[5] and did not play again for the rest of the season. He played 18 more games in the2001–02 season. He was loaned out toStoke City on 29 November 2002 and played againstGillingham the next day.[6] However, he was recalled by Boro until he re-joined Stoke towards the end of the2002–03 season.[7] He played in 11 matches helping the club avoid relegation from the First Division.
Frustrated by not playing many games at Boro, Crossley joinedFulham for £500,000 in 2003 and made his debut againstWigan Athletic at theJJB Stadium on 23 September 2003.[8] He was mainly the second-choice goalkeeper during his time at the club, although he did have more opportunities to play in the first team during the2005–06 season due to the sale of former number 1 goalkeeperEdwin van der Sar.[9] His finest match that season came when, deputising for the injured Finnish internationalAntti Niemi, he kept a clean sheet against championsChelsea in a 1–0 victory, producing many saves as Chelsea piled pressure on late in the game. Before joiningSheffield Wednesday on loan, he was the number 3 'keeper to Niemi and Czech goalkeeperJan Laštůvka at Fulham.
Former teammate andSheffield Wednesday managerBrian Laws made Crossley his first signing in November 2006, bringing him in on loan. Crossley impressed, with a string of fine performances and the loan deal was extended to the end of the season.[10] On 23 December 2006, Crossley scored a dramatic late equaliser for Sheffield Wednesday in a 3–3 draw withSouthampton atHillsborough, in his 481st career match, after coming up for a late corner.[11] HoweverIain Turner was brought in on loan and Crossley returned to Fulham.
After being released by Fulham at the end of the2006–07 season,[12] Crossley signed forLeague One sideOldham Athletic. He also took a coaching role at the club. He played most of the games available, despite being injured for 6 games in March.[13]
Crossley signed a one-year extension to his current contract, he was contracted at Latics until the end of the 2008–09 season.[14] After the final game of the season, the club reported that he and an assistant coach had parted with the club.[15][16]
In the summer of 2009 he joinedChesterfield as part ofJohn Sheridan's new coaching team, as well as signing playing terms making him the club's second choice goalkeeper. In February 2011 Crossley announced he would be retiring from football at the end of the 2010–11 season.[17]
In July 2012 Crossley was approached byBirmingham City to become the club's new goalkeeping coach for the 2012–13 season, however the move fell through when Chesterfield could not agree on a compensation fee.[18] Following John Sheridan's dismissal from Chesterfield, Crossley was appointed caretaker manager alongsideTommy Wright.[19] In September 2012, despite having retired from playing in 2011, Crossley was named as an unused substitute in Chesterfield's 2–2 draw atYork City, taking the number 26 shirt.[20] He left Chesterfield on 29 April 2013.[21] On 13 August 2013, Crossley joinedSheffield Wednesday as the Owls' academy goalkeeper coach. Crossley joinedBarnsley on 27 March 2014 as a replacement for Ian Wilcox as new goalkeeping coach.
Prior to the 2015–16 season, Crossley rejoined Chesterfield as a coach.
On 21 June 2019, Crossley left theNotts County first-team coaching set-up.[22]
On 2 July 2019, Crossley rejoinedChesterfield as goalkeeper coach.[23]
Crossley qualified to play for Wales through his Welsh grandfather. He was a regular in the Welsh international squad, but served as understudy toNeville Southall, and thenPaul Jones. He started only eight games. His full international début came against theRepublic of Ireland.[24] His most memorable moment with the national team wasWales' 4–0 win overScotland. Prior to representing Wales, Crossley played for theEngland U21 team in a tournament inToulon, France, in 1990.[25]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 1988–89 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1989–90 | First Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1990–91 | First Division | 38 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 0 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54 | 0 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1993–94 | First Division | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 38 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 55 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | First Division | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Total | 303 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 393 | 0 | ||
| Manchester United (loan) | 1989–90 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Millwall (loan) | 1997–98 | Second Division | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Middlesbrough | 2000–01 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Stoke City (loan) | 2002–03 | First Division | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Fulham | 2003–04 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Oldham Athletic | 2007–08 | League One | 38 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | League One | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70 | 0 | ||
| Chesterfield | 2009–10 | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 451 | 1 | 44 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 566 | 1 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1997 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |