Paddy Crossan
Patrick James "Paddy" Crossan (1894 – 5 May 1933) was a Scottish professional football defender who played in the Scottish League for Heart of Midlothian.[1][3]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Patrick James Crossan[1] | ||
Date of birth | 1894 | ||
Place of birth | Addiewell, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 5 May 1933 (aged 39)[2] | ||
Place of death | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Playing position(s) | Defender | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Addiewell Celtic | |||
Seafield Athletic | |||
Arniston Rangers | |||
1912–1925 | Heart of Midlothian | 283 | (11) |
National team | |||
1914 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Personal life
Crossan joined Hearts from Arniston Rangers in 1912, aged 18, alongside Willie Wilson.[4] He lodged at Wilson's family home which was very close to the Tynecastle ground. He was powerful and an extremely fast runner, and supplemented his income occasionally by racing under pseudonyms.[5] Crossan was considered by many to be very good looking and it was said that although he could pass a ball, he could not pass a mirror![6]
After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Crossan enlisted in McCrae's Battalion of the Royal Scots.[2] Around the same time he was selected for the Scottish League XI with teammates Peter Nellies, James Low and Harry Graham.[7]
Once on active service, he was hit in the leg by shrapnel near Bazentin, France on 9 August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme.[2] The leg was marked for amputation but was saved after being operated on by a German POW surgeon.[2] After recovering back in Britain, Crossan was posted to the 4th Battalion to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and he was present during the Battle of Jerusalem.[2] He was posted back to the Western Front in 1918 and was gassed in April that year.[2]
He returned to Hearts after the war and featured in another six full seasons, receiving two benefit games and bringing his total number of competitive appearances to over 300[3] before being release on a free transfer in 1925, aged 31.
After his retirement from football, he opened Paddy's Bar on Rose Street in Edinburgh.[8] Crossan died of tuberculosis in 1933 and was buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery.[9]
References
- "The Heart of Midlothian FC Players' Roll of Honour" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- "Hearts of courage - The legendary McCrae's Own". Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- "Patrick Crossan - Hearts Career - from 02 Jan 1912 to 07 Feb 1925". www.londonhearts.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- "Players: Willie Wilson 1916". Mighty Leeds. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- Alexander, Jack (2004). McCrae's Battalion: The Story of the 16th Royal Scots. Mainstream Publishing/Random House. ISBN 9781845968212.
- Rees, Mike. Men Who Played The Game : Sportsmen who gave their life in the Great War. Bridgend. ISBN 9781781722862. OCLC 935458537.
- "Scottish League player Paddy Crossan". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- "Friends mourn pub landlord". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- "Midlothian Advertiser". 5 May 1933. p. 4.