| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Andrew Crossan | ||
| Date of birth | 29 November 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Derry, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Inside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1954–1958 | Derry City | ||
| 1958 | Coleraine | ||
| 1958–1959 | Bristol City | 0 | (0) |
| 1959-1961 | Sparta Rotterdam | 0 | (0) |
| 1961-1962 | Standard Liège | 33 | (6) |
| 1962-1965 | Sunderland | 82 | (39) |
| 1965-1967 | Manchester City | 94 | (24) |
| 1967-1970 | Middlesbrough | 56 | (7) |
| 1970-1975 | KSK Tongeren | 105 | (4) |
| Total | 370 | (80) | |
| National team | |||
| 1959 | Northern Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| 1959-1967 | Northern Ireland | 24 | (10) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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John Andrew Crossan (born 29 November 1938), commonly known as Jobby or Johnny Crossan, is a Northern Irish author, radio sports analyst, entrepreneur, and former football player. His brother Eddie was also a player.
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Crossan began his career playing for Derry City, where he played as an inside forward. His talent was spotted by several leading English clubs, including Arsenal FC and Sunderland FC. When the latter made a substantial offer, Derry City offered Jobby a payment deal which he rejected, offering his own. When the Sunderland negotiations broke down, Derry City dropped Jobby, who signed for Coleraine. Derry City, still aggrieved by Jobby's actions, reported themselves to the Football League authorities for technical breaches of regulations, thus ensuring that Jobby would face disciplinary action. In January 1959, a commission of inquiry imposed small fines on Derry and Coleraine, but banned Jobby from all forms of football for life. A partial lifting of the ban was allowed following an appeal, and in August 1959, the inside forward signed for Sparta Rotterdam, where he was first called up to the Northern Ireland squad. He went from there to Standard Liège, where he played in the semi-final of the European Cup against Real Madrid. In 1963, Jobby returned to football in the UK (following the lifting of his 'life-time' ban) when he was signed by Sunderland, with whom he made it to the old First Division. He then signed for Manchester City who were playing in the old Second Division. As team captain, he helped them make their way into the old First Division, before being sold to Middlesbrough after a loss of form following a car crash and other health problems.
Internationally, he was capped 24 times by Northern Ireland and scored 10 goals.
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 November 1961 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Poland | 2-0 | UEFA Euro 1964 qualifying |
| 2 | 20 November 1963 | London, England | England | 3-8 | 1964 British Home Championship |
| 3 | 29 April 1964 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Uruguay | 3-0 | Friendly match |
| 4 | 29 April 1964 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Uruguay | 3-0 | Friendly match |
| 5 | 14 October 1964 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Switzerland | 1-0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 17 March 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Netherlands | 2-1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 7 May 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Albania | 4-1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 7 May 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Albania | 4-1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 7 May 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Albania | 4-1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 2 October 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Scotland | 3-2 | 1966 British Home Championship |
After his playing days, Jobby had a spell in management and took the top job at League of Ireland club, Sligo Rovers. He resigned soon after.
He also commentates for BBC Radio Foyle when they cover Derry City games.