Memory Lane Derek Woodley v Errol Crossan 1:10 - poll added

[Yorkshire Blue]

Right, you should know the score by now. Waffle on about how great they were and regale us youngsters with stories from yesteryear and then I add a poll.

 

[Napster]

Errol Crossan was great in Hot Chocolate.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

This is what shallowshrimper PM-ed me before he went away:

So why have I chosen Derek Woodley as my nomination you may well be wondering, simply put this man was my first childhood hero, the one I always looked forward to seeing play with his marvellous right wing runs using sheer pace to beat his man, normally on the outside if IIRC.

One particular foggy October night made me a fan of Woodley for life and condemned me to being a shrimper for evermore. October 5 1964 I was just coming up to 12 years old and living on darkest canvey island. Got home from school and was sulking because my father and bro. in law were working away and so looked like missing that match. Amazingly my dear old mum who was not exactly the modern young trendy type of mum and had never been to a football match in her life says "come on not having you upset" puts on coat and off we go. Still seems hard to believe even now. So bus and train to roots hall and walk down vic avenue. Standing in paddocks in front of east stand and weather still foggy , and then Woodley turned in this amazing right wing performance and scored two stunning second half goals from right wing crashing into the top far corner of the net.

We all have extra special memories and things that make us a fan for life and for me that was my special moment.

Of course now I coudnt wait for saturdays game with Exeter and I was so sure of a similar result after all no team could live with my beloved southend and "wooders", but after a dreadful boring 0 - 0 draw I must admit I thought how can we be so brilliant one day and so rubbish the next. Years later and I still dont know the answer to that one!

:thumbsup:

 

[canveyshrimper]

Good memories from Shallow Shrimper, I never saw Errol Crossan so I'm more than pleased to hear memories of him. Derek Woodley signed from West Ham at the same time as Mike Beesley, a tricky and pacy winger, on his day he would go past full backs as if they weren't there, unfortunately and IMO like most wingers he had too few good days and too many off days.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

, on his day he would go past full backs as if they weren't there, unfortunately and IMO like most wingers he had too few good days and too many off days.

Agree with you Harry, dont remember him being much cop in the tackling department. Although i'm sure someone will say that being a winger, he did'nt need to do that. Sadly no longer with us, ended up working for Access in Southend (rubble now remains of that building) before sadly passing away prematurely a few years ago.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Agree with you Harry, dont remember him being much cop in the tackling department. Although i'm sure someone will say that being a winger, he did'nt need to do that. Sadly no longer with us, ended up working for Access in Southend (rubble now remains of that building) before sadly passing away prematurely a few years ago.

Certainly that seems to be true of wingers from the Wet Spam "academy", Sissons & Redkknapp were always conspicuous in their absence when things got a bit tasty. I seem to remember his passing was mentioned here a year or two back.

 

[turkishm]

Saw both Woodley and Crossan play, Woodley pace and a thunderbolt shot, but did go missing in to many games. Crossan much trickier, and for me more of an all round player.

 

[OldBlueLady]

No knowledge of either of these so relying on others here

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Derek Woodley I remember well as a player.Errol Crossan was sadly just before my time.As others have commenented DW was a typical West ham player ie strong on flair and pace but a bit light in the bottle department.He gave excellent service on the wing in the years just before and just after we were relegated to the old fourth division for the very first time in 65/6.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Well now, Derek Woodley was a speedy winger and was a pleasure to watch play, but Errol Crossan, a Canadian it so happens, was even faster and and had a goal tally better than one in four games, better than Woodley whose goals were one in eleven. Unfortunately he only played for the Blues for one year before he moved to Norwich.While Crossan played on the right wing we had John McGuigan playing left wing who in my opinion was better still and between them they tore the opposition to pieces. They scored 20 goals between them in the one season they played together. They both left the club the very next season, McGuigan was sold to Newcastle.What wouldn't we give for a pair of wingers like that now.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Derek gets my vote - played in the great twin winger teams of the Fourth Division - complimenting Johnny Mac - one fast, one slow and tricky (of course as an ex winger - I could do both - just ask Barna and Shrimpero :D) Never saw Errol so cannot comment

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Don't remember Crossan - so it has to be Woodley, who always signed autographs after games in the days when I would wait to collect them at the players' exit.
DW had a wonderful out-of-fashion Brylcreemed swept-back look like his mate John McKinven on the other wing.
What was with those two when the rest of the world had Beatles mop-tops???

 

[OldBlueLady]

So who was it nominated Crossan that can give us some information?

 

[shallowshrimper]

So who was it nominated Crossan that can give us some information?

Seems that Irenbird would be the person to supply the details

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Derek gets my vote - played in the great twin winger teams of the Fourth Division - complimenting Johnny Mac - one fast, one slow and tricky (of course as an ex winger - I could do both - just ask Barna and Shrimpero :D) Never saw Errol so cannot comment

Yes, but both at differing times in your-ahem-playing days.Not both at the same time,unfortunately.;)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Seems that Irenbird would be the person to supply the details

From the nomination thread:

Not sure how to do this but i will plump for errol crossan. He came from canada and went to Norwich after us i think. A very fast and tricky winger. He and Punton ran defences ragged many times. Oh, the memories!

He's a name I've heard mentioned a few times when peope are naming the better players from further back.

 

[devonexile]

Don't remember Crossan - so it has to be Woodley, who always signed autographs after games in the days when I would wait to collect them at the players' exit.
DW had a wonderful out-of-fashion Brylcreemed swept-back look like his mate John McKinven on the other wing.
What was with those two when the rest of the world had Beatles mop-tops???

I well remember his and Johnny Mac's hair being brylcreamed and swept back. Even as a lad about 11 or 12 or so, it struck me as very odd that they both greased up like 1950's B movie stars. Nonetheless, Derek Woodley was a lightening fast winger with a thunderous shot on him. I don't particularly recall his shirking defensive duties, any more say than a Mckinven or an Eddie Clayton type player but he may have done, it might simply be that time has erroded it from my ageing memory banks.

 

[Ex-Member1]

Woodley was the fastest winger I have ever seen, would have given Bolt a run for his money but he was lightweight and easily knocked off the ball. Errol Crossan was strong, fast and crossed(no pun intended) a mean ball. EC for me.

 

[westie]

Well now, Derek Woodley was a speedy winger and was a pleasure to watch play, but Errol Crossan, a Canadian it so happens, was even faster and and had a goal tally better than one in four games, better than Woodley whose goals were one in eleven. Unfortunately he only played for the Blues for one year before he moved to Norwich.While Crossan played on the right wing we had John McGuigan playing left wing who in my opinion was better still and between them they tore the opposition to pieces. They scored 20 goals between them in the one season they played together. They both left the club the very next season, McGuigan was sold to Newcastle.What wouldn't we give for a pair of wingers like that now.

AT LAST! Someone who truly remembers both players! The Canadian with the crew cut was better than Woodley in every department as the facts clearly show. I agree that Johnny McGuigan was as good, if not better than Errol Crossan. Undoubtedly the finest pair of wingers in the Club's history. Which is probably why they were sold after just one season ... typical!

Errol Crossan wins this contest by a country mile and gets my vote.

 

[shallowshrimper]

Just sitting here bored stiff at work so decided to see how the poll was going. Just realised in my post I forget to mention the trivial fact that the game I was talking about was against gillingham. Dont know which is worse for causing lapses like that beer or old age.