End of season sale GIF
End of season sale GIF
Mark Crossley played over 150 games in Nottingham Forest colours under the stewardship of the late Brian Clough, who gave him his senior debut during the 1988/89 season.
Forest TV sat down with our former ‘keeper earlier this year on the 50th anniversary of Clough’s appointment as Forest manager.
Crossley recalled the story of his first team debut and how Clough went about informing him he was about to line-up on the hallowed City Ground pitch for the first time.
“I played for over 21 managers for me there’s only one and that was him. He changed my life when he gave me my debut through circumstances that were unexpected.
“He was the type of manager that knew when you needed loving, knew when you needed a kick up the backside. He was like a psychologist in his own right, he just seemed to know what to do and when to do it.
“My debut was a midweek 7.30pm game against Liverpool and I didn’t find out until 7pm! But this is where he was a brilliant manager and a man manager.
“He knew I was going to play that night, but I didn’t. The first person who found out was my father; he phoned him and told him to get down to the game.
“But he told him whatever you do, don’t tell him. I was playing because Steve Sutton had gone down with a virus during the day, and I was fifth choice.
“I always speak about being in the right place at the right time and a little bit of luck along the way, but he had no hesitation about throwing me in at the deep end, so he must’ve thought I could do the job.
“I didn’t have time to think about what was going to happen on that night, it was a case of play with a smile on your face and enjoy it. I didn’t have time to get worked up and it was simple things like that why he was so good."