Patrick James Crossan (1894 – 28 April 1933) was a Scottish professional footballdefender who played in the
Scottish League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km sout ...
Arniston Rangers
Arniston Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the town of Gorebridge. They play in the East of Scotland Football League (Second Division), having moved from the SJFA East Region Premier League in 2018. Nicknamed "Arni", ...
on 8 Nov 1911, aged 17, alongside Willie Wilson. 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
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
s. 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!
After the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
in August 1914, Crossan enlisted in
McCrae's Battalion
McCrae's Battalion was the affectionate name given by the people of Edinburgh to the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Scots in World War I, raised from volunteers in 1914 as part of the Kitchener's Army, New Armies called to the Colours by He ...
of the
Royal Scots
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...
. Around the same time he was selected for the
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI was a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the (English) Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture be ...
with teammates
Peter Nellies
Peter Nellies (24 April 1886 – 15 July 1930) was a Scottish footballer,James Low and Harry Graham.
Once on active service, he was hit in the leg by
shrapnel
Shrapnel may refer to:
Military
* Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use
* Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material
Popular culture
* ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics)
* ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam ...
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
. The leg was marked for amputation but was saved after being operated on by a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of ...
surgeon. After recovering back in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
, Crossan was posted to the 4th Battalion to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and he was present during the
Battle of Jerusalem
The Battle of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the surrender until 30 December 1917, to ...
. He was posted back to the Western Front in 1918 and was gassed in April that year.
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 before being release on a free transfer in 1925, aged 31.
Paddy signed for
Leith Athletic
Leith Athletic Football Club is a football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. They compete in the East of Scotland Football League, Conference A. First team matches are played at Peffermill 3G.
The present club considers itse ...
in August 1925. He scored against his old club in a 7–1 defeat on 19 August 1925.
Paddy married the sister of
Harry Wattie
Henry Benzie Wattie (3 June 1891 – 1 July 1916) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Heart of Midlothian as a forward.
Personal life
Wattie was the youngest of five brothers and attended Boroughmui ...
on 30 July 1926.
After his retirement from football, he opened Paddy's Bar on
Rose Street
Rose Street is a street in the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a narrow street running parallel between Princes Street and George Street. Today, it is principally a shopping street, however, it is well known for its many bars and pu ...
in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. Crossan died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...