Footballing legend John Jobby Crossan has pulled down the shutters on his Derry sports shop after more than 50 years.
Now aged 85, the former Manchester City and Northern Ireland star closed his shop, “Jobby’s Sports Centre” at Racecourse Road for the final time this week.
The shop specialised in sports goods of all kinds but became a magnet for football enthusiasts from throughout Ireland who would visit just to meet and chat to Crossan.
From the city’s Bogside, Crossan enjoyed huge success both in English and European football. In England he played with Sunderland and Manchester United. After a stint with Dutch champions, Sparta Rotterdam, he moved to Belgian club, Standard Liege where he played in the European Cup semifinal against the mighty Real Madrid.
He also enjoyed a sparkling international career playing with George Best for Northern Ireland. He even outscored the great Best, netting ten times in 24 international games.
However, his career almost failed to take-off when he was banned over a technicality after leaving signing for Coleraine as a 20-year-old. The official reason was that he had broken transfer rules. However, the Derry star believed it was down to an undercurrent of anti-Catholic and unionist bias.
In a biography by former BBC journalist, Richie Kelly, he said he believed the ban – which was eventually lifted – was “an utterly biased ruling”.
Following his playing career, he became a football pundit for BBC Radio Foyle and also opened his “Jobby’s Sports Centre” in Derry.
SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan said many people would have great memories of the stop.
“I went there to buy a Mitre Delta with my First Communion money and got plenty of pairs of football boots and goalie gloves off Jobby over the years.
“But a visit to Jobby’s was always much more than a purchase; it was a pleasure.
“In more recent years I’d still call in the odd time to see Jobby and hear his and his muckers’ sporting stories and views on football, politics and everything else,” the Foyle MLA said.