Carnforth Cricket Club to host sportsman’s dinner with former Premier League player

Carnforth Cricket Club will host a sportsman’s dinner this week with a Nottingham Forest fan favourite as the speaker.

Mark Crossley, who made over 300 appearances for Forest as a goalkeeper, will be at the club this Good Friday (April 7).

It was at Nottingham Forest where Crossley became the only goalkeeper to save a Matt Le Tissier penalty, something he is very proud of and will no doubt mention on Friday.

Crossley also had spells at Middlesbrough, Fulham and Oldham Athletic among others across a 24-year playing career.

He went on loan to Manchester United in 1990 but never made an appearance.

The Barnsley-born shot stopper represented the Welsh national team eight times between 1997 and 2004 after switching allegiance from England, for whom he made three under-21 appearances.

He was caretaker manager of Chesterfield and Notts County in 2012 and 2018 respectively.

Crossley is affectionately known as 'Big Norm' due to his resemblance to former Manchester United player Norman Whiteside!

He is involved in charity work too and is one of the founders of the mental health charity group #walkiingisbrilliant Walking and Talking Charity Hikes, of which other former footballers such as Dean Windass and Chris Kirkland are also members.

Comedian Lea Roberts, winner of ITV show Stand Up Britain in 2002, will also be at the dinner.

Carnforth Cricket Club hosted a sportsman’s dinner last March with former Preston North End, Hull City and Fleetwood Town striker Jon Parkin, a good friend of Mark Crossley who is involved in the #walkingisbrilliant charity work and also from Barnsley, as the speaker.

Crossley has appeared on Jon Parkin’s podcast ‘Undr the Cosh’ and told several amusing stories about his ex-Forest manager, the late, great Brian Clough.

Tickets are £25 each and those who want to attend can contact Alan Hardy on 07733 130234 or Rob Pearcy on 07817 799609.

Money from tickets will go towards funding the club.

Carnforth Cricket Club’s 1st Men’s XI were promoted to the Palace Shield Premier Division last year and their first match is on Saturday April 22 at 1pm against Euxton CC. Their 2nd XI are in action on Saturday April 15 in The Westmorland Cricket League Division One v Burneside. Both games are at Lodge Quarry, Carnforth Cricket Club.

Carnforth Women’s 1st XI have recently played in The South Cumbria Women’s 2023 Indoor Festival and have games later this summer in the LCF Women’s Super 8’s North Group 1.