Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

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Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

Between 1961 and 1975, Leicester-born Graham Cross, an England Under-23s international, played a Club record-breaking 600 games for the Foxes at wing-half and then at centre-back.

2026-06-16T13:00+01:00

by John Hutchinson

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Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

Between 1961 and 1975, Leicester-born Graham Cross, an England Under-23s international, played a Club record-breaking 600 games for the Foxes at wing-half and then at centre-back.

John Hutchinson

2026-06-16T13:00+01:00

Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

Between 1961 and 1975, Leicester-born Graham Cross, an England Under-23s international, played a Club record-breaking 600 games for the Foxes at wing-half and then at centre-back.

John Hutchinson

2026-06-16T13:00+01:00

Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

Between 1961 and 1975, Leicester-born Graham Cross, an England Under-23s international, played a Club record-breaking 600 games for the Foxes at wing-half and then at centre-back.

John Hutchinson

2026-06-16T13:00+01:00

Unseen Treasures: Graham Cross Testimonial Vinyl Record

Between 1961 and 1975, Leicester-born Graham Cross, an England Under-23s international, played a Club record-breaking 600 games for the Foxes at wing-half and then at centre-back.

John Hutchinson

2026-06-16T13:00+01:00

He holds the Club record for playing the most games in the top-flight (414), in the FA Cup (59) and in the League Cup (40). His goal on his debut, as a 17-year-old, makes him our youngest goalscorer in the top division too.

He was an FA Cup finalist in 1963 and 1969, a League Cup winner in 1964, a League Cup finalist in 1965 and an old Second Division title winner and FA Community Shield winner in 1971.

He also played in Europe for the Club in 1961. In addition, Graham played first-class cricket for Leicestershire between 1961 and 1977, winning a cup in 1975.

In 73/74, his 13th season in our First Team, Graham was awarded a testimonial year which included a match against Derby County, who had been the league champions two years earlier.

Another feature of Graham’s testimonial year was this seven-inch vinyl single record. Produced by Ivan Slack Promotions, it is a Decca record containing two songs. These are ‘The Tank’ on the A side and ‘This Is The Season’ on the B side.

‘The Tank’ was the nickname given to Graham by his team-mate Alan ‘The Birch’ Birchenall.

The singers of both songs were the First Team squad. Their pictures appear on the record’s sleeve. Alan Birchenall, Keith Weller, Peter Shilton and Frank Worthington are on the front cover, along with the producer Ivan Slack. The players on the sleeve’s reverse side are Jon Sammels, Dennis Rofe, Mike Stringfellow, Malcolm Munro, Joe Waters, Len Glover, Steve Whitworth, Alan Woollett, Steve Earle and Mark Wallington.

Birch has since told us that the recording took place at a local recording studio, that it was televised for regional TV and that it sold quite well.

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