Andy Crosby

Andrew Keith Crosby (born 3 March 1973) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager at EFL League Two club Tranmere Rovers.

A defender during his playing days, he began his career at Leeds United, though he made his debut in the English Football League after joining Doncaster Rovers in July 1991. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with Rovers before moving on to Darlington in December 1993, following a brief loan spell with Halifax Town. He played 211 games for Darlington in a stay which lasted almost five years. He spent the 1998–99 season with Chester City and was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £10,000 in July 1999. He helped Brighton to win the Third Division title in the 2000–01 season before joining Oxford United on a free transfer in December 2001. He was named on the Third Division's PFA Team of the Year for the 2003–04 season and took a free transfer to Scunthorpe United in June 2004. He spent six seasons with Scunthorpe, winning three promotions: from League Two in 2004–05, with the League One title in 2006–07 and via the League One play-offs in 2009. He made 715 league and cup appearances during his 20-year playing career, scoring 43 goals.

He joined the backroom staff at Scunthorpe United. He would follow manager Nigel Adkins to Southampton, Reading, Sheffield United and Hull City. During his time at Southampton, the club would win successive promotions from League One into the Premier League in 2010–11 and 2011–12. He served as Northern Ireland U21's caretaker manager in 2020 and joined the coaching staff at Port Vale in March 2021. He served as Port Vale's acting manager during manager Darrell Clarke's absence in the latter half of the 2021–22 season. He became manager, initially on an interim basis, following Clarke's sacking in April 2023. Crosby spent ten months in the job before being sacked. He joined Tranmere Rovers as a coach and became the manager there in February 2025.

Andrew Keith Crosby was born on 3 March 1973 in Rotherham, West Riding of Yorkshire. He grew up in the mining village of Maltby; his father was a lorry driver and miner, whilst his mother worked in the local shops. He grew up supporting Rotherham United but was rejected by the club as a player at the age of eleven.

Crosby began his football career as a trainee with Leeds United, having been with the club as a youth team player since at least 1987. He was released to Doncaster Rovers – managed by former Leeds boss Billy Bremner – after failing to break into the first-team at Elland Road. He featured 26 times in the 1991–92 season as Rovers finished 21st in the Fourth Division. The creation of the Premier League saw the Fourth Division renamed the Third Division, and Doncaster ended the 1992–93 season in 16th place under the stewardship of Steve Beaglehole. Crosby spent a brief part of the 1993–94 season on loan at Halifax Town, featuring just once for the Conference club. He played two reserve team games as a trialist for Wrexham.

Crosby signed in December 1993 with Alan Murray's Darlington, which went on to end the 1993–94 campaign second-from-bottom of the Football League. Darlington also finished second-from-bottom in 1994–95, with Crosby clocking up 41 appearances. The "Quakers" improved under new manager Jim Platt, and Crosby played 55 games in the 1995–96 campaign as Darlington qualified for the play-offs after finishing in fifth place; he played in a back five alongside centre-backs Sean Gregan and Matty Appleby, supported by wing-backs Mark Barnard and Simon Shaw. He captained the club in their play-off final defeat to Plymouth Argyle, the club's first appearance at Wembley Stadium. However, Darlington returned to the lower half of the division under new manager David Hodgson, finishing 18th in 1996–97 and 19th in 1997–98, with Crosby bringing his final tally at Darlington to 211 league and cup appearances.

He joined Chester City in July 1998, partnering with Matt Woods in central defence. Kevin Ratcliffe's "Seals" would finish 14th in the Third Division at the end of the 1998–99 season, with Crosby scoring four goals in 46 games and being sent off twice. He was transfer-listed by controversial owner Terry Smith and told the media that the club was "falling apart". Chester City were later ordered to pay Crosby £3,800 in outstanding bonuses and wages.

Crosby was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee of £10,000 in July 1999. He recovered from a "mysterious illness" that kept him in hospital for two nights in September 1999; it turned out to be caused by a virus in his left ear. He went on to make 41 appearances across the 1999–2000 campaign. He formed a strong centre-back partnership with Danny Cullip during the 2000–01 season as Brighton won promotion out of the Third Division as champions; he scored two goals in 39 games, including one goal scored with his ear against Blackpool. He had a "clear the air meeting" with manager Micky Adams in September 2001 after being dropped for Matt Wicks. Following the meeting he was transfer-listed at his own request after finding his first-team chances at the Withdean Stadium limited.