Allan Crossley

Allan Crossley (born 1952) is a former British strongman competitor, notable for having won the title of Britain's Strongest Man, as well as having been both the British light-heavy and heavyweight arm wrestling champion.[1]

Allan Crossley
Born
Allan Crossley

1952[1]
Coleraine, Northern Ireland[1]
OccupationDoorman, Minder, Strongman
Competition record
Strongman
Representing  Great Britain
Europe's Strongest Man
Qualified 1983 Europe's Strongest Man [2]
Britain's Strongest Man
4th Britain's Strongest Man 1980
4th Britain's Strongest Man 1983
1st Britain's Strongest Man 1984

Biography

Allan Crossley was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, in 1952. He trained in a number of gyms as a teenager and went on to become a professional bouncer and a doorman. As a sportsman he first made his name as an arm wrestler, winning the British light-heavyweight title and going on to win the British heavyweight title. He then entered the world of strength athletics. In Britain's Strongest Man he came fourth in the 1980 and 1983 versions of the event, before winning the title in 1984. This enabled Crossley to qualify for the 1984 Europe's Strongest Man in which he represented the United Kingdom alongside Geoff Capes, the then current World's Strongest Man.

As a doorman he gained significant renown. He was featured in a 1989 episode of the BBC Bristol series 10x10, entitled Hardman.[3] He was later featured as one of the three British bouncers including, Lenny McLean and John 'The Neck' Houchin, in Steven Cantor's film Bounce: Beyond the Velvet Rope,[4] in which his portrayal has been described as "a soft spoken professed Christian, who can quote Shakespeare whenever the mood takes him, but who prefers handling obnoxious customers in their most pliable state - knocked unconscious".[5]

Crossley also features in a book about Lenny McLean's life: entitled,

(The Guv'nor - Revealed) By writing duo Lee Wortley and Anthony Thomas.

This book of untold stories also features his lifelong friend John 'The Neck' Houchin.

References
  1. BBC Genome project, Radio Times 1923 -2009, BBC One London, 7 September 1983
  2. BBC Genome project, Radio Times 1923 -2009, BBC One London, 12 February 1985
  3. IMDB 10x10 Hardman 1989
  4. Bounce: Beyond the Velvet Rope on IMDB
  5. New York Times Film Review, September 7, 2001
Preceded by
Geoff Capes		 Britain's Strongest Man
1984		 Succeeded by
Pete Tancred
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