Billy McCracken

Billy (Bill) McCracken (29 January 1883, Belfast – 20 January 1979) was a Northern Irish association football player. His position was defender.

McCracken played for the English club Newcastle United from 1904 to 1924, helping them win three League titles and the FA Cup. McCracken was so adept at catching the opposing teams forwards offside that he forced a change in the rules of the game.[1]

In total he played 432 games for Newcastle, scoring 88 goals. After leaving Newcastle he went on to become Hull City manager in 1923 and he took them to the FA Cup semi-final in 1930. He left the club a year later.

He later had a short term in charge of Gateshead F.C., before managing Millwall F.C. from 1933–1936. He later went on to manage the now defunct Aldershot F.C.

McCracken is probably the only player who caused the Football Association to change the Laws Of Football when, as a centre-half at Newcastle, he masterminded the technique of making opposition forwards ruled "offside" when the rules stated that 3 defenders must be between the attacking player and the goal line. So successful was MacCracken's defensive ploy that the Offside Rule was changed to "2 defenders" between the foremost attacker and the goal line".

His team mates while playing for Ireland included Archie Goodall, Billy Scott, Jack Kirwan and Robert Milne.

Contents

Honours

As a player

Newcastle United

References

  1. ^ A-Z Newcastle United

External links

Hull City A.F.C. – managers
Gateshead F.C. – managers
  • Douglass (1930–32)
  • McCracken (1932)
  • Hewitson (1949)
  • Batty (1958–60)
  • Keen (1958c)
  • Ferguson (1960–61)
  • Keen (1958–62c)
  • Fairbrother (1962)
  • Mitchell (1963–66)
  • Hardwick (1966–70)
  • Devlin (1970c)
  • Rayner (1970–72)
  • McGarry (1972–73)
  • Wilkie (1974)
  • Allen (1974–75c)
  • Irwin (1975)
  • Wilkie (197?–86)
  • Hibbitt (1986)
  • Parnaby (198?–8?)
  • Lee (1990–93)
  • Cassidy (1993–94)
  • Richardson (1994–97)
  • Platt (1997)
  • Carroll (1997–98)
  • Shoulder & G. Robson (1998c)
  • Pearson (1998–01)
  • Proudlock (2001–02)
  • Gill (2002)
  • D. Bell (2002–04)
  • A. Bell (2004)
  • Wade (2004–05)
  • Richardson (2005–06)
  • Lee (2006–07)
  • Bogie (2007–)
(c) caretaker
(s) secretary (c) caretaker
Aldershot F.C. – managers
(c) caretaker