33 Legends The football almanac
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11 / Northern Ireland · 1902–1923

Bill McCracken

RB
Caps · Ireland
16
Goals · Ireland
1
Life
1883–1979
Clubs
Distillery, Newcastle United
#11
Editorial rank of 33 for Northern Ireland
–
The people's rank, live from duel votes

The offside law itself was rewritten in 1925 largely to beat the trap he ran from Newcastle's back line, a scheme Vittorio Pozzo saluted when he named him the master of offside. Career record: 16 caps and 1 goals for Ireland; club career at Distillery, Newcastle United.

Career sourcesCareer dates · checked 5 October 2026
Identity and career · Wikidata Q1997827
Vote in Northern Ireland's duels Build your Northern Ireland XI

Career record

1900–1904Distillery
1904–1923Newcastle United
Ireland16 caps, 1 goals

Sources

The world's great RBs

Around McCracken in the almanac

One rank above: Peter McParland at #10.

One rank below: Billy Bingham at #12.

Northern Ireland's editorial top five: George Best · Danny Blanchflower · Pat Jennings · Peter Doherty · Aaron Hughes.

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