Eddie McCreadie
Encyclopedia
Edward Graham "Eddie" McCreadie (born 15 April 1940 in Glasgow
) is a former Scottish
footballer
who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea
. He later became a manager.
McCreadie started his footballing career with amateur
Scottish side Drumchapel before moving to Clydebank Juniors
and then East Stirlingshire
. After turning down a move to Fulham
, he was signed for Chelsea in 1962 by then-manager Tommy Docherty
for £5000 to help the club's push for promotion from the Second Division
. The club were promoted that year and McCreadie became a fixture in the Chelsea defence for the next decade.
A talented and pacy attacking full-back with impressive timing, McCreadie featured strongly in the flamboyant Chelsea sides of the 1960s and 1970s alongside the likes of Ron Harris
, Bobby Tambling
, Peter Osgood
and Charlie Cooke
. While he only scored five goals for the club throughout his career, McCreadie scored a memorable winner in the League Cup
final of 1965 in which he dribbled 80 yards up the pitch before slotting the ball past Leicester City
goalkeeper Gordon Banks
to give his side a 3-2 first leg lead, which ultimately won the trophy for his club as the second leg at Filbert Street
ended in a 0-0 draw.
After a string of high-league placings and near misses in the cups (including defeat in the 1967 FA Cup
final) but no more silverware, McCreadie won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1970, where a move involving him won the throw-in which created David Webb
's winner in the replayed final
against Leeds United at Old Trafford
. The side won the Cup Winners' Cup the following season, but McCreadie missed the final in Athens
through injury.
He was also a Scotland
international, winning 23 caps between 1965 and 1969 after making his debut against England
. He played in Scotland's famous 3-2 win over world champions England at Wembley in 1967, after which the Scots declared themselves the new unofficial world champions.
Upon his retirement from playing in 1973, McCreadie joined the coaching staff at Chelsea having made 410 appearances for the club. In April 1975 he was appointed manager but by this stage the team was in decline with the club heavily in debt
and he couldn't prevent relegation to the Second Division. Nevertheless, McCreadie re-built the side - taking the captaincy from Harris and giving it to 18-year old Ray Wilkins
in the process - and with no money to spend put together a team of youth players and veterans from the club's heyday. Chelsea were promoted back to the First Division
in 1977. It was then that he lost his job in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Having won promotion, his request for a company car
was rejected by chairman Brian Mears
, so he resigned. Mears then relented and offered him the car but with his sense of Scottish pride he did not come back to the club as he had already made his mind up.
McCreadie left for the North American Soccer League
in the late 1970s and was appointed manager of the Memphis Rogues
, with whom he played one game in 1979, and later the indoor Cleveland Force
before finally retiring from football in 1985. He continues to live in the United States.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a former Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He later became a manager.
McCreadie started his footballing career with amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
Scottish side Drumchapel before moving to Clydebank Juniors
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
and then East Stirlingshire
East Stirlingshire F.C.
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk. Founded in 1880, originally as Bainsford Britannia, the club changed to their current name a year later in 1881...
. After turning down a move to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, he was signed for Chelsea in 1962 by then-manager Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
for £5000 to help the club's push for promotion from the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. The club were promoted that year and McCreadie became a fixture in the Chelsea defence for the next decade.
A talented and pacy attacking full-back with impressive timing, McCreadie featured strongly in the flamboyant Chelsea sides of the 1960s and 1970s alongside the likes of Ron Harris
Ron Harris (footballer)
Ronald Edward Harris , better known as Ron "Chopper" Harris, is a former English footballer who played for Chelsea in the 1960s and 1970s. Harris is widely regarded as one of the toughest defenders of his era - along with players such as Tommy Smith MBE and Norman Hunter - hence the nickname...
, Bobby Tambling
Bobby Tambling
Robert Victor 'Bobby' Tambling is a retired English footballer, who played most notably for Chelsea and Crystal Palace in the 1960s and 1970s...
, Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood
Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...
and Charlie Cooke
Charlie Cooke (footballer)
Charles 'Charlie' Cooke is a former Scottish footballer. He was a talented and skilful winger who played for Aberdeen, Dundee, Chelsea and Crystal Palace before ending his career in the United States....
. While he only scored five goals for the club throughout his career, McCreadie scored a memorable winner in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final of 1965 in which he dribbled 80 yards up the pitch before slotting the ball past Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
goalkeeper Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
to give his side a 3-2 first leg lead, which ultimately won the trophy for his club as the second leg at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
ended in a 0-0 draw.
After a string of high-league placings and near misses in the cups (including defeat in the 1967 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final) but no more silverware, McCreadie won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1970, where a move involving him won the throw-in which created David Webb
David Webb (footballer)
David James Webb is an English former professional footballer who made 555 appearances in the Football League playing for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay United. He became a manager, taking charge of A.F.C...
's winner in the replayed final
FA Cup Final 1970
The 1970 FA Cup Final was contested by Chelsea and Leeds United. The match took place on 11 April 1970 at Wembley Stadium and ended 2–2, making it the first FA Cup final to require a replay since 1912...
against Leeds United at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
. The side won the Cup Winners' Cup the following season, but McCreadie missed the final in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
through injury.
He was also a Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
international, winning 23 caps between 1965 and 1969 after making his debut against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He played in Scotland's famous 3-2 win over world champions England at Wembley in 1967, after which the Scots declared themselves the new unofficial world champions.
Upon his retirement from playing in 1973, McCreadie joined the coaching staff at Chelsea having made 410 appearances for the club. In April 1975 he was appointed manager but by this stage the team was in decline with the club heavily in debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
and he couldn't prevent relegation to the Second Division. Nevertheless, McCreadie re-built the side - taking the captaincy from Harris and giving it to 18-year old Ray Wilkins
Ray Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE , often known as "Butch" Wilkins, is an English former footballer and at present a television pundit...
in the process - and with no money to spend put together a team of youth players and veterans from the club's heyday. Chelsea were promoted back to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1977. It was then that he lost his job in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Having won promotion, his request for a company car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
was rejected by chairman Brian Mears
Brian Mears
Joseph Brian Mears was a chairman of Chelsea Football Club. He was the son of Joe Mears, also a chairman of Chelsea, and grandson of Joseph Mears, co-founder of the club. He was born in Richmond, Surrey, and educated at Malvern College. In 1950 he emigrated to Canada where he began working life...
, so he resigned. Mears then relented and offered him the car but with his sense of Scottish pride he did not come back to the club as he had already made his mind up.
McCreadie left for the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
in the late 1970s and was appointed manager of the Memphis Rogues
Memphis Rogues
The Memphis Rogues were a professional soccer team in the former North American Soccer League. They operated in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 seasons and played their home games in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.-History:...
, with whom he played one game in 1979, and later the indoor Cleveland Force
Cleveland Force (1978 – 1988)
The original Cleveland Force was one of the six charter franchises in the original Major Indoor Soccer League . The team played from 1978 to 1988 at the Richfield Coliseum, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and occasionally drew crowds in excess of 20,000 in the mid-80's.Akron businessman Eric J...
before finally retiring from football in 1985. He continues to live in the United States.