Eddie McCreadie, Former Chelsea Player and Manager, Passes Away at 85

Eddie McCreadie, Former Chelsea Player and Manager, Passes Away at 85

Eddie McCreadie, Former Chelsea Player and Manager, Passes Away at 85

Eddie McCreadie , a former player for Scotland and Chelsea, has passed away at the age of 85. He was once praised by Tommy Docherty as the best left-back in Europe and later went on to manage Chelsea.

Born in Glasgow, McCreadie scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 1965 League Cup final against Leicester City and played a key role in the team’s FA Cup victory five years later, which was secured in a replay against Leeds United.

Among his 23 caps for Scotland, he participated in a memorable 3-2 victory over England at Wembley, a year after England had claimed the World Cup there.

However, that same year, McCreadie faced disappointment as Chelsea lost the FA Cup final to Tottenham Hotspur and was unable to play in the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup final victory over Real Madrid due to injury.

Growing up in Cowcaddens, Glasgow, McCreadie was initially overlooked by scouts from local club Partick Thistle and instead joined East Stirlingshire. It was there that he caught the attention of Chelsea manager Docherty, who signed him for just £5,000—a deal that included a provision for Chelsea to play two friendlies against East Stirlingshire, although the second match never took place.

McCreadie transitioned from the Scottish Second Division to becoming a celebrated player at Chelsea, making 410 appearances. His aggressive, attacking style of play was reminiscent of today’s wing-backs. Notably, he filled in as an emergency center-forward for the injured Barry Bridges during the 1965 League Cup final, scoring a remarkable solo goal that saw him run nearly the full length of the pitch before scoring past England goalkeeper Gordon Banks.

McCreadie also gained notoriety during the FA Cup win over Leeds, when an estimated television audience of 28 million witnessed him execute a kung-fu style flying challenge on his Scotland teammate Billy Bremner, with his feet at head height; surprisingly, he received no caution from referee Eric Jennings.

After retiring from professional play, McCreadie joined Chelsea’s coaching staff in 1974, as Ron Suart’s team faced relegation. He took over as manager in April 1975, and although he could not prevent the team from being relegated, he rebuilt the squad around 18-year-old midfielder Ray Wilkins, leading Chelsea back to the First Division in 1977.

However, McCreadie departed before the start of the new season following a disagreement with chairman Brian Mears regarding a company car, expressing surprise that his resignation offer was accepted.

He later took on coaching roles in the United States with the North American Soccer League franchise Memphis Rogues and then the Cleveland Force, before retiring from football in 1985.

Topics

Related news