🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Eddie Mcreadie

[Fulham Broadway 17,580]

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/chelsea-legend-eddie-mccreadie-keeps-his-distance-1-3307268

One of our greatest left backs ever. Good article (except the stupid cunts have a pic of Ray Wilkins instead)

Edit; I rang the paper and told them the error of their ways.

[Fulham Broadway 17,580]

RIP one of my first Chels heroes. Mainstay on the teamsheet.

Former Chelsea player and manager Eddie McCreadie has passed away, aged 85.

The Glaswegian full-back first joined Chelsea in 1962, signing from East Stirlingshire for just £5,000, and went on to spend 11 years at Stamford Bridge.

The then 22-year-old was the first signing of Tommy Docherty’s managerial tenure, and won promotion to the First Division in his debut campaign.

Eddie McCreadie served as both a player and a manager for Chelsea (Getty Images)

He played a crucial role in delivering Chelsea’s first major cup title, too, scoring what ultimately proved the winner as the Blues beat Leicester in a two-legged League Cup final in 1965, joining Bobby Tambling and Terry Venables on the scoresheet.

He later played every minute of Chelsea’s legendary 1970 FA Cup final defeat of Leeds, settled by a replay at Old Trafford as the Blues clinched the title for the first time.

 

An athletic, hard-working full-back, McCreadie caught the eye with his tenacious, no-nonsense approach and became a fast fan favourite.

He was forced to retire from football in 1973 after an Achilles injury, and did so with some 410 Chelsea appearances to his name - on top of 23 international caps.

Eddie McCreadie will be remembered for his athleticism and aggression (Getty Images)

A move into the club's coaching staff followed, and McCreadie helped steer them through a period of financial crisis. He turned the club’s fortunes around, though, calling up some talented academy prospects and delivering them back to the top flight.

He left the club after falling out with the board over a pay dispute and briefly revived his playing days in the United States, making a single appearance for the Memphis Rogues of the North American Soccer League. He later managed them, too.

Reconciliation eventually came some 40 years later, though, as McCreadie made his long-awaited return to Stamford Bridge.

McCreadie is a member of a rather exclusive group of people to have both played for and managed Chelsea, joining the likes of Frank Lampard, Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit.

Fan tributes to McCreadie are coming thick and fast as the Chelsea faithful pay their respects to a club legend.

[Vesper 30,712]

4 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

RIP one of my first Chels heroes. Mainstay on the teamsheet.

Former Chelsea player and manager Eddie McCreadie has passed away, aged 85.

The Glaswegian full-back first joined Chelsea in 1962, signing from East Stirlingshire for just £5,000, and went on to spend 11 years at Stamford Bridge.

The then 22-year-old was the first signing of Tommy Docherty’s managerial tenure, and won promotion to the First Division in his debut campaign.

Eddie McCreadie served as both a player and a manager for Chelsea (Getty Images)

He played a crucial role in delivering Chelsea’s first major cup title, too, scoring what ultimately proved the winner as the Blues beat Leicester in a two-legged League Cup final in 1965, joining Bobby Tambling and Terry Venables on the scoresheet.

He later played every minute of Chelsea’s legendary 1970 FA Cup final defeat of Leeds, settled by a replay at Old Trafford as the Blues clinched the title for the first time.

 

An athletic, hard-working full-back, McCreadie caught the eye with his tenacious, no-nonsense approach and became a fast fan favourite.

He was forced to retire from football in 1973 after an Achilles injury, and did so with some 410 Chelsea appearances to his name - on top of 23 international caps.

Eddie McCreadie will be remembered for his athleticism and aggression (Getty Images)

A move into the club's coaching staff followed, and McCreadie helped steer them through a period of financial crisis. He turned the club’s fortunes around, though, calling up some talented academy prospects and delivering them back to the top flight.

He left the club after falling out with the board over a pay dispute and briefly revived his playing days in the United States, making a single appearance for the Memphis Rogues of the North American Soccer League. He later managed them, too.

Reconciliation eventually came some 40 years later, though, as McCreadie made his long-awaited return to Stamford Bridge.

McCreadie is a member of a rather exclusive group of people to have both played for and managed Chelsea, joining the likes of Frank Lampard, Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit.

Fan tributes to McCreadie are coming thick and fast as the Chelsea faithful pay their respects to a club legend.

Blue Is The Colour

Members of the Chelsea football squad recording their song 'Blue Is The Colour', a month before their (ultimately unsuccessful) appearance in the Football League Cup Final against Stoke City, 3rd February 1972. Left to right: Peter Houseman, Peter Osgood, Alan Hudson and Eddie McCreadie. (Photo by Terry Disney/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)