Robert McCracken (25 June 1890 – ''unknown''), also known as Roy McCracken,
[ was a Northern Irish professional ]footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a defender or as a wing half
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. He was a cousin of Billy McCracken
William Robert McCracken (29 January 1883 – 20 January 1979) was an Irish footballer who played as a defender. He is famous for inventing the offside trap. He was a cousin of Robert McCracken who also had a career as a professional football ...
who also had a career as a professional footballer.[
]
Playing career
McCracken was born in Dromore, County Down
Dromore () is a small market town and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies within the local government district of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. It is southwest of Belfast, on the A1 Belfast–Dublin road. The 2011 ...
, at that time part of a united Ireland, but subsequently within the province of Northern Ireland, part of the UK. He began his youth career with local club Dromore United. In 1910,Distillery
Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...
. He made 118 appearances in all competitions between then and 1920. His career was interrupted by service in World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
but he returned to play for the club thereafter.
In 1920,Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
then playing in the Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 Football League, 1920–21 and again from 1958–59 Football League, 1958 until 1991–92 Football League, 1992. When the FA Premier League ...
in its inaugural season. Although he sustained a broken leg in December,[ he made 18 league appearances in 1920–21 as Palace won the title and promotion to the ]Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third tier ...
. That season, he also made his debut for the Ireland (IFA) national team.Portadown
Portadown ( ) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is based on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population ...
.
References
External links
Robert McCracken at holmesdale.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccracken, Robert
1890 births
Irish association footballers (before 1923)
English Football League players
NIFL Premiership players
Lisburn Distillery F.C. players
Portadown F.C. players
Crystal Palace F.C. players
Men's association football defenders
Pre-1950 IFA men's international footballers
Association footballers from County Down
Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Year of death missing
British military personnel of World War I
Military personnel from County Down