Bill McCracken

Bill McCracken
Personal information
Full name William McCracken
Date of birth (1883-01-29)29 January 1883
Place of birth Belfast, Ireland
Date of death 20 January 1979(1979-01-20) (aged 95)
Place of death Kingston upon Hull, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1900–1904 Distillery
1904–1923 Newcastle United 377 (6)
International career
1902–1923 Ireland (IFA) 16 (1)
1902–1903 Irish League XI 2 (0)
1918 England (wartime) 2 (0)
1919 Ireland (wartime) 2 (0)
Managerial career
1923–1931 Hull City
1932–1933 Gateshead
1933–1936 Millwall
1937–1950 Aldershot
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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 footballer.