THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1958.
MEN WHO CHANGED SPORT
The Off-Side King Who Altered The Rule And
Game Of Football
In his black homburg hat, 75-year-old soccer scout William McCracken is a familiar and respected figure in the soccer world.
Yet 30 years ago he was booed off every First Division ground
in England. Opposing players cursed him. Bill McCracken was the pff-side king. He perfected a trap which caught forwards like flies in a spider's web. A couple of steps forward by McCracken and moves carefully thought out and executed by soccer artists were reduced to nought. The referee's whistle would signal yet another infringement of
the off-side rule, yet another free-kick.
Games
in which McCracken | techniques that revive all the Shepherd be restored to the played became # series of former skills and ect pace side for the Final--or else. stoppagna. No wonder the crowds much faster than anything over were furious! Thuy finally seen in the old days of soccer,
showed their annoyance 53 staying away, and many clubs wone badly hit financially.
It may well have been that, given time, the forwards would have found a way to avoid the McCracken, off-side trap, TOW copied by many other players. Bút chì, directors demanded uction immediately.
Outlawed
this
They saw
the position way: pectators like goals, the off-side trap culs down scoring Obvious solutkm: outlaw trap
the
Shepherd played, but was
Nar his best in a game which ended in a draw. In the replay, All because an Irish lad usted he scored a firm-half goal. Came la take a couple of quick stops the second half and Newcastle upfield, and yell, "off-side!""
were awarded a penalty. Me- Cracken Why did he do it?
was the recognised spot-kicker in the elde. But he persuaded the captain to lot Shepherd take the kick and
His Critics
·
His crilles said it was because) scure his second goal.
he was not rood enough to play the orthodox way. Yet, in truth, this handsome Irishman was one of the Anest full-bacit game has ever seen,
Ordered Off
William
OFFSIDE KING MICRACKEN
УАНГ COWARD!!! 'SEND HIM OFF
REF
TOHH/HE'S SPOILING THE
GAME
"TWEET!!
Ho
-By-
DEREK JOHN
HIU SEALY
McCracken WAR A KTCaf
not the practical fuker. Everi on the
Bill and authorities did Picked once as the English. players. soccer authorities.
was momager of Hull for He was held he loved
twelve to make jokes, tackle he had ever seen.
He took his breta off the peg Bill was ordered off the field more for his country to play The furious row with Trish male their peace clever enough to stop forwards about his opponents. But he
came back at the land went out to face one of the Later, he wrote a letter to the againot England in 1908, he FA perviary Johnny Ferguson years. by ordinary methods. But he went too far i one occasion. decided to save himself a lot of is full-luck partner, Franit FA telling them what he thought decided that the £2 2s. match lasted unt!! just before the idek- age of 37 to play for his cotmiry greatest left-wingos in soccer
Suu McCracken
appearance history-Scotland's Alan Morton, carned a fee was poor reward compared off.
and made ha final ਅਤ work by using the law to suit his Hudspeth, had been penalised for of the referee, azidi
McCracken played him out of to the £10 England paid her adamant. So was Ferguson Bin Ireland's cours at 40. He picked on own ends.
thea wackie. Bill told the referee month's suspension.
He had then retired from the game. An Irishman and proud of it, players. So he refused to play did not play and was suspended and anyone within earshot that
and very low that was designed to
the playing side of soccer
(ALL RIGHTS RESERVED) · protest defenders against unfair he thought it was the faires Bill also fell foul of the Irish unless-the-Irishmen got the name by the Irish FA. goal-mouth posiening by for- wards.
So they changed the law. The -new-rule- muid that a forward
only need have
two players, prid not three as previously, between himself and the goal to be, on side. As one of the players was the goalkeeper, it meant forwards had to watch | old; he was quick to return in only one back instead of two. good measure
And if this one back tried to play the off-side trap and failed, the goalkeeper would be left without cover,
Football changed completely. To tighten the defence, the centre-half, formerly a team's key man, was brought back to become a third full-back. The emphasis was entirely on de- fence.
Originators of the "third back" game. Arsenal introduced it to fit it into on altacking for based on the deep-lying style of the brillant Alex James.
But most teams idea merely saw he defensive possibilities. New Techniques
So for year English football has been largely a maller of banging the ball down the held in the hope that the big centre- forward would force his way past the bigger centre-half,
South American and European teorng have
msstened
new
McCracken had always | had a mind of his own. As a 18-year-
punch an
bim
opposing centre-half gave for disputing a goal. Spectator rushed on to the pitch and made for McCracken, Ile finally found his way back to the dressing room woaring only
socks and bouis,
Years Of Glory
His sover playing ocasong with Newcastle were years of glory. Newcastle reached the FA Cup Final ve times and
won the League Championship on three occasions.
in-
They were also story years. They began with an F.A. qulry when he signed for New- castle in 1904 ator rumour hadi it that he had accepted under-the-counter payment.
And Newcastle won the 1010 Final only after McCracken had staged a revolt becouse centre- forward Albert Shepherd had been dropped
sido from the following allegations about bookmakers' bribes.
McCracken demanded
that
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COLUMBIA... and her hull design
SO IT'S
PURPLE FOR
DANGER' FOR SCEPTRE
TODAY
Meets Columbia, her £1,400-a-foot rival
with the bilious mainsail in
New York. A' yacht with a bilious purple mainsail, so floppy it looks as if an elephant had slept in it, is New York Yacht Club's choice to defend the America's Cup in a seven-race series starting today.
first of seven-race series
By
.
JEFFREY BLYTH
little under 701. long. Both models, each five feet long and are sleek products of a formula casting nearly £1,000 aplece,
factors na sall area, the length tests
of the mast,
SCEPTRE ... and her hull design
Howard Fuller (the brush man, charge of the twù professional who paid for the yachts two hunds have had previous aluminium masts), and two race experience (sailing together New York shipping magnates, In Hanger in 1937), an nd- Bill Moore and Jim Farrell. vantage none of the British Of these only Scars will be team enjoys, Columbia's trials alling the Columbia-as a helmsman, 63-year-old Carnellus Shields, who was ordered this galley hand.
week by his doctor to give up.
member of the defender's crex. "What chance, then, has the British team of bringing the Trophy back to Britain after all
The there years?
Columbia's
which balances such speed were put through rigorous tank Columbia's Skipper sailing will after all be a
almost that simulated
and at the waterline, and the height every condition of wave
weather the contestants are like. Columbia (she is the thirdly to meet. America's Cup defender to bear name) was designed by Olin Stephens, acclaimed by B3 the bost yacht many designer in the world,
A Tribute
the
In Newport, Rhode Island the picturesque New England naval and yachting port which will
The job of sailing Columbia be the scene of the big race colum-
to victory, If possible, is in the bía, the chosen yacht, has been dubbed Purple
hands of one of America's best-
yachting To keep down the yacht's known
characters: Crew feels it to unbeatable, People Eater. But don't be misled by this
weight, metal experts produced Briggs S. (for Swift) Cunning- although freckle - Incest Harry sample of American college-boy humour.
for the cabin walls and cockpit ham, a wild-eyed Viking type Henry Sente, the man who did door, feather-weight sheets of who has deserted the workshop most revive the challenge, Columbia is the sleekest, fastest sailing yacht
aluminium so thin they wear in Florida where he turns out confessed tonight: "I feel more the U.S. has produced for many a year.
out in a month and have to be expensive sports car in order nervoud now than I did on my replaced. Not until Olla to skipper Columbia,
wedding day"." She is a worthy successor Three months of iriat races
Commander Graham Mann American to the long line of American against three other
A tribute to his cruftsmanship Stephens was astiated there was yachts which, for 107 years, contanders for the honour have
ayer members of no room for improvement wee is that the have defled all Britain's efforts provej
Like Sceptre, the New York Yacht Club the arder given to the shipyard: back the America's on which British 10 win
yachtsmen entrusted with the task of "Start building." their hopes this nominiating" "are" pirming Cup.
year of bringing home whạt Slr | (among them snillionairo No Expense Spared had lots of Idds from college 29 altogether has beca-a Tommy Lipton used to Call Harold Vanderbilt, the
No expense was spared on wanted older те with On-Crow into fighting trim, bellevça "the cuid mug," the Columbia successful of America's Cup Columbia Special nylon sulla perience in boals," The recull: Commander Mann. "She has been designed and built eldippers, who spent more than costing £4,000 specially for this one race. She £1,000,000 defending the cup in cost more than £100,000—OT
1934 and 1997) had a hard time roughly £1,400 a foot.
choosing between Columbia and Vim yacht Stephens de- signed 10 years ago.
The King of Whiskies
KNIGHT 10:15 GARNIER 11:30
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that.
Down in size
been 13 races
There have alorethus since America first won the cup at Cowes in 1851. This year's will be between yachts that are duly half the size (and one-alxth the.cost), of those that competed in the
·between-war years.
the
defender
most
But everyone who watched this past week's trinį races off Nowport came onally to the conclusion: "Vim hes the better crew, But Columbias the botter boat."
Fully tested
were aploco
woven by firms that have been making clothes for sails since the days of the clipper shipa
Becauso race handicappera only mensure the edges of soils, not the area, one firm was asked to producs à sail with as much sloth as possible.
and the crew of Sceptro face formidable opponents.
Rooting for us
Sald 51-year-old skipper The long-drawn-out series of Cuningham: "We could have elimination races there were Healthy, husky, types. But we great help in getting Columbia's
is
to
of Columbia's going to be a hard boat Average age crew is around 40-compared beat," he sold in Newpart today. with 27 for the Sceptre.
Most of the 50,000 spectators. who are expected to watch the be rooting for a British win.
A Ratsey In Each two nations duel will, however,
have
A After all there years most
Americans, and
Aboard (G. Colin Colin E.
aboard those who
for
Particularly
Both yachts will Ratscy The re Sceptro.
are yachting men, mult was the purple "dephant Columbla). Both are members feel it would be a good thing blanket" mainsail Footing the of the sall-making firm which if the cup made fe way home bill for Columbia was a syndi- on both sides of the Atlantic again, "for while, anyway," cata headed by Henry Scars, has been making walls
But when the starting gun Innky sehaired New York | challengers and defenders since sounds this morning It won't has the first race.
br
thai money the Investment bankar
-Tuen of the crew of 11-de- been spent or the feelings of Lor Olin Stephens,
his the crowd that will count. It brother, Rod, a rigging expert, will be the yachtsmanship. And and Fred Lawton, who is in may the best yacht win
and this
It will make, say yachiamen She abild be, Probably no year's commodore of tho Now on both sides of the Atlantic, yacht in history has ever beenYork Yacht Club. имого exciting and sports- sp thoroughly tested--betons BİYO Other members: Gerald Lam- manlike race. Both yachts are was even built. Beven different beri (of the Lipton Arm),
POP Qjos
I CAN'T FIND MY GOOGLES (ANYWHERG
BUT HAVEN'T YOU GOT THEM ON;
PROF
?
IDEA
(LL. GO
All at sea
PROPS
·FOR
PRECIOUS
MOMENTS.
CHERRY
HEERING
JENNY KNIGHT "SWEDISH JANE RUSSELL"
Boje Agrotas BYAWMS 4 00, LED.
KARDINI," MATICERCHE. .00, im