1958-09-20 — Page 18

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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And The Beautiful

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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

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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