Bob "Roy" McCracken

Name: Robert McCracken
Born: 25 June 1890, Dromore, Co. Down
Died:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Right-Half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 4 Caps (1920-1922); Irish League: 4 Caps (1913-1914).
Club Honours: (with Distillery) Gold Cup Winner 1919/20; City Cup Winner 1912/13; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1919/20; (with Palace) Football League Division Three Champion 1920/21.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Dromore United	-	-	-	-	-	-
Distillery	10/11-19/20	-	-	*188/6	-	-
Crystal Palace	20/21-25/26	Jun-20	-	175/1	15/1	-
Portadown	-	Aug-26	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		363/7	15/1	-

* all games

Biography:
Cousin of legendary Ireland and Distillery full-back Billy, Bobby McCracken’s career followed a similar route to that of his illustrious relative without hitting the same heights.

Initially a right-winger, McCracken established himself at right-half for Distillery’s City Cup success of 1913. He served with the Royal Irish Artillery through the Great War returning to the Whites for a final successful season in 1919/20. The Co. Antrim Shield Final was won against Belfast Celtic then Shelbourne were defeated in the Gold Cup decider. In those finals McCracken filled in at right-back, one of seven positions in which he played during his Distillery career.

In the summer of 1920 McCracken “controversially” moved to Crystal Palace. Palace were in their first campaign as a Football League club having joined in the newly formed Division Three. They got off to a flyer, and McCracken played eighteen times as the title was won. That same season, at the age of thirty, he won the first of four Ireland caps, thus becoming the first Third Division player to gain full international recognition.

McCracken’s final season with Palace was spent in Division Three (South) following relegation in 1925. The 1925/26 season did bring an appearance in the FA Cup fifth round, a club-best at the time, though the run was brought to an end by an 11-4 hammering at the hands of Manchester City. McCracken returned to the Irish League with Portadown in the 1926 close-season.


Holmesdale Palace Supporters' Website

Ireland Cap Details:

23-10-1920 England. A L 0-2 BC
22-10-1921 England. H D 1-1 BC
04-03-1922 Scotland A L 1-2 BC
01-04-1922 Wales... H D 1-1 BC

Summary: 4/0. Won 0, Drew 2, Lost 2.