The football world is mourning the loss of a true original, as Eddie McCreadie – the player who journeyed from the streets of Glasgow to become a Chelsea icon and a Tennessee cowboy – has died at the age of 85.
From Cowcaddens to the King's Road
McCreadie's story was one of dramatic ascent. In 1962, he was playing for East Stirlingshire when Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty spotted him. Signed for just £5,000 – a sum dwarfed by a modern academy player's weekly wage – the 22-year-old defender expected a gradual introduction. Instead, he played immediately and kept his place for an astonishing 12 consecutive seasons, making over 300 appearances for the Blues.
His arrival coincided with Chelsea's rise. The club won promotion from the Second Division and McCreadie, a quick, tough and adventurous left-back, became a stalwart. He epitomised the new breed of overlapping full-back, with his pace, stamina and precise delivery. Teammate Alan Hudson believed he had the skill to play as a winger or central midfielder.
His versatility was proven in the 1965 League Cup final first leg against Leicester City, where he was deployed as an emergency centre-forward and scored a decisive goal.
Battles, Glory and a Flying Kick
McCreadie was a man for the big occasion. He was Scotland's left full-back in their famous 3-2 victory over England at Wembley in 1967, a match where the Scots declared themselves unofficial world champions. For Chelsea, his defining moment came in the brutal, infamous 1970 FA Cup final replay against Leeds United at Old Trafford.
In a match of notorious violence, McCreadie's moment of legend arrived when he drop-kicked Leeds' Billy Bremner in the penalty area. The referee waved play on, an incident now preserved on YouTube but not for the faint-hearted. McCreadie was a rock in defence as Chelsea eventually triumphed.
He missed the European Cup-Winners' Cup win the following season through injury, which began to plague his later career, forcing his retirement in 1973.
Managerial Stint and a Life Transformed
After a brief spell playing in the USA, McCreadie returned to Stamford Bridge as manager in 1975. Chelsea were in the Second Division. In a decisive move, he dropped four former teammates and made an 18-year-old Ray Wilkins captain. He successfully led the club to promotion the next season.
His departure, however, was shrouded in controversy. It was widely reported he resigned after being refused a club car, a tale he denied in a 2014 interview with The Scotsman but would not elaborate on. The dispute led to a long estrangement from the club he loved.
His life underwent a profound change. Moving to a ranch in Tennessee with his wife Linda, he found religion, gave up alcohol and lived a quiet life, far removed from the King's Road revelry of his youth.
Fans never forgot him, regularly chanting 'Eddie Mac, when are you coming back?'. He finally returned to a rapturous reception in 2017 to promote a book about his career, a hero welcomed home. Eddie McCreadie's journey – from Glasgow to Chelsea glory to a peaceful American ranch – remains one of football's most extraordinary tales.
