Bill McCracken – one of our own
Who would you regard as the most famous Distillery player of all time?
Did you know that 100 years ago, in the 1925-26 season, the offside law was changed and why that was?
Is there a connection? – and indeed there is;
Bill McCracken – a man who appeared in the Football League’s “100 Legends” list, as one of the greatest players of the last century. He made his debut for Distillery in 1900, went on to win the Irish League, Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield in four seasons with us.
He was transferred to Newcastle United and became a legend. But his story goes well beyond the “off-side” law, and in his new book, author Paul Joannou details a fascinating story of a genuine football legend. This is the first ever biography of the great man, you can glean a little more from the information on the covers, and our club historian, Dawson Simpson has collaborated with Paul on McCracken’s early career at Distillery FC.
“Bill McCracken, the Offside King: The Life and Times of a Football Legend” by Paul Joannou is published by Pitch Publishing (ISBN 978-1836801696) and will be available on 29-9-2025, priced at £19.99.
Pre-order from Amazon before 29/9/25 for a discounted price of £14.79 with free delivery.
