McCreadie Andrew Image 2 Sunderland 1895

Description

Girvan, Ayrshire born centre half Andrew McCreadie was a diminutive centre half at only five feet five inches, and began his football career with Cowlairs in 1888, joining Glasgow Rangers in 1889. He made his Scottish League debut for Rangers in their inaugural League fixture, a 5-2 win over Heart of Midlothian in August 1890. He won the Scottish League Championship with Rangers in 1890-91 and won The Scottish Cup in 1894, when they beat Celtic 3-1 in the Final at Hampden Park. He was first capped for Scotland in an 8-0 thrashing of Wales at Acton Park, Wrexham in March 1893, and won a further cap when he played in a 2-2 draw with England at Celtic Park in April 1894. He also played once for The Scottish League in a 4-3 defeat to The Football League at Celtic Park in April 1893.

He joined First Division club Sunderland in the 1894 close season, making his Football League debut against Derby County that September, and missed only 3 matches as “The Team of All Talents” won the League Championship for the second time in three years, McCreadie scoring 8 goals during the campaign. But having lost his regular place in December 1895 he played only once more for The Wearsiders before re-joining Rangers in March 1896 after 9 goals in 45 appearances for Sunderland.

In his second spell at Rangers he again won The Scottish Cup when they beat Dumbarton 5-1 in the 1897 Final at Hampden Park. In both spells at Ibrox he scored 12 goals in 108 appearances for Rangers but joined Bristol St George in 1898 before returning to Scotland the following year to join Wishaw Thistle, his last known club before his eventual retirement.

His younger brother Hugh McCreadie played as a forward for Rangers alongside him, scoring 32 goals in 95 appearances between 1890 and 1896, scoring in the inaugural Scottish League fixture in the win over Hearts. He also scored in the 1894 Scottish Cup win over Celtic.