{"product_id":"bill-mccracken-the-offside-king","title":"Bill McCracken, the Offside King","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBill McCracken, the Offside King\u003c\/i\u003e is the first biography of a football pioneer and Newcastle United legend who forced a fundamental change to the rules of the game.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten by former Newcastle United official club historian Paul Joannou, this gripping book is a must-read for all Magpies fans and anyone interested in football history or nostalgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrought up in Belfast, Bill was a much-wanted talent at full-back and became a key figure in Newcastle’s great Edwardian line-up. Read how:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCracken was the most talked about player in the years before and after World War One as Newcastle United’s defensive master in a line-up at the very top of the game – his playing career spanned more than 20 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe claimed notoriety for his perfect execution of the offside trap, a tactic which caused uproar on the terraces and was widely copied, earning him the nickname ‘the Offside King’\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomething of a rebel with a cause, the likeable, yet at times controversial Irishman fought a long-running feud with the Irish FA over payments\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLater he was a respected manager with Hull City, with whom he got within a whisker of the FA Cup final, before taking charge of Gateshead, Millwall and Aldershot\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfterwards, as a celebrated talent scout, he remained active in the game into his 90s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBill’s fascinating career and huge influence on football are explored in detail in this superbly researched biography, published a century on from when ‘McCrackenism’ changed the face of football.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pitch Publishing Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54764474696024,"sku":"9781836801696","price":25.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781836801696.jpg?v=1777940118","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/bill-mccracken-the-offside-king","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}