Career
His position was defender. McCracken was so adept at catching the opposing teams forwards offside that he forced a change in the rules of the game. In total he played 432 games for Newcastle, scoring 8 goals.
He left the club a year later.
He later had a short term in charge of Gateshead F.C., before managing Millwall F.C. from 1933–1936. He later went on to manage the now defunct Aldershot F.C. McCracken is one of just a few players whose actions have brought changes the Laws Of Football when, as a centre-half at Newcastle, he masterminded the technique of making opposition forwards ruled "offside" when the rules stated that 3 defenders must be between the attacking player and the goal line.
So successful was McCracken"s defensive ploy that the Offside Rule was changed to "2 defenders" between the foremost attacker and the goal line". His team mates while playing for Ireland included Archie Goodall, Billy Scott, Jack Kirwan and Robert Milne.
As a player.