David McCreery, born Belfast, Northern Ireland, September 16, 1957. Brought up in the very heart of Protestant East Belfast, David McCreery was steeped from an early age in a marinade of politics and religion. A highly determined and versatile player who offered considerable skill and hard work too, McCreery was first spotted by Bob Bishop and signed as an apprentice with Manchester United in November 1972.
David McCreery was handed his first Football League appearance for Manchester United in a 0-0 Second Division draw to Portsmouth at Fratton Park on the 15th of October 1974, and immediately became a huge hit with the supporters of the club because of his uncompromising attitude and fighting spirit. McCreery scored his first goal for Manchester United in a 2-2 draw with neighbouring Manchester City at Maine Road on the 27th of September 1975. Alan Oakes came close to finding the back of the net for The Citizens early on when the long serving club stalwart met a good cross from Dennis Tueart from the left, but his header went just a few inches wide. As the first half wore on, Manchester City went into the lead anyway when unfortunate Manchester United defender Jimmy Nicholl managed to lift the ball over his own goalkeeper and into the back of the net in the 21st minute of the derby encounter. The Old Trafford team, who could quickly switch from a defensive 5-4-1 to an attacking 4-2-4, hit back almost immediately as McCreery equalised with a powerful effort from inside the eighteen-yard area in the 29th minute of the contest, and shortly afterwards Steve Coppell nearly scored a second goal for the visitors, but his his left-footed try from just outside the box went wide of the right upright. Then, two minutes past the half-hour mark, Lou Macari converted a well-delivered corner from fellow midfield man Sammy McIlroy to give the visiting side the lead, but only seconds later a flag-kick taken by Tueart ended at the feet of previous Everton striker Joe Royle who hammered the ball home to make the final scoreline 2-2.
The Northern Irishman appeared in 87 Football League matches for Manchester United before he was brought to newly relegated Queens Park Rangers by former manager Tommy Docherty for a transfer fee of £200,000 at the beginning of the 1979-80 campaign. Two years later, however, he would join forces with Tulsa Roughnecks of the North American Soccer League where he spent two enjoyable summer seasons. On his return to England the following year, the ball winning midfield man signed for Division Two side Newcastle United, making 272 Football League appearances for The Magpies during his seven-year stay. McCreery then had relatively short spells with GIF Sundsvall, Hearts, Hartlepool and Coleraine respectively before he was appointed player-manager at Fourth Division Carlisle United where he would replace former Newcastle United defender Aidan McCaffrey. After two years of service at Brunton Park, he took over as player-manager at former club Hartlepool only to be given the sack in the summer of 1995. He later had brief stints as coach with first Burmese team Magwe, and then Malaysian side Sabah. At international level, the popular performer pulled on the green shirt of Northern Ireland on 67 occasions and represented the country of his birth in both the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain, and the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico. After his professional football career ended in 1995, the industrious McCreery became a businessman, managing a welding equipment company based in Consett in County Durham. David McCreery Playing Career: Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Tulsa Roughnecks, Newcastle United, Tulsa Roughnecks, GIF Sundsvall, Heart of Midlothian, Hartlepool United, Coleraine, Carlisle United, Hartlepool United.