Jimmy McCrae

Jimmy McCrae started his football career at Clyde FC in 1912. During World War I he played for Clyde as well as guesting for Glasgow Rangers and West Ham United while serving in the Grenadier Guards. After the hostilities, he joined West Ham in 1918 when they were a non-league club. However, on 30 August 1919 he had the honour of playing for them in their first ever League game, a 1-1 draw with Lincoln City. After 76 appearances for West Ham, McCrae spent six seasons in the northwest of England with Bury, Wigan Borough, New Brighton, and Manchester United, before a two-game spell at Watford. He then returned to his native Scotland and played for Third Lanark briefly, before returning to his original club Clyde.

McCrae retired from playing in 1928 after 213 English League games, and in February 1928 was offered a coaching job in Egypt after Alec McNair turned down the position. McCrae’s role involved organising schools’ football, as well as acting as a coach to the Egyptian FA. McCrae eventually became the national coach and led Egypt to the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1936 Berlin Olympics. After 12 years in Egypt, he had a spell with the Turkish Club Istanbulspor AŞ before moving to Iceland after World War II, when he coached Fram Reykjavic to successive League titles in 1946 and 1947.

McCrae’s brother Davie played for St. Mirren for 11 seasons and was one of Scottish football’s all-time leading goalscorers. Jimmy McCrae died on 3 September 1974, one day after his 80th birthday.