David McCreery 9ct gold Manchester United 1977 F.A. Cup Winners medal.
£13,000 - £14,000
David McCreery 9ct gold Manchester United 1977 F.A. Cup Winners medal, in its original blue presentation box from Fattorini and Sons of Birmingham, with original ring suspension, no year engraved on the obverse and the players name engraved on the reverse.
McCreery came on as substitute for Gordon Hill in the 81st minute of the game, which finished in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Wembley on May 21st 1977.
The following lots 288 to 359 relate to the career of David McCreery
David McCreery was born in Northern Ireland in 1957 and came to the notice of the Red Devils at an early age, signing for them in 1974.
His path to the first team was a swift one at a time of great change for the Manchester Giants- the days of Matt Busby and his great sides had ended, and United looked to rebuild to herald a new era to Old Trafford. It’s a testimony to his talents, as by 1975-6 he had graced the Wembley turf as part of the F.A. Cup Final side that lost to Southampton by way of the now famous Bobby Stokes goal for the Saints, but fortune smiled on the Irishman in the Final of 1976-77 when he walked away with a Winners medal.
The quest for a permanent place in a starting 11 took him next to Q.P.R. another side showing serious ambition under the Chairmanship of Jim Gregory at management at that point of Tommy Docherty, a gaffer that knew both him and his quality well from their time together up North
He had taken his international bow for Northern Ireland in 1976, and what a career that would also prove to be, winning 67 caps, appearing in two World Cup Finals, making the All Star XI in 82 for his continuous quality performances in the tournament and being the first player to wear Nike boots on the biggest stage of them all- not bad for a Belfast lad.
Post Q.P.R., a spell in the states with Tulsa, playing both indoor and outdoor football for the Roughnecks, saw him return home for his longest club relationship with the Geordie Giants Newcastle United, one that saw 272 outings in the magpie stripes in a seven-year period, where he became a firm Toon favourite.
His later career took in Clubs up that end of the country, including Hartlepool and Carlisle United, with spells at Hearts, GIF Sundsval Coleraine sandwiched in between. It was no surprise that a man of his standing in the game would also apply his skill and knowledge to coaching and management, with both Hartlepool and Carlisle having him gaffer them with some success.
A fascinating fact also is that, for a spell, he was European advocate for Argentina giants Boca Juniors, scouting and acting as liaison as a result of his highly respected knowledge of the beautiful game.
His playing career yielded a total of 639 appearances, and his contribution as a player for all the sides he represented is beyond measure a consummate professional through and through.