David McCreery
A tenacious midfield dynamo from Belfast, he carved out a remarkably long professional career across England and the United States.
Born 1957 (age 69)·Northern Irish football player and manager·Birthday: September 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
David McCreery emerged from the football-rich streets of Belfast to become a model of professional durability. Short in stature but immense in engine and grit, he broke through at Newcastle United as a teenager, his combative style quickly endearing him to the Geordie faithful. His career became a transatlantic journey, featuring stops at clubs like Manchester United, Tulsa Roughnecks, and Heart of Midlothian. McCreery was the epitome of a utility player, capable of slotting into multiple midfield and defensive roles with relentless energy. He earned over 60 caps for Northern Ireland, a key component of the spirited teams of the 1980s that famously reached the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals. His post-playing career saw him transition into coaching and management, often working with youth players, passing on the lessons of a lifetime spent in the game's trenches.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned 67 caps for Northern Ireland, playing in two FIFA World Cup finals tournaments (1982 and 1986).
- Made over 150 appearances for Newcastle United in the English First Division after debuting as a teenager.
- Won the 1983 NASL Soccer Bowl with the Tulsa Roughnecks during a stint in American soccer.
Did You Know?
He stood just 5 feet 4 inches tall, one of the shortest outfield players in the English top flight during his era.
He played for the Canadian national team in the 1984 Olympics, as Northern Ireland did not have an Olympic side.
His final professional match was for the USL's Charlotte Eagles in 1994, when he was 37 years old.
“You have to win your individual battle first, then you can help others win theirs.”
