Patrick
Timothy Crerand
“Paddy” Crerand,
born on February 19, 1939 in Glasgow, was a footballer of Irish descent who
represented his country 16 times.
After six years at Celtic F.C. (120 appearances, 5 goals) he signed for Manchester
United in 1963, on the fifth anniversary of the Munich air disaster, making his
debut against Blackpool. He was a hard tackling midfielder who, while known for
his tenacity and tackling ability, was also an accurate passer, creating
chances for attacking players such as Bobby Charlton and George Best. It was
once said that while United had Best, Law and Charlton, an in-form Paddy was
the heartbeat of the team.
He helped United to the league championship in 1965 and 1967 and won winners'
medals in the 1963 FA Cup and 1968 European Cup finals. He retired in 1972,
having appeared in 401 games, scoring 19 goals for United.
He was manager of Northampton Town in 1976-77 and covered United matches on
local radio in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Today, he appears regularly on MUTV, Manchester United's television channel, as
a co-commentator on its coverage of all Manchester United first-team matches,
as well as appearing as a pundit on the phone-in show Crerand
and Bower...In Extra Time until Steve Bower's departure (joining
sports broadcaster Setanta Sports) at the end of the 2006/07 season.
Crerand is even fondly recognised by younger United fans today since his
humorously biased commentary during United matches allows him to maintain his
cult status amongst all connected to United at Old Trafford.
