| Willie Cringan | |
| Fullname: | William Cringan |
| Position: | Centre half |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1890 |
| Birth Place: | Muirkirk, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Bathgate, Scotland |
| Clubs1: | Douglas Water Thistle |
| Years2: | 1910–1917 |
| Clubs2: | Sunderland |
| Caps2: | 77 |
| Goals2: | 2 |
| Years3: | 1916–1917 |
| Clubs3: | → Ayr United (loan) |
| Caps3: | 53 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 1917 |
| Clubs4: | Ayr United |
| Caps4: | 6 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1917–1923 |
| Clubs5: | Celtic |
| Caps5: | 203 |
| Goals5: | 9 |
| Years6: | 1923–1924 |
| Caps6: | 30 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 1924–1925 |
| Clubs7: | Motherwell |
| Caps7: | 16 |
| Goals7: | 1 |
| Years8: | 1925 |
| Clubs8: | Inverness Thistle |
| Caps8: | 16 |
| Goals8: | 1 |
| Years9: | 1925–1926 |
| Clubs9: | Bathgate |
| Totalcaps: | 399 |
| Totalgoals: | 14 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1919–1921 |
| Nationalteam1: | Scottish Football League XI |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalteam2: | Scotland (wartime) |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 1920–1923 |
| Nationalteam3: | Scotland |
| Nationalcaps3: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
William Cringan (21 April 1890 – 12 May 1958) was a Scottish footballer who played for Sunderland, Ayr United, Celtic, Third Lanark and Motherwell, and for the Scotland national team.
Cringan, a centre half, started his senior career when he joined Sunderland from Douglas Water Thistle in 1910.[1] [2] After five and a half seasons on Wearside, and with English football suspended during World War I, he returned to Scotland with Ayr United on a temporary transfer in January 1916. In the summer of 1917 he left the Black Cats to join Ayr on a permanent basis, signing for Celtic in a £600 transfer deal a few months after that.[1]
Cringan was appointed Celtic captain soon after his arrival, a position he held until his departure.[3] During this time the club won the 1918–19 and 1921–22 Scottish League titles[4] and the Scottish Cup in 1923. He eventually left the Parkhead club in October 1923 when he joined Third Lanark. A year later he moved to Motherwell, where he moved away from top-level football following the 1924–25 season, with short spells outside the league with Inverness Thistle and Bathgate before retiring altogether.[5]
Cringan was first selected for the Scottish national side on 26 February 1920, captaining the side in a 1–1 draw against Wales. He was not selected again until 1923 but would eventually win a total of five international caps, three as captain. Cringan also featured in four matches for a Scottish Football League select side.[6]
Cringan's brother Jimmy was also a professional footballer, who played for twelve seasons with Birmingham between 1922 and 1934.[1] Another brother Robert played for Ayr United.[7]
Cringan married the sister of footballer Peter Nellies;[8] the brothers-in-law played together once for the Scottish League XI in 1919.[9]
1919–20, 1920–21