| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter William John Gelson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1941-10-18)18 October 1941 | ||
| Place of birth | Hammersmith, England | ||
| Date of death | 26 April 2021(2021-04-26) (aged 79)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Staines-upon-Thames, England | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back,wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1958–1960 | Brentford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1975 | Brentford | 471 | (17) |
| 1974–1977 | Hillingdon Borough | ||
| 1977 | Hounslow | ||
| 1977–1978 | Hillingdon Borough | ||
| 1978–1979 | Walton & Hersham | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Peter William John Gelson (18 October 1941 – 26 April 2021) was an English professionalfootballer who played in theFootball League forBrentford as acentre back andwing half. Acult hero amongst the club's supporters, he is third on the all-time Brentford appearances list with 516. In 2013, Gelson placed second in a Football League 125th Anniversary poll of Brentford's all-time fan favourites and was inducted into the BrentfordHall of Fame in November 2014.[3]
JoiningBrentford at a young age,[4] Gelson progressed through the club'syouth,'A' andreserve teams before making his professional debut at age 19 in a 2–0Third Division defeat toHalifax Town on 22 August 1961.[5] Despite still being a part-time player,[4] Gelson quickly established himself in the first team as awing half, making 28 appearances during the1961–62 season, a campaign which saw Brentford relegated to theFourth Division.[5]
Gelson was a key player in Brentford's1962–63 Fourth Division title-winning season and made 32 appearances,[5] but he remained part-time and did not sign a professional contract until 1964.[6] He was awarded thecaptaincy in August 1966,[7] but a loss of form saw him lose it toBobby Ross four months later.[8] Gelson was known for his long-range goals and scored three times from behind the halfway line.[9] A "hard man" as a player, in 1970 he ended the career ofColchester United'sBobby Howlett in a challenge which resulted in a broken leg for the Us defender.[10]
Gelson went on to be a fixture atcentre back until his final appearance for the club in September 1974.[5] He left Brentford shortly after, having made 516 appearances in all competitions for the club.[4] In recognition of his service to the club, Gelson was awardedtestimonials in 1970 and 1975,[6] earning him £3,630.[11] He was inducted into the BrentfordHall of Fame in November 2014 and remained a season ticket holder up until the final seasons atGriffin Park.[2][12]
After his departure from Brentford, Gelson played on innon-League football, appearing forHillingdon Borough (two spells),Hounslow andWalton & Hersham.[9] In 1985, he was active in forming theStaines Town Veterans' team, for which he also played, making his final appearance at the age of 66 on the final day of the 2007–08 season.[13]
In his early days as a part-time player at Brentford, Gelson worked intelecommunications for thePost Office.[14] His Brentford teammateGordon Phillips remained a lifelong friend and the pair were godparents to each other's children.[2] After retiring from football, Gelson found work atHeathrow Airport and worked in security withBritish Airways andQatar Airways.[15] He worked for a number of years inDoha, Qatar as aloadmaster forKhalifa bin Hamad Al Thani's multiple private aircraft.[16] He retired and returned to theUK in 2007.[16] Gelson was married and as of June 2010, had five grandchildren.[16]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 1961–62[5] | Third Division | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| 1962–63[5] | Fourth Division | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 1963–64[5] | Third Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1964–65[5] | Third Division | 42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 1965–66[5] | Third Division | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| 1966–67[5] | Fourth Division | 45 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | |
| 1967–68[5] | Fourth Division | 43 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 5 | |
| 1968–69[5] | Fourth Division | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 1969–70[5] | Fourth Division | 43 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 5 | |
| 1970–71[5] | Fourth Division | 45 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 0 | |
| 1971–72[5] | Fourth Division | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 1972–73[5] | Third Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 1973–74[5] | Fourth Division | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 1974–75[5] | Fourth Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 471 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 516 | 18 | ||
Brentford
Individual