 Portrait photo of Gillespiec. 1915 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Ballintrae Gillespie | ||
| Date of birth | (1891-08-06)6 August 1891 | ||
| Place of birth | Kerrykeel, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 2 July 1981(1981-07-02) (aged 89) | ||
| Place of death | Bexley, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1907–1910 | Institute | ||
| 1910–1912 | Leeds City | 24 | (10) |
| 1912–1933 | Sheffield United | 448 | (127) |
| Total | 472 | (137) | |
| International career | |||
| 1913–1930 | Ireland | 25 | (13) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1932–1940 | Derry City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William Ballintrae Gillespie (6 August 1891 – 2 July 1981) was an Irishfootball player who played as astriker forSheffield United over a twenty-year period from 1913 to 1932, scoring over 137 League and Cup goals in 492 games for theYorkshire side. Gillespie was born inKerrykeel,County Donegal, Ireland and began his career with Irish sideInstitute in 1907. After a short spell withLinfield he moved to England to play forLeeds City in 1910 before moving to Sheffield United in 1912, where he would stay until he retired from playing. Gillespie also made 25 appearances for theIreland national team. In 1932 he took over as manager ofDerry City where he remained until 1940. After leaving Derry, Gillespie moved to the south of England where he lived until his death in 1981.
Gillespie started his footballing career with local sideInstitute in 1907.[1] In 1910, Gillespie had a short trial with Irish sideLinfield and was due to sign for them whenLeeds City managerFrank Scott-Walford persuaded him to turn professional and join theYorkshire club instead.[1] Having made hisFootball League debut, Gillespie was largely confined to the reserves but was unhappy at not making further progress.[1]
Sheffield United signed Gillespie from Leeds City in December 1912 for £500 for the maximum wage, which at the time was £4 per week.[1] Gillespie made his debut onBoxing Day 1911, scoring in a 2–2 draw withNewcastle United and played regularly for the Blades from that point on.[1] Gillespie was denied an FA Cup Winner's medal in 1915, when he missed United's victory with a broken leg, received in the first game of the season againstSunderland in September 1914.[1] Following the end ofWorld War I, Gillespie returned to United and resumed his place in the first-team, although now playing a more withdrawn role as aninside forward.[1] Continuing to play regularly, Gillespie took over as club captain fromGeorge Utley in 1923 and in the following five seasons helped United reach twoFA Cup semi-finals and finally won a winner's medal in1925.[1] Retaining his position for a further three years, Gillespie began coaching United's young players during the1930–31 season, before retiring from playing at the end of that season.[1]
Gillespie was offered the position of manager ofDerry City in 1932, where he remained until 1940.[1] Gillespie was held in such regard that the club agreed to change their strip to red and white stripes in recognition of his career atSheffield United.[2] FollowingWorld War II he continued with his connection to United, acting as a scout for his former team and compiling match and player reports until the 1970s.[2]
His first cap came in 1913, his two goals givingIreland their very first victory overEngland. He was a part of the Ireland side that won the1914 British Home Championship outright after gaining wins over England andWales and a draw againstScotland atWindsor Park. Gillespie scored seven goals against England, matching a record set by Scotland playersGeordie Ker andJohn Smith.[3] Gillespie played for the Ireland national team operated by theIrish Football Association (IFA), which now operates theNorthern Ireland national football team. Gillespie held the IFA record for most international goals scored for 78 years, with 13 goals. His record was equalled byColin Clarke in 1992 and broken byDavid Healy in 2004.[3][4]
Gillespie was born inKerrykeel,County Donegal, where his father was a constable with theRIC.[2] Gillespie was married to Ida Grace Burrell (source Ancestry UK) married 1917 Sheffield and had two children, Billy and Peter.[citation needed] Gillespie served as a gunner duringWorld War I, during which time he lost most of his hair.[1] DuringWorld War II he returned to Sheffield where he worked atHadfields munitions works.[1] Gillespie moved to the south of England following his retirement and died in his sleep inBexley, London, on 2 July 1981, aged 89.[2] In September 2013, a commemorative plaque was erected at Rab's Park, Kerrykeel, the local community sport field, in recognition of Gillespie's achievements and his links to the town.[2][5]
| Season | Division | League Apps | League Goals | FA Cup Apps | FA Cup Goals | Other Apps | Other Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–12 | One | 17 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 11 |
| 1912–13 | One | 25 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 9 |
| 1913–14 | One | 30 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 14 |
| 1914–15 | One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915–16 | Midland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 10 | 30 | 10 |
| 1916–17 | Midland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 24 | 6 |
| 1917–18 | Midland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1918–19 | Midland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919–20 | One | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| 1920–21 | One | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 |
| 1921–22 | One | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 14 |
| 1922–23 | One | 34 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 45 | 13 |
| 1923–24 | One | 38 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 16 |
| 1924–25 | One | 38 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 |
| 1925–26 | One | 39 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 13 |
| 1926–27 | One | 38 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 11 |
| 1927–28 | One | 34 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 6 |
| 1928–29 | One | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 7 |
| 1929–30 | One | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 5 |
| 1930–31 | One | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 5 |
| 1931–32 | One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 448 | 127 | 44 | 9 | 71 | 25 | 563 | 161 |
Scores and results list Ireland/Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 February 1913 | Belfast, Ireland |  England | 2–1 | 1913 British Home Championship |
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | 19 January 1914 | Wrexham,Wales |  Wales | 2–1 | 1914 British Home Championship |
| 4 | |||||
| 5 | 14 February 1914 | Middlesbrough, England | England | 3–0 | |
| 6 | 22 October 1921 | Belfast,Northern Ireland | England | 1–1 | 1922 British Home Championship |
| 7 | 4 March 1922 | Glasgow,Scotland |  Scotland | 1–2 | |
| 8 | 1 April 1922 | Belfast,Northern Ireland | Wales | 1–1 | |
| 9 | 14 April 1923 | Wrexham,Wales | Wales | 3–0 | 1923 British Home Championship |
| 10 | 20 October 1923 | Belfast,Northern Ireland | England | 2–1 | 1924 British Home Championship |
| 11 | 22 October 1924 | Liverpool, England | England | 1–3 | 1925 British Home Championship |
| 12 | 13 February 1926 | Belfast,Northern Ireland | Wales | 3–0 | 1926 British Home Championship |
| 13 | 20 October 1926 | Liverpool, England | England | 3–3 | 1927 British Home Championship |
Sheffield United
Derry City
Gillespie's 13th and last international goal was a national record until David Healy broke it in 2004. This was Gillespie's 7th goal against England, matching the record set by Geordie Ker and John Smith, which hasn't been equalled.