| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arthur Henry Gibson | ||
| Date of birth | (1888-07-18)18 July 1888 | ||
| Place of birth | Woolwich, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 April 1958(1958-04-08) (aged 69) | ||
| Place of death | Ruislip, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Morton | |||
| Falkirk | |||
| Plumstead | |||
| 1911–1912 | Espanyol | ||
| 1912–1924 | Olympique Cettois | ||
| 1924–1926 | Montpellier | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1911–1912 | Espanyol | ||
| 1912 | Catalonia | ||
| 1914–1924 | Olympique Cettois | ||
| 1924–1925 | Montpellier | ||
| 1925–1929 | Marseille | ||
| 1929–1934 | Sochaux | ||
| 1934 | SC Bastidienne | ||
| 1934–1935 | Hispano-Bastidienne | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Arthur Henry Gibson, also known asVictor Raine Gibson (18 July 1888 – 8 April 1958) was an English professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder forRCD Espanyol, and later acoach active in Spain and France.[1][2]
Arthur Henry Gibson was born inWoolwich in 1888.[3][4] He married in 1910 and had an infant daughter who died.[4] He divorced his English wife in 1938 and married a Frenchwoman in 1939, with whom he also had a daughter.[4]
Gibson played forMorton,Falkirk, and Plumstead, and in 1911 he touredCatalonia with the latter club; in a match againstEspanyol on 18 May 1911, he impressed the Catalan club and they signed him, along withFrank Allack andWilliam Hodge.[2][3][5][6]
Gibson quickly became the team'scaptain, and took on the role of manager.[2] In July 1912, Allack and Gibson were dismissed from Espanyol for various acts of indiscipline, and he moved to French sideOlympique Cettois.[3][4] On 5 April 1914, Gibson started as adefender in the final of the1914 USFSA Football Championship, which ended in a 0–3 loss toOlympique lillois.[7] He stayed at the club for 12 years until 1924, when he moved toMontpellier, where he retired two years later in 1926, at the age of 38.[citation needed]
While in Spain, Gibson performed the functions of a coach with theCatalonia national team once, in what was the team's first-ever game recognized byFIFA on 20 February 1912, which ended in a 7–0 loss toFrance.[2][3][8] In France, Gibson coached the club sides ofFC Cette,[9]Montpellier,Marseille,[9]Sochaux,[10]SC Bastidienne andHispano-Bastidienne.[11]
Gibson led FC Cette to back-to-back finals in theCoupe de France in1923 and1924, but lost both, the first as coach (4–2 toRed Star Olympique), and the second as player and coach (3–2 toMarseille).[3][12] However, he achieved his revenge by winning this cup twice in a row in1926 and1927 with Olympique de Marseille, beatingAS Valentigney 4–1 in the former andUS Quevilly 3–0 in the latter.[3] He also led Sochaux to a title in the1931 Peugeot Cup.[3]
Gibson returned to England in the 1930s, working as a gardener and groundsman.[4] He divorced his English wife in 1938 and married a Frenchwoman in 1939, with whom he also had a daughter.[4] He died inRuislip 8 April 1958, at the age of 69.[3][4]