Ian Gillespie (footballer)

For other people named Ian Gillespie, see Ian Gillespie (disambiguation).

Ian Gillespie
Personal information
Full name Ian Colin Gillespie[1]
Date of birth (1913-05-06)6 May 1913[1]
Place of birth Plymouth, England[1]
Date of death 5 March 1988(1988-03-05) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death Ipswich, England[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Frost's Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Norwich City
Harwich & Parkeston
1937–1946 Crystal Palace 21 (4)
1945–1946 Ipswich Town (guest)
1946–1947 Ipswich Town 6 (1)
1947 Colchester United 4 (1)
Leiston
Total 31 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ian Colin Gillespie (6 May 1913 – 5 March 1988) was an English footballer who played in the Football League as a forward for Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. He was also signed to Norwich City.

Career

Born in Plymouth, Gillespie began his career playing for Frost's Athletic, a youth club associated with Norwich City. He signed for Norwich in 1933, prior to signing for Harwich & Parkeston in the non-leagues.[1][2] From there, he signed for Crystal Palace in February 1937. He appeared 27 times and scored five goals for Palace,[3] including four goals in 21 league appearances.[2] He also made over 80 wartime appearances for Palace.[4]

During World War II, Gillespie made guest appearances at a number of clubs, including Ipswich Town, where he played 29 first-team games during the war years, scoring four goals. He signed for Ipswich permanently in April 1946, going on to make six Football League appearances, scoring once[5] before moving to Southern League neighbours Colchester United in May 1947.[2]

Gillespie made his Colchester debut on 17 May in a 2–0 away defeat to Bedford Town.[6] He scored his first, and only, league goal in the reverse fixture one-week later, on this occasion a 4–0 victory at Layer Road.[7] His final game came on 11 September 1947, a 3–0 Southern League Cup victory over rivals Chelmsford City, a game in which he also scored.[8]

After leaving Colchester, Gillespie would later play for Leiston.[1] He died in Ipswich on 5 March 1988.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Colchester United – Player profile". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Pride of Anglia – Ipswich Town Football Club – Ian Gillespie". Pride of Anglia – Ipswich Town Football Club. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Ian Gillespie – Crystal Palace FC Supporters' Website – The Holemsdale Online". The Holmesdale Online. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ^ Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel (1990). Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. pp. 172–85. ISBN 0907969542.
  5. ^ "IPSWICH TOWN:1946/47-2011/12". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Bedford Town 2–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 4–0 Bedford Town". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 3–0 Chelmsford City". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.