Billy Gillespie

For the American college basketball coach, see Billy Gillispie.

Billy Gillespie

Personal information
Full name	William Ballintrae Gillespie
Date of birth	6 August 1891(1891-08-06)
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)
Playing position	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1907–1910	Institute
1909–1910	→ Linfield (loan)
1910–1912	Leeds City	24	(10)
1912–1933	Sheffield United	448	(127)
Total		472	(137)
National team
1913–1930	Ireland (IFA)	25	(13)
Teams managed
1932-1940	Derry City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Billy Gillespie (6 August 1891 - 2 July 1981) was a football player for Sheffield United over a twenty year period from 1913 to 1932, scoring over 137 League and Cup goals in 492 games for the South Yorkshire side.

Gillespie was born in Kerrykeel, Donegal, Ireland. He is United's most capped player with 25 for Ireland.

He held the IFA's record for most international goals scored for 78 years with 13 goals. Gillespie's record was eventually equalled by Colin Clarke in 1992 and broken by David Healy in 2004.

Club career

Gillespie started his footballing career with Institute F.C.. In 1910, he was about to sign for Linfield when Leeds City manager Frank Scott-Walford persuaded him to turn professional and join the West Yorkshire club.

Sheffield United signed Gillespie from Leeds City in December 1912 for £500 for the maximum wage, then £4 per week.

He was held in such high regard in his home country that when he left United in 1932 to become player-manager of Derry City they changed their strip to red and white stripes in reverence to him and the Blades.

He remained at Derry until 1940, taking on the role of full team manager during that time. A fierce looking inside forward, Billy was team captain of Sheffield United between 1923 and 1930, leading United's FA Cup triumph in 1925.

He had been denied another 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 against Sunderland on 2 September 1914.

International career

His first cap came in 1913, his two goals giving Ireland their very first victory over England.

In 1914, he was a part of the Ireland side that won the British Home Championship outright after gaining wins over England and Wales and a draw against Scotland at Windsor Park.

Gillespie is one of three players to have scored 7 goals against England.[1]

International goals

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	15 February 1913	Belfast, Ireland	England	2-1	1913 British Home Championship
3	19 January 1914	Wrexham, Wales	Wales	2-1	1914 British Home Championship
4	19 January 1914	Wrexham, Wales	Wales	2-1	1914 British Home Championship
5	14 February 1914	Middlesbrough, England	England	3-0	1914 British Home Championship
6	22 October 1921	Belfast, Northern Ireland	England	1-1	1922 British Home Championship
7	4 March 1922	Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	1-2	1922 British Home Championship
8	1 April 1922	Belfast, Northern Ireland	Wales	1-1	1922 British Home Championship
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

Other information

Ivan Sharpe, a leading columnist of the day, who wrote in the Athletic News about the 1925 FA Cup Final pointed out:

Never has Gillespie's generalship been more marked. No player on view trapped the ball so surely, retained it with such good judgement, and exhibited such power and precision in sending it either to the left or right wing or more delicately down the middle. Sheffield United played wonderfully well but special praise is due to Gillespie, the Man who waves a wand and whose influence has played such a vital part in United's capture of the Cup.

Billy died in his sleep in Bexley, Kent on 2 July 1981, aged 89.

Sheffield United career

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

External links

• Irish Football Association - 'Legends of the Game' profile