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Bill Gates (footballer)

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Bill Gates
Personal information
Full name William Lazenby Gates[1]
Date of birth (1944-05-08)8 May 1944
Place of birth Ferryhill, England
Date of death 21 October 2023(2023-10-21) (aged 79)
Position(s) Central defender
Youth career
Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1974 Middlesbrough 283 (12)
1974–1975 Spennymoor United
Total 283+ (12+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Lazenby Gates (8 May 1944 – 21 October 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Career

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Born in Ferryhill, Gates played for Middlesbrough.[1] He later played for Spennymoor United.[2] He retired aged 30 after suffering from migraines, and later qualified as an accountant before opening a series of sports shops.[3] He inspired a charity campaign related to footballers with dementia after heading footballs, for which his wife, Dr Judith Gates, launched the "Head for Change" and "Head Safe Football" charities.[3][4][5] A documentary about Gates called The Billion Pound Game was released shortly after his death.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bill Gates". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  2. ^ Bill Gates at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b c McElwee, Jade (23 October 2023). "Boro legend Bill Gates dies as wife pays tribute to 'unique' footballer". Teesside Live.
  4. ^ a b "Ex-Middlesbrough defender Gates dies aged 79" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Obituaries". World Soccer. December 2023. p. 19.