Ian Gillespie (footballer)
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ian Colin Gillespie[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1913[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Plymouth, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 5 March 1988 (aged 74)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Ipswich, England[2] | ||
| Position | 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 | |||
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]