Billy Gillespie
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Ballintrae Gillespie | ||
| Date of birth | 6 August 1891 | ||
| Place of birth | Kerrykeel, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 2 July 1981 (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 | ||
| 1910–1912 | Leeds City | 24 | (10) |
| 1912–1933 | Sheffield United | 448 | (127) |
| Total | 472 | (137) | |
| National team | |||
| 1913–1930 | Ireland | 25 | (13) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1932–1940 | Derry City | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Billy Gillespie (6 August 1891 – 2 July 1981) was an Irish football player who played as a striker 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, County Donegal, Ireland and began his career with Irish side Institute in 1907. After a short spell with Linfield he moved to England to play for Leeds City in 1910 before moving to Sheffield United in 1912, where he would stay until he retired from playing. Gillespie also made 25 appearances for the Ireland national team. In 1932 he took over as manager of Derry City where he remained until 1940. After leaving Derry, Gillespie moved to the south of England where he lived until his death in 1981.
Gillespie started his footballing career with local side Institute in 1907. In 1910, Gillespie had a short trial with Irish side Linfield and was due to sign for them when Leeds City manager Frank Scott-Walford persuaded him to turn professional and join the West Yorkshire club instead. Having made his Football League debut, Gillespie was largely confined to the reserves but was unhappy at not making further progress.
Sheffield United signed Gillespie from Leeds City in December 1912 for £500 for the maximum wage, then £4 per week. Gillespie made his debut on Boxing Day 1911, scoring in a 2–2 draw with Newcastle United and played regularly for the Blades from that point on. Gillespie was denied an 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 in September 1914. Following the end of World War I, Gillespie returned to United and resumed his place in the first-team, although now playing a more withdrawn role as an inside forward. Continuing to play regularly, Gillespie took over as club captain from George Utley in 1923 and in the following five seasons helped United reach two FA Cup semi-finals and finally won a winner's medal in 1925. Retaining his position for a further three years, Gillespie began coaching United's young players in during the 1930–31 season, before retiring from playing at the end of that season.
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