Kerrykeel honour FA Cup winning captain Gillespie
William “Billy” Gillespie was one of the most famous Irish footballers of his generation and led Sheffield United to the fourth and last of their FA Cup success in 1925 when they beat Cardiff at Wembley.
The Blades’ captain also scored two goals on his international debut against England in 1913 as an Irish team (under the auspices of the Irish Football Association defeated England) for the first time. He repeated the feat the year after, notching another two against the English as the Irish won 3-0 at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough.
Having started with Institute FC in Derry, he moved to Linfield and then Leeds United before Sheffield United paid £500 for him in December 1912. He scored 137 goals in 492 games for the Bramall Lane side and still remains the most capped senior international (25) in the club’s history.
Gillespie even played his part in BBC Radio history. On January 22, 1927, the BBC broadcast a league match for the very first time between Arsenal and Sheffield United. Gillespie scored United’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Highbury.
Representatives from Sheffield United FC, the FAI, IFA, Derry City, Institute FC and Gillespie’s own relatives will gather to pay tribute to Gillespie in Kerrykeel and a commemorative plaque will be unveiled. On returning home from Sheffield to manage Derry City (who then played in the Irish League) in 1932, Gillespie was required to take a red and white team strip with him as part of the deal.
These colours were adopted by Derry City; the candy-stripes nickname still applies. He had a successful stint in Derry, leading them to two City Cup triumphs and on four successive occasions they finished runners up in the Irish League. When Gillespie left Derry City in 1941 he moved to Bexley in Kent, where he died a month short of his 90th birthday in July 1981.
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