Gary Gillespie
Encyclopedia
Gary Thompson Gillespie (born Stirling
, Scotland
, July 5, 1960) was a defender
who played football for Liverpool
through much of their dominant period of the 1980s.
, captaining the side at 17, making him the world's youngest ever first team captain in professional football. Such was his rapid progression as a player, only playing 22 Scottish League Second Division fixtures, he was purchased by Coventry City
for the bargain price of £75,000 on the 10 March 1978 while still not quite 18.
He spent the rest of the 1977/78 season in the City reserves but was given his chance at the beginning of the following season making his debut on the 19 August '78 in a 2–1 win over Middlesbrough
at Ayresome Park
, he went on to make a further 14 league appearances before the end of the season.
A lot of admirers courted Gillespie's skills and attributes as a player, especially as he was a player who was involved in numerous, successful, relegation battles with Coventry for six seasons, he ultimately got his big move and it was Liverpool that got his signature on 8 July 1983 for £325,000. He was the first signing to be made by new manager Joe Fagan
.
and Alan Hansen
were ahead of him, but eventually he got into the team, making his debut on 7 April 1984 in the 2–2 League Cup
draw with Walsall
at Anfield
, he became a regular during the 1986–87 season
. He had played 14 times in the 1985–86 season
, however, scoring three league goals, as the Reds sealed the double
of the league title and the FA Cup
, beating their local rivals Everton
into second place and also defeating them 3–1 in the Wembley
final. Gillespie did play enough games to warrant a league title winner's medal, but did not make the squad for the FA Cup final.
His first goal had come on 20 April in the 3–1 league win over Newcastle United
at Anfield. He remained a mainstay and was part of the side which won the "double" of League championship
and FA Cup
in 1986, though he missed out on a place in the FA Cup final at a time when only one substitute was permitted.
His three goals in that double winning season all came in the same game. Hat-trick
s have always been rare for defenders, but Gillespie managed one against Birmingham City
on 26 April 1986 at Anfield, he scored a brace from open play and completed the threesome with a penalty after the Liverpool fans chanted his name when it was awarded – normally he would not have taken it. Liverpool won the game 5–0 against an already relegated side, as they moved closer to title glory (which was sealed on the final day of the season with a 1-0 win at Chelsea
).
Gillespie firmly established himself in the first team the following year, when he missed just three league games all season. By 1988, when he partnered Hansen in all bar five of Liverpool's games in the league, the Anfield
club were a cut above every other side, losing just twice and coasting to the title. Gillespie weighed in with his share of goals too, including one in the famous 5–0 hammering
of Nottingham Forest
, which critics, including the great Tom Finney
, describe to this day as the finest domestic performance by any English club.
A week before Liverpool were scheduled to face Wimbledon
in the FA Cup final to try to secure their second "double", Gillespie and teammate Nigel Spackman
clashed heads when leaping for the same ball in a league game against Derby County
. Both suffered deep cuts, but were deemed fit for the game at Wembley and were each given customised protective bandages with red and white stripes to wear during the game. Gillespie was regarded as one of Liverpool's better players on the day. BBC
summariser Jimmy Hill
said: "Gillespie's been brilliant, headband or not," but Liverpool surprisingly lost 1–0.
In April 1989, Gillespie joined his teammates in mourning
the death of 94 Liverpool fans (the final death toll was 96) at the Hillsborough disaster
, during a year in which he again was a regular feature in the team. This time fortunes were reversed – Liverpool won the FA Cup with an emotional victory over fierce Merseyside
rivals Everton
, but lost the League title to Arsenal
with pretty much the last kick of the season. Gillespie missed that game, however.
Gillespie won another league title with Liverpool in 1990, though his appearances record was diminishing, owing to the arrival of Swedish
defender Glenn Hysen
at Anfield. However, he still managed four goals from a mere 13 league games.
In 1990–91
, with the absence and eventual retirement of Alan Hansen
due to injury, Gillespie was once again a regular in the centre of the Anfield
defence. He played 30 league games and scored once, remaining a regular player even after the resignation of Kenny Dalglish
as manager on 22 February 1991 – after which he was succeeded by Graeme Souness
.
during the close season made it clear that Gillespie would no longer be considered a first choice defender at Anfield, and so he was transferred to Celtic
, the Scottish
league giants, for £925,000 on 15 August 1991. He was among manager Liam Brady's
first signings for the Bhoys, who were being left behind by local rivals Rangers
who had been champions for the previous three seasons.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40231
His debut for the Glasgow
club came on 17 August 1991, in a 4–1 league win over his former side Falkirk at Parkhead
. Gillespie also managed to find the back of the net. He made 67 appearances for the Parkhead club over three years, playing 69 league games and scoring twice, but failed to pick up any silverware.
, it became apparent that Gillespie was not part of the new manager's plans. On 23 August 1994 he returned to Coventry City on a free transfer, making three Premier League appearances during the 1994–95 season
. However, he played just three FA Premier League
games before a knee injury struck him down, and he finally retired from playing in 1997 after more than two years out of action.
Gillespie won 13 caps for Scotland
. Andy Roxburgh
gave him his debut on 14 October 1987 in the 2–0 UEFA European Championship qualifier victory over Belgium at Hampden Park
. He was selected for the squad that went to the 1990 FIFA World Cup
in Italy
, but his only appearance came on 20 June against Brazil
at the Stadio delle Alpi
Turin
, a game the Scots lost 1–0. They failed to progress past the group stages.
Since retirement
Gillespie has served regularly as an expert summariser for Liverpool matches on BBC Radio Merseyside
and is a regular member of the commentary team for Liverpool games on the official Liverpool FC TV channel LFC TV
. He also continues to represent Liverpool in their veterans' side.
Gillespie is still held in high regard among the Anfield faithful, who voted him No.68 in the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop compiled by the official Liverpool Football Club website.
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, July 5, 1960) was a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who played football for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
through much of their dominant period of the 1980s.
Early career
Gillespie started his career at local club FalkirkFalkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
, captaining the side at 17, making him the world's youngest ever first team captain in professional football. Such was his rapid progression as a player, only playing 22 Scottish League Second Division fixtures, he was purchased by Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for the bargain price of £75,000 on the 10 March 1978 while still not quite 18.
He spent the rest of the 1977/78 season in the City reserves but was given his chance at the beginning of the following season making his debut on the 19 August '78 in a 2–1 win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
at Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
, he went on to make a further 14 league appearances before the end of the season.
A lot of admirers courted Gillespie's skills and attributes as a player, especially as he was a player who was involved in numerous, successful, relegation battles with Coventry for six seasons, he ultimately got his big move and it was Liverpool that got his signature on 8 July 1983 for £325,000. He was the first signing to be made by new manager Joe Fagan
Joe Fagan
Joe Fagan was an English football manager best known for being manager of Liverpool F.C. from 1983 to 1985.- Career:Joe Fagan's playing career was largely spent at Manchester City for whom he signed in 1938...
.
Liverpool
Gillespie took a while to settle in, mainly because world-class defenders Mark LawrensonMark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
and Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
were ahead of him, but eventually he got into the team, making his debut on 7 April 1984 in the 2–2 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
draw with Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, he became a regular during the 1986–87 season
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
. He had played 14 times in the 1985–86 season
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
, however, scoring three league goals, as the Reds sealed the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of the league title and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, beating their local rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
into second place and also defeating them 3–1 in the Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
final. Gillespie did play enough games to warrant a league title winner's medal, but did not make the squad for the FA Cup final.
His first goal had come on 20 April in the 3–1 league win over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
at Anfield. He remained a mainstay and was part of the side which won the "double" of League championship
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1986, though he missed out on a place in the FA Cup final at a time when only one substitute was permitted.
His three goals in that double winning season all came in the same game. Hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s have always been rare for defenders, but Gillespie managed one against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on 26 April 1986 at Anfield, he scored a brace from open play and completed the threesome with a penalty after the Liverpool fans chanted his name when it was awarded – normally he would not have taken it. Liverpool won the game 5–0 against an already relegated side, as they moved closer to title glory (which was sealed on the final day of the season with a 1-0 win at Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
).
Gillespie firmly established himself in the first team the following year, when he missed just three league games all season. By 1988, when he partnered Hansen in all bar five of Liverpool's games in the league, the Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
club were a cut above every other side, losing just twice and coasting to the title. Gillespie weighed in with his share of goals too, including one in the famous 5–0 hammering
Liverpool 5–0 Nottingham Forest (1988)
In April 1988, with the 1987–88 season drawing to an end, Liverpool played Nottingham Forest three times in the space of twelve days. The first game, on April 2, was a League game at Forest's City Ground, with the home team winning 2–1. A week later the two teams met at Hillsborough in an FA Cup...
of Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, which critics, including the great Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
, describe to this day as the finest domestic performance by any English club.
A week before Liverpool were scheduled to face Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in the FA Cup final to try to secure their second "double", Gillespie and teammate Nigel Spackman
Nigel Spackman
Nigel James Spackman is an English football manager and former player. He was formerly a midfield player who was an integral part of the much-admired Liverpool team of 1988...
clashed heads when leaping for the same ball in a league game against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Both suffered deep cuts, but were deemed fit for the game at Wembley and were each given customised protective bandages with red and white stripes to wear during the game. Gillespie was regarded as one of Liverpool's better players on the day. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
summariser Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
said: "Gillespie's been brilliant, headband or not," but Liverpool surprisingly lost 1–0.
In April 1989, Gillespie joined his teammates in mourning
Mourning
Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
the death of 94 Liverpool fans (the final death toll was 96) at the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
, during a year in which he again was a regular feature in the team. This time fortunes were reversed – Liverpool won the FA Cup with an emotional victory over fierce Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, but lost the League title to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
with pretty much the last kick of the season. Gillespie missed that game, however.
Gillespie won another league title with Liverpool in 1990, though his appearances record was diminishing, owing to the arrival of Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
defender Glenn Hysen
Glenn Hysén
Glenn Ingvar Hysén is a football manager and former player who played for leading Dutch, Italian and English clubs and won 68 caps for Sweden...
at Anfield. However, he still managed four goals from a mere 13 league games.
In 1990–91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
, with the absence and eventual retirement of Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
due to injury, Gillespie was once again a regular in the centre of the Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
defence. He played 30 league games and scored once, remaining a regular player even after the resignation of Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
as manager on 22 February 1991 – after which he was succeeded by Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
.
Celtic
However, the arrival of Mark WrightMark Wright
Mark Wright may refer to:*Mark Wright , English footballer and manager*Mark Wright , English footballer...
during the close season made it clear that Gillespie would no longer be considered a first choice defender at Anfield, and so he was transferred to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
league giants, for £925,000 on 15 August 1991. He was among manager Liam Brady's
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....
first signings for the Bhoys, who were being left behind by local rivals Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
who had been champions for the previous three seasons.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40231
His debut for the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
club came on 17 August 1991, in a 4–1 league win over his former side Falkirk at Parkhead
Parkhead
Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...
. Gillespie also managed to find the back of the net. He made 67 appearances for the Parkhead club over three years, playing 69 league games and scoring twice, but failed to pick up any silverware.
Coventry City and retirement
Soon after the appointment of Tommy Burns as Celtic manager in 19941994-95 in Scottish football
The 1994–95 season was the 98th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen the re-introduction of the Scottish 3rd division, after an absence of 26 years, and also the introduction of three points for a win being awarded instead of just two.-Notable events:*Raith Rovers...
, it became apparent that Gillespie was not part of the new manager's plans. On 23 August 1994 he returned to Coventry City on a free transfer, making three Premier League appearances during the 1994–95 season
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
. However, he played just three FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
games before a knee injury struck him down, and he finally retired from playing in 1997 after more than two years out of action.
Gillespie won 13 caps for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. Andy Roxburgh
Andy Roxburgh
Andy Roxburgh is a former Scottish football player and coach. He has been UEFA Technical Director since 1994.- Playing career :...
gave him his debut on 14 October 1987 in the 2–0 UEFA European Championship qualifier victory over Belgium at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. He was selected for the squad that went to the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, but his only appearance came on 20 June against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
at the Stadio delle Alpi
Stadio delle Alpi
The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range...
Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, a game the Scots lost 1–0. They failed to progress past the group stages.
Since retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
Gillespie has served regularly as an expert summariser for Liverpool matches on BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
and is a regular member of the commentary team for Liverpool games on the official Liverpool FC TV channel LFC TV
LFC TV
LFC TV is the dedicated official channel for English football club Liverpool Football Club which launched on 20 September 2007...
. He also continues to represent Liverpool in their veterans' side.
Gillespie is still held in high regard among the Anfield faithful, who voted him No.68 in the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop compiled by the official Liverpool Football Club website.
Honours
- European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1984 - Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1): 1986, 1988, 1990 - Screen Sport Super Cup: 1986
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 1984 - Charity Shield: 1988, 1990
Runner-up
- Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1): 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991 - Intercontinental Cup: 1984
- European Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
: 1984 - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1985 - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 1987 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1988
External links
- Official past players at Liverpoolfc.tv
- Profile at LFCHistory.net
- Coventry City seasonal record (part 1) 1977/78-1980/81 at sporting-heroes.net
- Coventry City seasonal record (part 2) 1981/82-1982/83 at sporting-heroes.net
- Liverpool seasonal record (part 1) 1983/84-1986/87 at sporting-heroes.net
- Liverpool seasonal record (part 2) 1987/88-1990/91 at sporting-heroes.net
- Celtic seasonal record 1991/92-1993/94 at sporting-heroes.net
- Coventry City seasonal record (part 3) 1994/95 at sporting-heroes.net