Blade legend to be honoured

[dublin 10 blade]

Ireland fans are using the upcoming world cup double-header to honour the first Irishman to lift the F.A Cup.
Billy Gillespie , who scored 2 goals v England in 1913 , was SHEFFIELD UNITEDS captain when we won the cup in 1925 . Billy moved home in 1932 to manage derry city with a case of red & white stripe shirts , the reason they still play in them today by the way , a plaque will be unvieled on saturday in Donegal , were he's from , and tomorrow between Ireland and Sweden in the aviva stadium and again before Ireland play Austria next week , organiser Fergus Mcateer said '' we pay homage to one of Irelands greatest ever footballers. Just a couple of quotes taken from todays Irish daily star . U.T.B.

 

[Foxy]

Ireland fans are using the upcoming world cup double-header to honour the first Irishman to lift the F.A Cup.
Billy Gillespie , who scored 2 goals v England in 1913 , was SHEFFIELD UNITEDS captain when we won the cup in 1925 . Billy moved home in 1932 to manage derry city with a case of red & white stripe shirts , the reason they still play in them today by the way , a plaque will be unvieled on saturday in Donegal , were he's from , and tomorrow between Ireland and Sweden in the aviva stadium and again before Ireland play Austria next week , organiser Fergus Mcateer said '' we pay homage to one of Irelands greatest ever footballers. Just a couple of quotes taken from todays Irish daily star . U.T.B.

Was speaking to JG yesterday, he'll be over this weekend as part of this.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

To get Honour , in my rush to post did'nt notice the bo-bo.

 

[Dkc]

We signed him from Leeds for a massive 500 quid, and his wage was 4 quid a week.

Also, he died just weeks after we were relegated to the 4th division for the first time in our history.

From Wiki


Billy Gillespie (6 August 1891 – 2 July 1981) was an Irish football player 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, Donegal, Ireland. He is United's most capped player with 25 for the Ireland national team.
Gillespie started his footballing career with Institute F.C.. In 1910, he was about to sign for Linfield when Leeds City manager Frank Scott-Walford persuaded him to turn professional and join the West Yorkshire club.
Sheffield United signed Gillespie from Leeds City in December 1912 for £500 for the maximum wage, then £4 per week. He was held in such high regard in his home country that when he left United in 1932 to become player-manager of Derry City they changed their strip to red and white stripes in reverence to him and the Blades.
He remained at Derry until 1940, taking on the role of full team manager during that time. A fierce looking inside forward, Billy was team captain of Sheffield United between 1923 and 1930, leading United's FA Cup triumph in 1925.
He had been denied another 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 on 2 September 1914.

 

[Kev Gee]

My family are from Derry. When I go and visit them I always get passed and bang on about how they got the stripes. Shame that we haven't got them as a feeder club. They've produced some good players over the years.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Was speaking to JG yesterday, he'll be over this weekend as part of this.

Must be coming over to see how Ireland play 4-4-2 , with our ace winger , jonathan walters on the wing . marshalled by our midfield general glen whelan .