Jump to content

Shay Gibbons: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
 
(29 intermediate revisions by 17 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Irish footballer (1929–2006)}}
'''Shay Gibbons''' (19 May 1929 – 9 June 2006) was an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] international [[association football|footballer]] who was regarded as one of the top players in the [[League of Ireland]] in the 1950s. He is still the holder of match, season and all-time scoring records with [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]].
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Shay Gibbons
| image =
| full_name = Seamus Gibbons
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1929|5|19}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|6|9|1929|5|19|df=y}}
| height =
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Dublin City
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = [[Home Farm F.C.|Home Farm]]
| youthyears3 =
| youthclubs3 = [[Bohemians F.C.|Bohemians]]
| years1 = 1946–1947
| clubs1 = [[Bohemian F.C.|Bohemians]]
| caps1 = 2
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1947–1950
| clubs2 = Whitehall Rangers
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| years3 = 1950–1957
| clubs3 = [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]
| caps3 = 115
| goals3 = 108
| years4 = 1957–1958
| clubs4 = Holyhead Town
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| years5 = 1958
| clubs5 = [[Cork Hibernians F.C.|Cork Hibernians]]
| caps5 = 14
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1958–1959
| clubs6 = [[Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk]]
| caps6 = 19
| goals6 = 11
| nationalyears1 = 195x–195x
| nationalteam1 = [[League of Ireland XI]]
| nationalcaps1 = 9
| nationalgoals1 =
| nationalyears2 = 1952–1955
| nationalteam2 = [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]]
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}


'''Shay Gibbons''' (19 May 1929 – 9 June 2006<ref name="stpatsfc1">{{cite web|url=http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=883|title=Former Saint Passes|publisher=www.stpatsfc.com|access-date=5 October 2016|date=10 June 2006}}</ref>) was a [[List of Republic of Ireland international footballers|Republic of Ireland international footballer]] who played for several [[League of Ireland]] clubs in the 1950s, most notably [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]. He was [[League of Ireland Top Scorer]] on three occasions in [[1951-52 League of Ireland|1951–52]], [[1952–53 League of Ireland|1952–53]] and [[1955–56 League of Ireland|1955–56]].
==Early career==
As a youth Gibbons played both football and [[Gaelic football]]. He was selected for the [[Dublin GAA|Dublin]] senior squad aged 17 but Gibbons first love was soccer and when the GAA ban on foreign games made him choose, he gave up football. As a schoolboy football with [[Home Farm F.C.|Home Farm]], Gibbons would win every honour in the Dublin schoolboy leagues. Despite offers from several [[League of Ireland]] sides, Gibbons chose to play with local junior side Whitehall Rangers. He earned his first international cap when called up to the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Ireland]] amateur side in a game against [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] in [[Hampden Park]] in 1948. It was on this trip he struck a friendship with [[St Patrick's Athletic]] defender Jimmy Cummins. Cummins tried to persuade Gibbons to sign for St. Pats, who at that time were the top non–[[League of Ireland]] side in the country. Gibbons signed for St. Pats in March 1951 and the team would go on to win the [[Leinster Senior League Senior Division|Leinster Senior League]]. In the summer of 1951, St. Patrick’s Athletic were elected to the [[League of Ireland]].


==Glorious Fifties==
==Gaelic football==
Gibbons was born in [[Dublin]]. His mother was from [[County Wicklow]] and his father came from [[County Kildare]]. His father and brothers had played [[Gaelic football]] at inter–county level. As a youth Gibbons was also a prominent Gaelic footballer. He captained [[Parnells GAA|Parnells]] in a [[Dublin Junior Football Championship]] final and was in the Parnells team that lost to [[St Vincents GAA|St Vincents]] in the 1950 [[Dublin Senior Football Championship]] final. At 17 he was also selected as a substitute for the [[Dublin county football team|Dublin county team]]'s senior panel.<ref name="McGarrigle">{{cite book|last=McGarrigle|first=Stephen|title=The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football 1945–96|publisher=[[Mainstream Publishing]]}}</ref><ref name="dundalkfc">{{cite web|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=126|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>
The 1951/52 season would see Gibbons and St Pats stun Irish football by winning the league championship in their first season. Gibbons was the top scorer in the league with 26 goals in 22 games. In May 1952, only 15 months after playing non league football, Gibbons made his debut for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland senior team]] in [[Cologne]] against [[Germany national football team|Germany]]. In 1952/53 Gibbons was again the League's top scorer with 22 goals in 22 games, including five in one game against [[Raich Carter]]'s [[Cork Athletic]]. The 1953/54 season was a disappointing season for Gibbons as he struggled with only 9 goals. He did however win his 2nd full international cap in a [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] qualifier against Luxembourg [http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=59].


==Association football==
He was controversially dropped for the 1954 [[FAI Cup]] final and St. Pats lost to [[Drumcondra F.C.|Drumcondra]]. In 1954/55 Gibbons scored 28 goals as St. Pats won the league for the second time. The following season he again topped the league scoring charts with 21 goals as St. Pats won an amazing 3rd league title in their first five years [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iertops.html]. He earned the last two of his four international caps in the autumn of 1955 in games with Yugoslavia [http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=66] and Spain [http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=67]. Throughout his St Pats career Gibbons played many times for the [[League of Ireland XI]] at a time when they were seen as equal to full international games. Gibbons only played a handful of games for St. Pats in 1956/57 season but still managed to score 2 goals to bring his St. Pats tally to 108 goals in little over 5 seasons.
===Early years===
As a schoolboy and youth Gibbons played [[association football]] for Dublin City U14s, [[Home Farm F.C.|Home Farm U16s]] and [[Bohemians F.C.|Bohemians&nbsp;U19]]. He also had a trial with [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]]. Gibbons initially played as a centre half, however in a youth trial game against a [[Liverpool County Football Association|Liverpool FA XI]] he switched to centre-forward. Gibbons made his [[League of Ireland]] debut with [[Bohemian F.C.|Bohemians]] as a replacement for [[Mick O'Flanagan]] before joining Whitehall Rangers of the [[Athletic Union League (Dublin)|Athletic Union League]] and helping them win the [[Leinster Junior Cup (association football)|Leinster Junior Cup]].<ref name="McGarrigle">{{cite book|last=McGarrigle|first=Stephen|title=The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football 1945–96|publisher=[[Mainstream Publishing]]}}</ref><ref name="dundalkfc">{{cite web|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=126|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>


==After St. Patrick's Athletic==
===St Patrick's Athletic===
Gibbons joined [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] in 1950 when they were still playing in the [[Leinster Senior League Senior Division|Leinster Senior League]]. In 1950–51 he helped St Pat's win the Leinster title and they were subsequently invited to join the [[League of Ireland]]. In [[1951-52 League of Ireland|1951–52]] Gibbons scored 26 goals in 22 games, including four hat-tricks, and finished the season as the [[League of Ireland Top Scorer]]. His goals also helped St Pat's win their first League of Ireland title in their debut season. In [[1952–53 League of Ireland|1952–53]] he was again league top scorer with 22 goals in 22 games. This included five he scored in a 6–2 win against [[Cork Athletic F.C.|Cork Athletic]]. He also had a sixth goal disallowed. This remains the most goals scored by a St Pat's player in a single game. In [[1954–55 League of Ireland|1954–55]] Gibbons scored 28 goals as St Pat's won the league for the second time. This remains the most goals scored by a St Pat's player in a single season. In [[1955–56 League of Ireland|1955–56]] he topped the league scoring charts for a third time with 21 goals as St Pat's won a third League of Ireland title in their first five seasons in the league. With 108 goals he remains St Pat's all-time top league goal scorer.<ref name="stpatsfc2">{{cite web|url=http://www.stpatsfc.com/hof_shay_gibbons.php|title=The Harry Boland Hall of Fame – Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.stpatsfc.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="McGarrigle">{{cite book|last=McGarrigle|first=Stephen|title=The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football 1945–96|publisher=[[Mainstream Publishing]]}}</ref><ref name="dundalkfc">{{cite web|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=126|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="rsssftop">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iertops.html|title=Ireland - List of Topscorers|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="Graham">{{cite book|last=Graham|first=Alex|title=Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005|year=2005 |publisher=Soccer Books Limited|isbn=1-86223-135-4}}</ref>
Gibbons had a short spell with Holyhead in the Welsh League in 1956 but returned to the league to play for [[Cork Hibernians]] at the end of the 1956/57 season, scoring one goal. The following season he joined [[Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk]] and scored 11 goals. He retired from professional football at the relatively young age of 30 in 1959. From 1960 until his death in 2006, Gibbons led a very quiet life. He was a regular visitor to St. Pats home ground of [[Richmond Park (football ground)|Richmond Park]] where he was treated as an idol. Following his death (by natural causes) St. Pats fans have pushed for a permanent memorial to one of their greatest ever players to be produced.


===Later career===
At the end of the [[2012 League of Ireland]] season Gibbons is twenty third in the all-time League of Ireland goalscoring list with 120 league goals <ref>http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iertops.html</ref>
After short spells with Holyhead Town and [[Cork Hibernians F.C.|Cork Hibernians]], Gibbons joined [[Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk]] for the [[1958–59 League of Ireland|1958–59]] season, scoring twice in his [[Oriel Park]] debut against Cork Hibernians in a [[League of Ireland Shield]] game. He went on to score seven goals in his first five appearances for Dundalk. Gibbons finished the season with 23 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.<ref name="dundalkfc">{{cite web|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=126|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>

==International career==
Gibbons represented the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] at youth, junior, [[League of Ireland XI|inter-league]] and senior levels.<ref name="dundalkfc">{{cite web|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=126|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="stpatsfc2">{{cite web|url=http://www.stpatsfc.com/hof_shay_gibbons.php|title=The Harry Boland Hall of Fame – Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.stpatsfc.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref> Between 1952 and 1955 Gibbons made four senior international appearances. He made his senior debut in a 3–0 away defeat in a friendly against [[Germany national football team|Germany]] on 4 May 1952. He was the only [[League of Ireland]] player in the starting eleven. He won his second cap on 28 October 1953 in a 4–0 win at [[Dalymount Park]] against [[Luxembourg national football team|Luxembourg]] in a [[1954 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA – Group 4)|1954 World Cup qualifier]]. He won his third cap on 19 October 1955 in a 4–1 defeat at home to [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]]. This was the match that [[John Charles McQuaid#Yugoslavian football match boycotts, 1952–1955|Archbishop McQuaid]] tried to get banned. He won his final cap in a 2–2 draw with [[Spain national football team|Spain]] on 27 November 1955.<ref name="soccerscene1">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/player.php?id=129&level=sssenior|title=Shay Gibbons|publisher=www.soccerscene.ie|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="soccerscene2">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/matchdetails.php?id=53&level=sssenior|title=Germany 3–0 Republic of Ireland|publisher=www.soccerscene.ie|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="soccerscene3">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/matchdetails.php?id=59&level=sssenior|title=Republic of Ireland 4–0 Luxembourg|publisher=www.soccerscene.ie|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="soccerscene4">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/matchdetails.php?id=66&level=sssenior|title=Republic of Ireland 1–4 Yugoslavia|publisher=www.soccerscene.ie|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>


==Honours==
==Honours==
'''St Patrick's Athletic'''
*'''[[League of Ireland]];''' 1951/52, 1954/55, 1955/56
* [[League of Ireland]]: [[1951–52 League of Ireland|1951–52]], [[1954–55 League of Ireland|1954–55]], [[1955–56 League of Ireland|1955–56]]
*'''[[Leinster Senior League Senior Division|Leinster Senior League]]; 1950–51
*'''[[Dublin City Cup]]''' winner; 1953/54, 1955/56
* [[Dublin City Cup]]: 1953–54, 1955–56
*'''[[LFA President's Cup]]''' winner; 1952/53, 1953/54, 1955/56
* [[LFA President's Cup]]: 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56
* [[Leinster Senior League Senior Division|Leinster Senior League]] (6): 1950–51
*'''League of Ireland top scorer'''; 1951/52, 1952/53, 1955/56
*'''Republic of Ireland Full International caps'''; 4


'''Individual'''
==St. Patrick's Athletic Records==
* [[League of Ireland Top Scorer]]: [[1951–52 League of Ireland|1951–52]], [[1952–53 League of Ireland|1952–53]], [[1955–56 League of Ireland|1955–56]]
*'''All time highest scorer;''' 108 goals

*'''Most goals in a single season;''' 28 in 1954/55
'''Source''':<ref name="rsssftop">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iertops.html|title=Ireland - List of Topscorers|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="Graham">{{cite book|last=Graham|first=Alex|title=Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005|year=2005 |publisher=Soccer Books Limited|isbn=1-86223-135-4}}</ref>
*'''Most goals in one game;''' 5 v Cork Athletic in 1952/53
*'''Most international caps''' for Ireland; 4


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
*[http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=883 It gives up deep sorrow to announce the death of a Saint legend, Shay Gibbons] from stptasfc.com 10 June 2006

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Gibbons, Shay
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Irish footballer
| DATE OF BIRTH = 19 May 1929
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 9 June 2006
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbons, Shay}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbons, Shay}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Association football forwards]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland association footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland international footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Home Farm F.C. players]]
[[Category:Home Farm F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bohemian F.C. players]]
[[Category:St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Cork Hibernians F.C. players]]
[[Category:Dundalk F.C. players]]
[[Category:Dundalk F.C. players]]
[[Category:Holyhead Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Leinster Senior League (association football) players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland XI players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland XI players]]
[[Category:Dublin Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Association footballers from County Dublin]]
[[Category:Dublin inter-county Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Cork Hibernians F.C. players]]
[[Category:Parnells Gaelic footballers (Dublin)]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from County Dublin]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen]]
[[Category:Ireland (FAI) international footballers]]
[[Category:Parnells Gaelic footballers]]

Latest revision as of 02:51, 5 December 2024

Shay Gibbons
Personal information
Full name Seamus Gibbons
Date of birth (1929-05-19)19 May 1929
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Date of death 9 June 2006(2006-06-09) (aged 77)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Dublin City
Home Farm
Bohemians
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1946–1947 Bohemians 2 (0)
1947–1950 Whitehall Rangers
1950–1957 St Patrick's Athletic 115 (108)
1957–1958 Holyhead Town
1958 Cork Hibernians 14 (1)
1958–1959 Dundalk 19 (11)
International career
195x–195x League of Ireland XI 9
1952–1955 Republic of Ireland 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Shay Gibbons (19 May 1929 – 9 June 2006[1]) was a Republic of Ireland international footballer who played for several League of Ireland clubs in the 1950s, most notably St Patrick's Athletic. He was League of Ireland Top Scorer on three occasions in 1951–52, 1952–53 and 1955–56.

Gaelic football

[edit]

Gibbons was born in Dublin. His mother was from County Wicklow and his father came from County Kildare. His father and brothers had played Gaelic football at inter–county level. As a youth Gibbons was also a prominent Gaelic footballer. He captained Parnells in a Dublin Junior Football Championship final and was in the Parnells team that lost to St Vincents in the 1950 Dublin Senior Football Championship final. At 17 he was also selected as a substitute for the Dublin county team's senior panel.[2][3]

Association football

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

As a schoolboy and youth Gibbons played association football for Dublin City U14s, Home Farm U16s and Bohemians U19. He also had a trial with Hull City. Gibbons initially played as a centre half, however in a youth trial game against a Liverpool FA XI he switched to centre-forward. Gibbons made his League of Ireland debut with Bohemians as a replacement for Mick O'Flanagan before joining Whitehall Rangers of the Athletic Union League and helping them win the Leinster Junior Cup.[2][3]

St Patrick's Athletic

[edit]

Gibbons joined St Patrick's Athletic in 1950 when they were still playing in the Leinster Senior League. In 1950–51 he helped St Pat's win the Leinster title and they were subsequently invited to join the League of Ireland. In 1951–52 Gibbons scored 26 goals in 22 games, including four hat-tricks, and finished the season as the League of Ireland Top Scorer. His goals also helped St Pat's win their first League of Ireland title in their debut season. In 1952–53 he was again league top scorer with 22 goals in 22 games. This included five he scored in a 6–2 win against Cork Athletic. He also had a sixth goal disallowed. This remains the most goals scored by a St Pat's player in a single game. In 1954–55 Gibbons scored 28 goals as St Pat's won the league for the second time. This remains the most goals scored by a St Pat's player in a single season. In 1955–56 he topped the league scoring charts for a third time with 21 goals as St Pat's won a third League of Ireland title in their first five seasons in the league. With 108 goals he remains St Pat's all-time top league goal scorer.[4][2][3][5][6]

Later career

[edit]

After short spells with Holyhead Town and Cork Hibernians, Gibbons joined Dundalk for the 1958–59 season, scoring twice in his Oriel Park debut against Cork Hibernians in a League of Ireland Shield game. He went on to score seven goals in his first five appearances for Dundalk. Gibbons finished the season with 23 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.[3]

International career

[edit]

Gibbons represented the Republic of Ireland at youth, junior, inter-league and senior levels.[3][4] Between 1952 and 1955 Gibbons made four senior international appearances. He made his senior debut in a 3–0 away defeat in a friendly against Germany on 4 May 1952. He was the only League of Ireland player in the starting eleven. He won his second cap on 28 October 1953 in a 4–0 win at Dalymount Park against Luxembourg in a 1954 World Cup qualifier. He won his third cap on 19 October 1955 in a 4–1 defeat at home to Yugoslavia. This was the match that Archbishop McQuaid tried to get banned. He won his final cap in a 2–2 draw with Spain on 27 November 1955.[7][8][9][10]

Honours

[edit]

St Patrick's Athletic

Individual

Source:[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Former Saint Passes". www.stpatsfc.com. 10 June 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c McGarrigle, Stephen. The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football 1945–96. Mainstream Publishing.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Shay Gibbons". www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "The Harry Boland Hall of Fame – Shay Gibbons". www.stpatsfc.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Ireland - List of Topscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b Graham, Alex (2005). Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
  7. ^ "Shay Gibbons". www.soccerscene.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Germany 3–0 Republic of Ireland". www.soccerscene.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Republic of Ireland 4–0 Luxembourg". www.soccerscene.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Republic of Ireland 1–4 Yugoslavia". www.soccerscene.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Shay_Gibbons&oldid=1261257330"