:Sam Gillam

Gillam was born in Swindon, Wiltshire but started his football career in Wrexham in north Wales when he joined Wrexham Lever F.C. as a teenager. (No records for this club appear to exist). After two years, he moved to Wrexham Olympic for two years, before another, temporary move to England.{{cite book |title=Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth |last2=Garland |first2=Ian |year=1991|publisher=Bridge Books |isbn=1-872424-11-2|pages=67–68}}

For the start of the inaugural Football League season, Gillam had agreed to join Everton but he "failed to turn up at the last minute" for Everton's first pre-season friendly.{{cite web|title=Everton 4 Padiham 1 |url=http://173.236.29.218/~bluecor1/September%201888.htm|work=Start of Season|publisher=Everton Independent Research Data|access-date=18 December 2011|date=3 September 1888}} He subsequently joined Bolton Wanderers for whom he only made two appearances; ironically, his debut for Bolton came at Everton on 5 November when he stood in for Wanderers regular keeper Charlie Harrison. The match report in The Liverpool Mercury said "The visitors brought a strong eleven including Gillan (sic) who was to have kept goal for the home club this season."{{cite web|title=Everton 2 Bolton Wanderers 1 |url= http://173.236.29.218/~bluecor1/November%201888.htm |publisher=Everton Independent Research Data|access-date=18 December 2011|date=5 November 1888}} Another match report said that Gillam "defended his charge in marvellous fashion, accounting for shot after shot in a style that brought forth hearty cheers"; despite his efforts, Everton won the match 2–1. His only other Football League appearance came in a 5–2 defeat at home to Preston North End, who were to go through the season undefeated.

By the end of the year, he had returned to Wrexham. On 15 April 1889, Wales were playing their British Home Championship match against Scotland at the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham; the regular goalkeeper, Jim Trainer, failed to turn up for the match, as Preston North End refused to release him. The kick-off was delayed while a replacement was sought; eventually the match got underway with local amateur player Alf Pugh in goal, before Gillam arrived some twenty minutes into the match to take over.{{cite web|title=Scotland v. Wales (Match report) |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1889/1889041501.htm|publisher=londonhearts.com|access-date=17 December 2011|date=15 April 1889}} Neither 'keeper conceded a goal and the match ended 0–0;{{cite web|title=Wales 0 – 0 Scotland|url=http://www.wfda.co.uk/international_details.php?id=32|publisher=Welsh Football Data Archive|access-date=18 December 2011 |date= 15 April 1889 }} this was the first time in 14 matches between the countries that the Scots had failed to defeat the Welsh,{{cite web |title=Scotland vs. Wales international results |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/tea/wales.html#Summary |publisher=londonhearts.com|access-date=17 December 2011}} and only the second international match in which neither team had managed to score, the first being the very first officially recognised international match, between Scotland and England on 30 November 1872.At this time, the only countries involved in international football were the British "home" nations; i.e. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For a list of England's match results, see [http://www.englandstats.com/opp.php?oppid=-1 the England all-time match list], for the Scotland equivalent see [http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/sea/allres.html the list of Scotland results] and for Wales see [http://www.wfda.co.uk/international_index.php the index of Wales international matches] This was also the first use of a substitute in international football.{{cite web|title=Wales 0 Scotland 0|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/games/18890415.html|publisher=londonhearts.com|access-date=17 December 2011|date=15 April 1889}}

Gillam retained his place as the Welsh international 'keeper for the next three matches (two victories against Ireland and a defeat against England), before Trainer was recalled.{{cite book |title=The Complete Wales FC 1876–2008 |last=Samuel |first=Bill |year=2009 |publisher=Soccer Books |isbn=978-1-86223-176-4|page=10}}

His connection with the Wrexham club ended in October 1889, after which he had brief spells with Shrewsbury Town and Chirk. In 1890, he moved to London and joined London Welsh for three years, becoming team captain. In 1893, he joined Clapton where he made his final international appearance, when he was called into the team as a replacement for the unavailable Trainer, in a 5–2 defeat against Scotland.{{cite web|title=Scotland 5 – 2 Wales|url=http://www.wfda.co.uk/international_details.php?id=48|publisher=Welsh Football Data Archive|access-date=18 December 2011 |date= 24 March 1894 }}{{cite web|title=Scotland v. Wales (Match report)|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1894/1894032407.htm|publisher=londonhearts.com|access-date=18 December 2011|date=24 March 1894}}

He later briefly moved to the Brighton Athletic club, before joining West Hampstead. Although his business commitments restricted his football appearances, he remained on West Hampstead's books until 1904.

Gillam made five appearances for Wales as follows:{{cite book |title=The Complete Wales FC 1876–2008 |last=Samuel|first=Bill|year=2009|publisher=Soccer Books |isbn=978-1-86223-176-4|pages=10–12}}

Gillam became a hotelier in Cullompton in Devon and later took charge of the Crown Hotel in Fore Street, Chard, Somerset, where he died in October 1938.

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Category:1867 births

Category:1938 deaths

Category:Footballers from Swindon

Category:Welsh men's footballers

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers

Category:Wales men's international footballers

Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players

Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players

Category:Shrewsbury Town F.C. players

Category:Chirk AAA F.C. players

Category:London Welsh F.C. players

Category:Clapton F.C. players

Category:Brighton Athletic F.C. players

Category:West Hampstead F.C. players

Category:English Football League players