Ian Gibson (Scottish footballer)
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ian Gibson
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Scotland
| height =
| position = Winger
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1973–1976
| clubs1 = Fitzroy United Alexander
| caps1 = 74
| goals1 = 31
| years2 = 1977
| clubs2 = South Melbourne Hellas
| caps2 = 24
| goals2 = 5
}}
Ian Gibson is a Scottish retired association football (soccer) player. Gibson is most notable for being a regular first team player for Fitzroy United Alexander in the Victorian State League.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19760614&id=RZspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5970,3345757&hl=en|title = The Age - Google News Archive Search}} Gibson is also notable for playing for South Melbourne Hellas in the National Soccer League's inaugural season in 1977.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/G/GI.html|title = Australian Player Database - GI}}
Career
=Fitzroy United Alexander (1973-1976)=
After his arrival from Scotland, Gibson began his football career in Melbourne, Australia signing with Fitzroy United Alexander (now Heidelberg United) in the fast growing Victorian State League for the 1973 season. Gibson made his debut for the club in the second round on 8 April 1973, against future National Soccer League club South Melbourne Hellas in a 0–1 loss at Olympic Park Stadium.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1973SLR.html|title = Victorian State League - 1973 Season Results}} His first goal for the club came four rounds later on 5 May 1973, against Brunswick Juventus being the first the goal in 2–0 victory.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1973SLR.html|title = Victorian State League - 1973 Season Results}}
In what was the club's first ever competitive home match at the Brunswick Street Oval on 13 April 1975, following the club coming to an agreement with both the Fitzroy Lions and Fitzroy Cricket Club, Gibson scored the first goal in what would finish to be a 2–0 victory over South Melbourne Hellas in front of a near modern-day capacity crowd of 14'500 spectators in the memorable debut for the club.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1975SLR.html|title = Victorian State League 1975 Season Results}}
In the four seasons Gibson spent with the North Fitzroy club, competing in the Victorian State League, Dockerty Cup, Ampol Cup and the State Preseason Challenge Cup, Gibson made a total of 89 appearances for Alexander, scoring 37 goals,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1973DockertyCup.html|title = Victorian Dockerty Cup 1973 Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1973SLR.html|title = Victorian State League - 1973 Season Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1974DockertyCup.html|title = Victorian Dockerty Cup - 1974 Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1974SLCup.html|title = 1974 Victorian State League Cup - Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1974SLR.html|title = Victorian State League 1974 Season Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1975SLR.html|title = Victorian State League 1975 Season Results}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1976SLR.html|title = Victorian State League 1976 Season Results}} including being an integral member of the 1975 state league championship victory,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1975SLT.html|title = 1975 Victorian State League - Final Table}} forming a famous link with fellow Scottish winger George Gillan. Gibson's last game for the club was on 12 September at the Brunswick Street Oval against Sunshine George Cross in a 1–1 draw.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1976SLR.html|title = Victorian State League 1976 Season Results}}
=South Melbourne Hellas (1977)=
Following the assembly of the National Soccer League, Gibson along with fellow Scot and Fitzroy teammate & player-coach Jack Reilly were lured away from Brunswick Street Oval and joined rival Greek backed club South Melbourne Hellas on a one-year contract.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Clubs/S/SouthMelbournePR1977.html|title=South Melbourne 1977}} Gibson made his debut for the club in the first round on 2 April 1977 against Sydney Olympic FC away in a 2–0 win.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1977/Round01.html|title=1977 National Soccer League results}} His first goal came in round 3 on 18 April 1977 against Melbourne based rivals Footscray JUST in a 2–2 draw.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1977/Round03.html|title=1977 National Soccer League results}} At the season's conclusion, Hellas disappointedly finished eleventh out of fourteen.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1977/NSLTable.html|title = Australian Soccer}} Gibson and former Fitzroy teammate George Gillan, who played for Alexander in the 1977 season with difficulty for a regular spot, both retired from the game professionally.
Career statistics
{{updated|18 October 2016}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | |||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Division !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{ref label|A|A}} !colspan="2"|League Cup{{ref label|B|B}} !colspan="2"|Other{{ref label|C|C}} !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps
!Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||||
| rowspan="5"|Fitzroy United Alexander | rowspan="5"|Victorian State |1973 |19 | 7 | 5 | 3| | ||||||
| |24 | 10 | ||||||||
| 1974
|18 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 10 |
| 1975
|18 | 8 | colspan="2"|?{{ref label|D|D}}| | |||||||
| |18 | 8 | ||||||||
| 1976
|19 | 8 | colspan="2"|?{{ref label|D|D}}| | |||||||
| |19 | 8 | ||||||||
| Total
!74 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 89 | 36 |
| rowspan="2"|South Melbourne Hellas |rowspan="2"|National Soccer |1977 |24 | 5 | 1 | 0| | ||||||
| |25 | 5 | ||||||||
| Total
!24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!98 | 36 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 114 | 41 |
=Footnotes=
{{refbegin}}
:A. {{note|A}} Includes appearances in the Dockerty Cup.
:B. {{note|B}} Includes appearances in the Victorian State League Cup.
:C. {{note|C}} Includes appearances in the Pre-Season Ampol Cup.
:D. {{note|D}} Fitzroy United Alexander did participate in the Dockerty Cup in 1975 and 1976, however individual player records were not kept, thus resulting in these statistics being in dispute.
{{refend}}
Honours
With Fitzroy United Alexander:
- {{Flagicon|Victoria}} Victorian State League: Champions 1975
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Ian}}
Category:Possibly living people
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:South Melbourne FC players
Category:Heidelberg United FC players
Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players