Peter Gelson
{{Short description|English footballer (1941–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Peter Gelson
| image =
| caption = Gelson while with Brentford in 1963.
|fullname =Peter William John Gelson{{Hugman|7132|access-date=19 October 2015}}
|birth_date ={{Birth date|1941|10|18|df=y}}
|birth_place =Hammersmith, England
|death_date ={{Death date and age|2021|04|26|1941|10|18|df=y}}{{Cite web |title=Peter Gelson 1941–2021 |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2021/april/peter-gelson-1941-2021/ |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}}
|death_place = Staines-upon-Thames, England
|position = Centre back, wing half
|youthyears1 = 1958–1960
|youthclubs1 = Brentford
|years1 = 1960–1975
|clubs1 = Brentford
|caps1 = 471
|goals1 = 17
|years2 = 1974–1977
|clubs2 = Hillingdon Borough
|caps2 =
|goals2 =
|years3 =1977
|clubs3 = Hounslow
|caps3 =
|goals3 =
|years4 = 1977–1978
|clubs4 = Hillingdon Borough
|caps4 =
|goals4 =
|years5 = 1978–1979
|clubs5 = Walton & Hersham
|caps5 =
|goals5 =
}}
Peter William John Gelson (18 October 1941 – 26 April 2021) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford as a centre back and wing half. A cult hero amongst the club's supporters, he is third on the all-time Brentford appearances list with 516. In 2013, Gelson placed second in a Football League 125th Anniversary poll of Brentford's all-time fan favourites and was inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in November 2014.{{Cite web |title=Brentford |url=http://www.fl125.co.uk/brentford |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310181300/http://fl125.co.uk/brentford |archive-date=10 March 2016 |access-date=24 November 2014 |website=Football League 125}}
Career
= Brentford =
Joining Brentford at a young age,{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |pages=63–64}} Gelson progressed through the club's youth, 'A' and reserve teams before making his professional debut at age 19 in a 2–0 Third Division defeat to Halifax Town on 22 August 1961.{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=385–393}} Despite still being a part-time player, Gelson quickly established himself in the first team as a wing half, making 28 appearances during the 1961–62 season, a campaign which saw Brentford relegated to the Fourth Division.
Gelson was a key player in Brentford's 1962–63 Fourth Division title-winning season and made 32 appearances, but he remained part-time and did not sign a professional contract until 1964.{{Sfn|Croxford|Lane|Waterman|2011|p=254}} He was awarded the captaincy in August 1966,{{Cite news |date=12 August 1966 |title=Gelson Is Captain |work=The Brentford & Chiswick Times}} but a loss of form saw him lose it to Bobby Ross four months later.{{Cite news |date=23 December 1966 |title=Ross Takes Over As Captain |work=The Brentford & Chiswick Times}} Gelson was known for his long-range goals and scored three times from behind the halfway line.{{Cite book |title=Official Matchday Magazine Of Brentford Football Club versus Oldham Athletic |date=14 August 1999 |publisher=Morganprint |location=Blackheath |page=41}} A "hard man" as a player, in 1970 he ended the career of Colchester United's Bobby Howlett in a challenge which resulted in a broken leg for the Us defender.{{Cite web |title=Brentford 2–0 Colchester Utd – Player Match List – Colchester United |url=http://www.coludata.co.uk/item.php?pg=matchesplayed&fplyShowAll=true&fdfaShowAll=true&frt=rescomp&pd=1026&fsea=all&fply=305&it=1342 |access-date=31 August 2016 |website=www.coludata.co.uk}}
Gelson went on to be a fixture at centre back until his final appearance for the club in September 1974. He left Brentford shortly after, having made 516 appearances in all competitions for the club. In recognition of his service to the club, Gelson was awarded testimonials in 1970 and 1975,{{Sfn|Croxford|Lane|Waterman|2011|p=254}} earning him £3,630.{{Cite book |title=Griffin Gazette: Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus Crewe Alexandra |date=6 April 1996 |publisher=Quay Design of Poole |page=20}} He was inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in November 2014 and remained a season ticket holder up until the final seasons at Griffin Park.{{Cite web |last=Wickham |first=Chris |title=Bob Booker, Peter Gelson, Keith Millen, Alan Nelmes and Danis Salman honoured at Brentford FC 125 Year Anniversary Dinner |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/five-new-inductees-to-brentford-fc-hall-of-fame_61055 |access-date=24 November 2014}}
= Non-League football =
After his departure from Brentford, Gelson played on in non-League football, appearing for Hillingdon Borough (two spells), Hounslow and Walton & Hersham. In 1985, he was active in forming the Staines Town Veterans' team, for which he also played, making his final appearance at the age of 66 on the final day of the 2007–08 season.{{Cite web |title=Weekly News And Match Bulletin – Season 2007–2008 No: 38 – : – 28th April 2008 |url=http://www.isthmianarchive.co.uk/Isthmian2007.08-38.docx |access-date=11 November 2021 |website=Ryman Football League}}
Personal life
In his early days as a part-time player at Brentford, Gelson worked in telecommunications for the Post Office.{{Cite news |title=First, Best, Worst: Peter Gelson |language=en-gb |work=Brentford FC |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/first-best-worst-peter-gelson-_258261 |access-date=28 February 2018}} His Brentford teammate Gordon Phillips remained a lifelong friend and the pair were godparents to each other's children. After retiring from football, Gelson found work at Heathrow Airport and worked in security with British Airways and Qatar Airways.{{Cite book |last=Croxford |first=Mark |title=The Big Brentford Book of the 70s |last2=Lane |first2=David |last3=Waterman |first3=Greville |publisher=Legends Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1906796709 |page=295}} He worked for a number of years in Doha, Qatar as a loadmaster for Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani's multiple private aircraft.{{Cite web |last=Bruzon |first=Nick |title=Where Are They Now? Peter Gelson – Part 2 |url=http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/WhereAreTheyDetail/0,,10421~2055196,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025156/http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/WhereAreTheyDetail/0,,10421~2055196,00.html |archive-date=16 February 2018 |access-date=26 March 2017 |website=brentfordfc.co.uk}} He retired and returned to the UK in 2007. Gelson was married and as of June 2010, had five grandchildren.
Career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="14"|Brentford
|24 |1 |4 |0 |0 |0 |28 |1 | ||||||||
| 1962–63
|29 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |31 |0 | ||||||||
| 1963–64
|Third Division |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 | ||||||||
| 1964–65
|Third Division |42 |1 |4 |0 |0 |0 |46 |1 | ||||||||
| 1965–66
|Third Division |34 |2 |2 |0 |0 |0 |36 |2 | ||||||||
| 1966–67
|Fourth Division |45 |0 |4 |0 |3 |0 |52 |0 | ||||||||
| 1967–68
|Fourth Division |43 |5 |2 |0 |1 |0 |46 |5 | ||||||||
| 1968–69
|Fourth Division |43 |2 |2 |0 |5 |0 |49 |2 | ||||||||
| 1969–70
|Fourth Division |43 |4 |2 |0 |3 |1 |48 |5 | ||||||||
| 1970–71
|Fourth Division |45 |0 |5 |0 |1 |0 |51 |0 | ||||||||
| 1971–72
|Fourth Division |37 |2 |0 |0 |1 |0 |38 |2 | ||||||||
| 1972–73
|Third Division |42 |0 |1 |0 |2 |0 |45 |0 | ||||||||
| 1973–74
|Fourth Division |40 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |42 |0 | ||||||||
| 1974–75
|Fourth Division |3 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |4 |0 | ||||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!471 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 516 | 18 |
Honours
Brentford
- Football League Fourth Division: 1962–63
- Football League Fourth Division third-place promotion: 1971–72
Individual
- Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year: 1972–73, 1973–74
- Brentford Players' Player of the Year: 1973–74
- Brentford Hall of Fame
References
{{reflist}}
{{Brentford F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Brentford F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gelson, Peter}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Category:People from Hammersmith
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football central defenders
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Hillingdon Borough F.C. players
Category:Hounslow F.C. players
Category:Walton & Hersham F.C. players