I just found this on the web, it is an account of John Gillespie being sent off in a pre-season Tournament in Alloa, for attacking the referee [he got a six month ban for it.]
He soon joined Queen's Park, and got capped for Scotland.
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The great thing is I had never seen this before because it was not in the Falkirk Herald.
It was reported in "The Manaro Mercury and Cooma & Bombala Advertiser" Queensland, Australia on the 14th of July 1891.
John Gillespie was one of five brothers that turned out for Falkirk FC back in the days before we joined the League. A fairly well-to-do family living in Campfield House on Wellside Place, the family ran a 'carrier' business between Falkirk & Glasgow.
Making his debut in goal in an emergency v Queen's Park Strollers in 1889, John was soon to appear in his 'proper' position in the centre of the half-back line [though like many centre-halves of the time it seems he could 'function' adequately as a centre-forward], where he soon came to the attention of the Glasgow clubs.
He had been on the fringes of the club for a while playing, like his other brothers with minor club Comely Park, and was active with the local harriers. So was not a completely unknown figure.
All in all, John did not stay long with the club before leaving for the heady climes of Glasgow, and national fame with the 'Spiders'
John spent nearly a decade with Queen's Park before signing up and shipping out to serve the Queen in protecting some diamonds from the descendants of Dutch farmers somewhere irrelevant. When he came back he had almost completely retired from full time football, drifting about guesting for teams, until he played out his final games with Falkirk Amateurs.
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b 15th November 1870, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
d 4th September 1933, Edinburgh
Debut – Saturday January 19th 1889 v Queen's Park Strollers (H) Friendly
Positions – Centre-Half
Club Honours – Stirlingshire Cup W 1889/90, Falkirk District Charity Cup W 1889/90, RU 1890/91, Falkirk Infirmary Shield RU 1889/90, 1890/91
Falkirk FC known career
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [4/-]
Minor Cup Matches/Goals [17/-]
Other Matches/Goals [45/3]
Total Matches/Goals [66/3]
Known Career – Comely Park, Falkirk [1888/89-1891/92], Queen’s Park [1891/92-1900/01, 1903/04], Camelon [1893/94], Partick Thistle [1904/05], Falkirk Amateurs
Note-
Played for Clydesdale Harriers v Falkirk, Friendly at Brockville Pk, Falkirk, 5th January 1889
He soon joined Queen's Park, and got capped for Scotland.
The great thing is I had never seen this before because it was not in the Falkirk Herald.
It was reported in "The Manaro Mercury and Cooma & Bombala Advertiser" Queensland, Australia on the 14th of July 1891.
John Gillespie.
John Gillespie was one of five brothers that turned out for Falkirk FC back in the days before we joined the League. A fairly well-to-do family living in Campfield House on Wellside Place, the family ran a 'carrier' business between Falkirk & Glasgow.
Making his debut in goal in an emergency v Queen's Park Strollers in 1889, John was soon to appear in his 'proper' position in the centre of the half-back line [though like many centre-halves of the time it seems he could 'function' adequately as a centre-forward], where he soon came to the attention of the Glasgow clubs.
He had been on the fringes of the club for a while playing, like his other brothers with minor club Comely Park, and was active with the local harriers. So was not a completely unknown figure.
All in all, John did not stay long with the club before leaving for the heady climes of Glasgow, and national fame with the 'Spiders'
John spent nearly a decade with Queen's Park before signing up and shipping out to serve the Queen in protecting some diamonds from the descendants of Dutch farmers somewhere irrelevant. When he came back he had almost completely retired from full time football, drifting about guesting for teams, until he played out his final games with Falkirk Amateurs.
John Gillespie [with Queen's Park]
b 15th November 1870, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
d 4th September 1933, Edinburgh
Debut – Saturday January 19th 1889 v Queen's Park Strollers (H) Friendly
Positions – Centre-Half
Club Honours – Stirlingshire Cup W 1889/90, Falkirk District Charity Cup W 1889/90, RU 1890/91, Falkirk Infirmary Shield RU 1889/90, 1890/91
Falkirk FC known career
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [4/-]
Minor Cup Matches/Goals [17/-]
Other Matches/Goals [45/3]
Total Matches/Goals [66/3]
Known Career – Comely Park, Falkirk [1888/89-1891/92], Queen’s Park [1891/92-1900/01, 1903/04], Camelon [1893/94], Partick Thistle [1904/05], Falkirk Amateurs
Note-
Played for Clydesdale Harriers v Falkirk, Friendly at Brockville Pk, Falkirk, 5th January 1889