Bill Gillespie (rugby league)

William Charles Gillespie (22 November 1894 Surry Hills, Sydney NSW – 11 September 1945) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s.

Bill Gillespie
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Charles Gillespie
Born(1894-11-22)22 November 1894
Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Died11 September 1945(1945-09-11) (aged 50)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
PositionFive-eighth, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1916–19 Newtown 45 10 0 0 30
1920–23 South Sydney 45 8 0 0 24
Total 90 18 0 0 54
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1921–22 New South Wales 2 1 0 0 3
Source: [1]

Playing career

Gillespie played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1920 to 1923.[2] Known as "Tiger", Gillespie was a small man who played most of his career at five-eighth. In an article written shortly after Gillespie's death in 1945, sportswriter W.F. Corbett (the younger), wrote "Gillespie was called 'Tiger' because of his fierce tackling", noting also that he "was one of the lightest men big football has ever known, for he scaled only about 8st. 9lbs (55 kg)".

Tiger Gillespie captained the 1923 team[3] to the grand final, where the Rabbitohs were runners-up to Easts. He played for NSW against Queensland in 1921, and toured with the NSW side to New Zealand in September 1922.[4][5]

References
  1. "William Gillespie - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org.
  2. "William Gillespie - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. "Tiger" Gillespie, Souths Clever Skipper, Sunday Sun, 11 August 1923. Article by "Rucker"
  4. "William Gillespie - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  5. "South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Player Report - William Gillespie". www.ssralmanac.com.
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