John Gemmell

John Gemmell (born 6 September 1984) is a former Scottish footballer who last played as a forward for Scottish League Two side Dumbarton.

John Gemmell
Personal information
Full name John O'Neill Gemmell
Date of birth (1984-09-06) 6 September 1984
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Giffnock North
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Queen's Park 45 (11)
2003–2005 Partick Thistle 5 (0)
2003–2004Hamilton Academical (loan) 8 (1)
2004–2007 Dumbarton 47 (7)
2007–2008 Bellshill Athletic
2008–2009 Albion Rovers 21 (11)
2008–2010 Cowdenbeath 35 (13)
2009–2011 Montrose 22 (4)
2010–2012 Albion Rovers 58 (15)
2012–2014 Stenhousemuir 50 (29)
2014–2016 Albion Rovers 38 (8)
2016 Clyde 10 (2)
2016 Hurlford United 15 (15)
2016 Arthurlie 9 (3)
2017–2019 Cambuslang Rangers 64 (59)
2019–2020 Troon 34 (9)
2021–2022 Cambuslang Rangers 28 (17)
2022–2023 Dumbarton 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:31, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

Playing career

Queens Park

John began his senior career at Queens Park as a 17-year-old, straight from the Giffnock North youth team. His time at Hampden was fruitful, with a goal record of better than 1 in 4.

Gemmell was the top scorer in his last season with the Spiders.[1]

Partick Thistle

Gemmell was tipped as a future international player when he was signed by manager John Lambie as a 19-year-old, in one of his last acts as Partick Thistle boss.[2] His progress was monitored under his replacement Gerry Collins.

Gemmell was top scorer in Thistle reserves & made some appearances from the bench as Thistle struggled at the wrong end of the Scottish Premier League[3] and he failed to score in 5 appearances in a poor side.

Hamilton Academicals

Desperate for first-team football, Gemmell joined First Division Accies on a short-term loan deal & saw more action in a side short of goals and falling short of promotion.

Dumbarton

Manager Paul Martin, a former Queens Park teammate, signed Gemmell for Dumbarton in January 2005, after he was allowed to leave Firhill. He signed an 18-month contract at The Rock.[4]

[5]

Bellshill Athletic

Gemmell had his first taste of Junior football with Bellshill Athletic.[6] He then returned to senior football: electing for a stint at Cliftonhill.

Albion Rovers

Gemmell's goalscoring exploits at Bellshill attracted attention higher up the leagues, and Albion Rovers boss John McCormack paid a four-figure sum in January 2008 to bring Gemmell to Cliftonhill, where he penned an 18-month deal.[7]

Unsettled at the Manager's departure that summer, and keen to prove himself at a higher level, Gemmell was transfer listed at his own request at the end of the season.

Cowdenbeath

Manager Danny Lennon signed Gemmell for Cowdenbeath in the summer of 2008 on a two-year contract,[8] and his haul of 13 goals in 35 games made him a key player for Lennon as he guided the Blue Brazil to successive promotions.

Montrose

Montrose manager Steven Tweed pursued Gemmell in 2009 before Gemmell finally committed himself to the club on a two-year deal.[9]

Gemmell returned to Albion Rovers for a second spell in August 2010.

Stenhousemuir

Gemmell signed for Stenhousemuir in the summer of 2012 [10] and he found a home in senior football at last. His strike rate of 29 goals in 50 appearances was his most prolific to date as he spoke warmly of being appreciated by supporters he had previously been heckled by when in opposition teams.[11] His contract was not renewed by incoming Manager Scott Booth and he departed at the end of the season.

Clyde

After his third spell (an 18-month period this time) at Albion Rovers, Gemmell was signed for Clyde by Manager Barry Ferguson on 1 February 2016 [12] as he was seeking a more physical foil for striker David Gormley. Initially signed on a short-term contract until the end of the season, with a view to a longer stay, Gemmell left unhappy that summer stating that a verbal contract offer had been reneged upon, with a lesser offer on the table. On point of principle, Gemmell departed Broadwood a free agent.

Hurlford United

Gemmell joined Scottish former Junior Cup winners Hurlford United in the summer of 2016.[13] to play under former Stranraer player Darren Henderson.

Cambuslang Rangers

After a very brief spell with Arthurlie, Gemmell joined Cambuslang Rangers. [14] on 8 March 2017.

With a First Division winners medal & a Super First and a goalscoring ratio of 57 goals in 64 games, Gemmell departed Somervell Park by mutual consent in January 2019.

Troon

Gemmell signed for Troon on 21 January 2019, alongside his former Cambuslang Rangers team-mate David Green. Gemmell played as a central defender for the remainder of the season to help the Portland Parkers through an injury crisis, before returning to lead the line as the club's main striker for season 2019/20.

Cambuslang Rangers

Gemmell returned to Cambuslang Rangers in 2021 and was named club captain shortly after. With injuries in defence, Gemmell had to fill in as a central defender for some games and also managed to net 17 times as he surpassed the 100 goals mark at that level of football.

Dumbarton (second spell)

Gemmell returned to senior football in August 2022 at the age of 37, joining Scottish League Two side Dumbarton for a second spell with the club having impressed as a trialist.[15] His season ended in October however after a serious injury, with Gemmell retiring due to it in May 2023.[16]

References

  1. "queensparkSpiders.co.uk - Gemmell Hat-Trick Sufficient To See Off Elgin". www.thefootballnetwork.net.
  2. Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
  3. "Dons pile on Thistle's misery". 13 December 2003.
  4. "Double signing for Dumbarton". 24 January 2005.
  5. McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  6. "Episode 13: John Gemmell (Part One) | Tell Him He's Pelé".
  7. "John Gemmell – Albion Rovers FC | Coatbridge 1882". Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  8. "Gemmell secures Cowdenbeath deal". 24 June 2008.
  9. "John Gemmell".
  10. "Player Signing - John Gemmell". 12 June 2012.
  11. "'The Beast' John Gemmell becomes a Warrior". Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  12. "John Gemmell Joins Clyde | 1 Feb 2016 | News | Clyde Football Club". Official Clyde Football Club Website.
  13. "John Gemmell sets 100-goal target with Hurlford after 'contract snub' forced him out at Clyde". Evening Times. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  14. "Juniors: Cambuslang Rangers bolster frontline snipers by signing experienced former Senior hitman John Gemmell".
  15. "Dumbarton Football Club - THE BEAST IS BACK!". www.dumbartonfootballclub.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  16. McGilvray, Andy (5 May 2023). "Cambuslang Rangers, Clyde and Albion Rovers hero on hanging up his boots at 38". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.