For Coventry City fans
of a certain vintage two players captured their hearts in the 1960s.
George Hudson was as good a goalscorer that the club has had since
the halcyon days of Clarrie Bourton whilst Ian Gibson or 'Gibbo' as
the fans called him, was the supreme play-maker, a magician with the
ball and undoubtedly one of the most talented players ever to wear a
Coventry City shirt. Sadly 'Gibbo' passed away this week at the age
of 73.
With his shirt flapping
outside his shorts and his unorthodox running style, Gibbo was City's
maverick & the supporters adored him. He frustrated both his
managers at Highfield Road, almost fatally in the case of Jimmy Hill,
but he was instrumental in promotion to Division One in 1967 and
qualification for Europe in 1970.
Born in Newton Stewart
in southern Scotland in 1943, Ian Stewart Gibson was a schoolboy
prodigy, and played at Wembley for Scotland Schoolboys against
England in 1958 whilst on the books of local club Stranraer. In July
1958 he moved south to join Third Division Accrington Stanley – a
15-year old boy thrown into a high testosterin dressing room – and
he quickly grew up in a world of snooker halls and pubs. Within
months he was given his league debut against Norwich City, a week
before his 16th birthday, one of the youngest league
debutants and three days later netted his first league goal.
Bradford Park Avenue
had spotted him & cash-strapped Accrington had to sell him to the
Yorkshire club. In his second season at BPA they won promotion from
Division Four under the tough Scots manager Jimmy Scoular - Gibbo was
almost ever-present and netted seven goals. In March 1962 Second
Division Middlesbrough, then managed by Bob Dennison, later to be
chief scout at Highfield Road, paid a club record £20,000 for the
diminutive Scot. He was an instant hit at Ayresome Park, netting
twice on his home debut against Bristol Rovers.
A virtual ever-present
for the next four years, Gibbo made 184 appearances and scored 47
goals and won two Scottish under 23 caps alongside starlets such as
Charlie Cooke, Neil Martin & Billy Bremner. 'Boro went close to
promotion in 1963 but finished in mid-table in the two subsequent
seasons and were relegated in 1966. That season, in their penultimate
game Boro, desperate for points, lost 2-1 to the Sky Blues at
Highfield Road & Gibbo scored & caught the eye of Nemo in the
Coventry Telegraph: 'Without the wiles of chunky Ian Gibson, their
skipper - one of the best inside-forwards we have seen on the ground
this term - they would have been sadly adrift. Time and time again,
he was in the centre of the picture trying to rally his men.' No
doubt Hill was impressed that day.
Jimmy had been under
pressure after selling George Hudson to Northampton in March 1966
with some fans blaming Hill for costing the club promotion. JH needed
a 'marquee signing' and despite interest from First Division clubs
'Gibbo' chose City. By City's standards the fee of £57,500 was
enormous and only possible because of the sale of Alan Harris to
Chelsea. Within weeks however Hill & Gibson had a bust up in the
dressing room at Carlisle. Hill thought Gibson wasn't pulling his
weight & ignoring his instructions. The following day 'Gibbo'
demanded a move and he was put on the transfer list. Hill left him
out of the team and stories linked the Scot with a move to First
Division Newcastle and a swap deal with Alan Suddick was under
serious consideration.
In 'Gibbo's absence
City’s promotion chances stuttered and the team suffered an
embarrassing home League Cup exit to lowly Brighton. Hill &
Gibson settled their differences and the inside forward was recalled
for a home game with Cardiff and given a freer role in the team.
Gibbo was unstoppable and he scored twice in a 3-2 victory. A week
later he inspired a famous victory at Molineux and a third win in a
row – 5-0 at home to league leaders Ipswich – saw them jump to
second place in the table. Bobby Gould took the plaudits from the
latter game with his hat-trick but 'Gibbo' was the architect of the
win & scored the goal of the night, chipping the ball over half a
dozen defenders into the top corner.
It was the start of an
amazing run of 25 unbeaten games with Gibson’s scheming role one of
the major reasons for the revival. The run took them to the Second
Division championship with the crowning glory a 3-1 victory over
Wolves, their biggest rivals, in front of a record 51,452 crowd at
Highfield Road. City trailed at half-time but 'Gibbo' took charge
after the break. He set up Ernie Machin for the equaliser and then
scored the audacious second goal when, despite being boxed in by
defenders he skilfully pivoted and sent a curling shot past Phil
Parkes in the Wolves goal. Ronnie Rees' third goal near the end also
had 'Gibbo's' fingerprints all over it as City won the game described
by JH as 'the Midlands Match of the Century'.
The wee Scot was a
marked man in the top division and injuries restricted his
appearances in the first two seasons in the top flight, but enough
was seen of him to realise that, had he been fully fit, the club
might not have struggled so badly. He was one of the traditional
Scottish ball players who seemed capable of keeping possession of the
ball for minutes on end as well as spraying 40-yard pinpoint passes
to his team-mates. In another era he would have undoubtedly won full
honours for Scotland but their was stiff competition from a host of
midfield stars including Charlie Cooke, Jim Baxter & Billy
Bremner. Noel Cantwell had taken over from JH but the signs were that
the new boss was frustrated by the tiny Scot.
At the start of the
1968-69 season Gibson's time at Highfield Road looked to be over with
Cantwell preferring Willie Carr to 'Gibbo' who caused
a stir when he suggested it might be in everyone’s interests if he
moved on. But Gibson returned with a bang for the home game with West
Brom, being the architect of the thrilling 4-2 victory, setting up
all three Ernie Hunt goals. By the end the West End were chanting:
'If Gibbo goes, so do we'. Cantwell afterwards raved about Gibson’s
display, declaring it to be ‘as good an inside-forward performance
as I have ever seen. No club in the country would want to sell a man
playing like this.’ His good form continued into the autumn before
a crunching tackle from Ipswich's Bill Baxter ended his season
prematurely.
In 1969-70, despite
another knee problem in mid-season he managed 30 appearances and was
a strong influence in the City side that qualified for Europe. He had
slowed down a shade and relied on Carr to do his running but his
football brain was as fertile as ever and his telepathic
understanding with Hunt extended to time-wasting tactics which saw
the cheeky pair taking the ball into the corners & retaining
possession.
In the summer of 1970
he was surprisingly sold to Second Division Cardiff City for £35,000
where he hooked up with his former Bradford manager Jimmy Scoular.
The feeling in Coventry was that Cantwell was fed up with his
off-field antics. His first season at Ninian Park was a dream, the
team led Division Two for a long period - they finished third and
missed out on promotion – and reached the European Cup Winners Cup
quarter-finals where they faced Real Madrid. A 1-0 victory at Ninian
Park was overturned by Real with a 2-0 second leg victory but 'Gibbo'
always talked about the experience of playing in the Bernabeu.
Two seasons at Cardiff
was followed by a year at Bournemouth but injuries had taken their
toll on his legs, specifically his knees, and at the age of only 30
his league career ended. 'Gibbo' loved the game however and played
briefly in South Africa for Highlands Park before less salubrious
teams such as Gateshead United and Whitby Town.
In 1983 he was spotted
in the Falkands after the war, as a labourer, and had spells on the
North Sea oil-rigs. In later years he was a regular at Ibrox to watch
his beloved Rangers but travelled from his home in Redcar to Coventry
on several occasions to attend Former Players Association functions.
In 2007 he attended a 40th anniversary reunion of the 1967
team and he was at his impish, mischievous best, cracking the jokes &
having great fun with his former mates. When Jimmy Hill entered the
room he spotted the Scot, made a bee-line for him and the two hugged
like long lost lovers. Jimmy has gone, now 'Gibbo' has passed - my
boyhood heroes are disappearing fast.
Coventry City record
|
|
League
|
goals
|
Cup
|
goals
|
Total games
|
Total goals
|
|
1966-67
|
31
|
8
|
3
|
1
|
34
|
9
|
|
1967-68
|
14+1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
17+1
|
0
|
|
1968-69
|
17+1
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
21+1
|
4
|
|
1969-70
|
28+1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
29+1
|
2
|
|
Total
|
90+3
|
13
|
11
|
2
|
101+3
|
15
|
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