Quick Facts
Biography
James Gillespie (born around 1870) was a Scottish footballer who played for Renton, Greenock Morton, Sunderland, Sunderland Albion, Third Lanark and Scotland.
Football career
Gillespie, a right winger joined Sunderland after spells in Scotland with Renton and Greenock Morton. After just two appearances for Sunderland, he moved to their rivals Sunderland Albion, but returned to Roker Park in 1892. Gillespie won the English league championship twice with Sunderland, in 1893 and 1895, and won the 1895 World Championship. He scored a total of 52 goals in 148 appearances in all competitions for Sunderland.
He returned to Scotland in 1897 with Third Lanark and it was with the Glasgow club that he won his only Scotland cap. Despite scoring a hat-trick in Scotland's 5–2 win over Wales on 19 March 1898 (with the others from fellow-debutante, James McKie), he was never capped again for his country.
Honours
- Sunderland
- Football League champions: 1892–93, 1894–95