James Davidson Gibson (12 June 1901 – 1 January 1978) was a Scottish footballer who played for Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, Ashfield, Partick Thistle and Aston Villa. His career spanned 19 years, from 1917 to 1936.
.jpg) Gibson prior to the 'Wembley Wizards match, 1928 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Davidson Gibson | ||
| Date of birth | 12 June 1901 | ||
| Place of birth | Larkhall, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1 January 1978 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Birmingham, England[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Morning Star | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Larkhall Thistle | ||
| – | Kirkintilloch Rob Roy | ||
| – | Ashfield | ||
| 1921–1927 | Partick Thistle | 168 | (44) |
| 1927–1936 | Aston Villa | 215 | (10) |
| Total | 383 | (54) | |
| International career | |||
| 1925–1927 | Scottish Football League XI | 2 | (0) |
| 1926–1930 | Scotland | 8 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Gibson played right-half[2] and was regarded as one of the best players in that position at that time.[citation needed] He played almost 200 games for Partick before a transfer to Aston Villa for a then-record fee of £7,500.[3] He made 227 appearances for Aston Villa, during which time they were runners-up in the Football League twice (1930–31 and 1932–33) but were relegated in his final season with the club, 1935–36.[1]
He was capped eight times by Scotland;[2] The highlight of his career was when he partnered Jimmy McMullan (his former Partick Thistle teammate) in the dominant Scottish midfield of the "Wembley Wizards" that defeated England 5–1 in 1928. He also played twice for the Scottish Football League XI.[4]
Personal life
His father Neilly Gibson was also a Scottish international, who too played for Partick Thistle though mainly for Rangers, while brothers Neil and Willie were also footballers.[5][6]
