Vital Latics Top 50 - Ian Gillibrand

Vital Wigan members and posters have produced a Latics Top 50 Footballers list and there are some great players on that list and their names really do conjure up some fantastic memories. The members of Vital Latics have also created some very unique pen-pictures of their hero's, these are being published in no particular order:

Ian Gillibrand (Born 1948 - Died 1989)

Ian Gillibrand captained Wigan Athletic in their very first season in the football league, and led out the side against their first league opponents Hereford United. This was an away match at Edgar Street in August 1978 - a game that ended in a 0 - 0 draw.

Ian signed for Wigan in 1968 after brief spells at Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers. He is the only Wigan player to play in The Cheshire League, Northern Premier League and The Football League. 'Gillie' was well loved by the fans of Wigan and always gave 100% in defence in all the games he played.

Although he only played 7 games in the club's inaugural season in the football league, his previous service to the club led to the eventual promotion of The Latics to The Football League. Ian McNeill (Wigan's manager at that time) was quoted as saying that Football League status came just too late for Ian. He stayed on at the club in a coaching capacity. He left the club in 1984 to become manager of the Robin Park sports complex and died in 1989 whilst taking part in a charity cricket match.

Dave Hayes

















Latics and Proud



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