Biography
David Gibson was born in Seaham, on the County Durham coastline, and educated in Houghton-le-Spring. He signed schoolboys terms for Hull City in September 1973 and signed apprentice forms in June 1974. He quickly graduated through City’s system, scoring his first goal for the Reserves in September 1974 while still 16 years of age and continued to impress for the Juniors and Reserves sides during the rest of the 1974/75 season.
Dave made his first team debut for the Tigers in November 1975 in a Division Two match against Chelsea, replacing the suspended Jimmy McGill. Gibson struck the crossbar with a shot in the closing minutes of his debut – this was to be the closest he came to scoring for the Tigers. He kept his place for the next five league matches and was then first choice in City’s midfield during the opening weeks of the 1976/77 season before dropping out when the Tigers signed ex-Scotland midfielder Billy Bremner. Gibson played irregularly for the rest of the season and the next, a period of considerable managerial turmoil for the club when continuing to blood a teenager would have been high risk. Gibson was also one of several players to agitate for higher wages at the start of the 1977/78 season, a matter that perhaps also limited his consideration for first team action. His final three games for the Tigers came in late February and early March 1978, by which time the Tigers were in deep trouble on the edge of the relegation zone. When City went on to finish bottom and were relegated to Division Three at the end of the season, Gibson was deemed surplus to requirements and left the club in May 1978.
In June 1978 Gibson rebuffed offers from North East clubs that would have seen him return to his homelands, instead he joined Division Four side Scunthorpe United. He began the 1978/79 season in The Iron’s first team, selected in advanced positions, but drifted out of the side in early October only to return for the closing weeks of the season – he scored his first and only senior goal in a May 1979 season closer against Halifax Town. Dave was used sparingly in the opening months of the 1979/80 season and made his last appearance against Stockport County in November 1979. He left Scunthorpe United in December 1979, terminating his contract by mutual consent having scored one goal in 24 senior appearances. He completed the 1979/80 season playing for Midland League side Appleby Frodingham, scoring regularly at the lower level of football and served The Works for the opening months of the 1980/81 season.
At the end of 1980 Gibson decided to end his football career at the tender age of 22 and emigrated to Australia.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 14 February 1958, Seaham
Hull City First Game: 8 November 1975, Chelsea H (Division Two), 17 years, 267 days old
Hull City Final Game: 8 March 1978, Stoke City A (Division Two), 20 years, 22 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1974-1978), Scunthorpe United (1978-1979), Appleby Frodingham (1979-1980)
Hull City Record
Career: 29 apps, 0 goals
David GibsonSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1974/75 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
1975/76 | 6 (1) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
1976/77 | 10 (4) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | 3 (0) | 0 |
1977/78 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
Dave was a good friend of mine in the Hull days. I hope his life in Oz worked out well
Hiya. I have a few bits n bobs belonging to David Gibson that were left in a garage. They are all paper goods of no value really, just ‘memories’ really.
Hello I am his grandson, if you see this and would like to contact him please email me at nazdesigns48@gmail.com
I have a small box of odd items that belong to David Gibson that were found in the garage when we moved into our new house. Some of David Gibson’s and J Thompson’s wages slips from Hull City are enclosed. Both of these young men earned the princely sum of £8 a week in 1975!