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The ALAN GILZEAN thread

Archibald&Crooks

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Alan John Gilzean was born in Coupar Angus, Perth, Scotland, on October 22, 1938.

Dannythomas writes:

His first professional club was Dundee who he joined in January 1956, turning professional in 1957-58. He went on to score more than 100 goals for them.He won the first of his Scotland caps with Dundee and played his first game at the Lane for a Scotland X1 in a memorial match for the late great John White,scoring twice. [ar]
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He signed for Spurs in December 1964 for £72,500 and formed a memorable partnership with Jimmy Greaves .

The G- Men as they became known, was possibly Spurs best ever strike duo with Gilly the creative foil for Jimmy the master poacher. When Jimmy left in 1970 Alan then formed another great partnership with Martin Chivers until he retired from the game whilst still a Spurs player in 1973. During his 439 games for Spurs he scored 133 goals. Not prolific but that is because he was utterly unselfish and set up countless goald for Greaves and Chivers with his deft flicks and headers. He was brilliant in the air and a master craftsman..

With Spurs he won the FA Cup in 1967 , 2 League Cups and a UEFA Cup. He played a ludicrously low 22 times for Scotland, scoring 14 goals.

On leaving Spurs he played a short time in South Africa, briefly managed Stevenage Town before getting involved in a transport business in Enfield.

Gilly was a true Spurs great, a players player and deserves a place amongst all the other Spurs Legends. Gilly was awarded a testimonial by Spurs in 1974.

Thanks for that DT :clap:

I managed to dig out some interesting facts about Gilly, for example, the following songs were sung about him:

We've got the G-men
In Greaves and Gilzean
They are the world's best
Goal scoring machine
So we say
C'mon Tottenham
Score a goal or two
Or three or four or more
For the fans of
Britains best team

Gilzean, Gilzean
Born is the king of White Hart Lane

I know Alan Gilzean
And Alan Gilzean knows me
I know A-Alan Giiiiil-zean
And Alan Gilzean knows me

And the prolific football author Hunter Davies writes:

"I have a totally clear memory of Gilly, bought from Dundee in 1964, for £70,000, a Spurs star for ten seasons, scorer of 93 goals, but I hadn't seen the comparison - and still don't. Both elegant, artistic strikers, but Gilly was slimmer with a baldy head. His most distinctive skill was in the air, he could flick the ball on from corners and take free kicks so subtly that you half believed he hadn't touched it, yet he had changed its direction enough to land it in the corner of the net. He was adored by the fans, the first to my knowledge to be hailed in their chants as the "King of White Hart Lane".

I got to know him when writing my book The Glory Game. I can remember that his wife was a policewoman, that he liked a drink and was dead lazy - getting into his Jag to drive a hundred yards to the newsagent. But what I mainly recall is something I have never come across in a footballer before - he had little interest in football. It was just his job."
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
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What a talented player he was - energy, flair, fantastic control and finesse and able to read the game so well. Berbatov reminds me of him in many ways. Alan worked so well with Greavesie, what a great partnership.

He played at the Lane for a Scotland XI in 1964 and scored twice in John White's memorial match. He was immediately seen as a player who could supplement the team and replace players from the Double team like Bobby Smith, who were coming towards the end of their careers. So, from tragedy came something good.

I know you all like to hear personal stories. I used to see Alan in the White Hart occasionally and, in conversation one lunchtime, he told me he thought I "had class" and asked me to go out with him.

As I knew he was engaged to a policewoman back in Scotland, I turned him down. From what I heard, she was quite a tough lady whom a 17 year old girl wouldn't ever want to tangle with, but apart from that I really didn't fancy him, great player that he was! I was keen on another player at the time anyway, one of the reserve team whom I'd known since I was 14 and went out with occasionally.

Alan gave great service at Tottenham and still rates as one of the best ever to wear the Lilywhite shirt. I believe he still lives quite close by in Enfield where he had a haulage business. As he's approaching 69, I suppose he may have retired by now (and yes, he married the policewoman).
 

Geez

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Best header of a football I've ever seen :bowdown:

And I was one of the many who used to sing

Gilzean, Gilzean
Born is the king of White Hart Lane

There was nothing flash about Gilly, he just got on with it
 

TheChosenOne

A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
Dec 13, 2005
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His son Ian had a lot to live up to.like all the sons of footballers. Hard act to follow eh !

AG was another stalwart of our club in the times when a player stayed at a club for a career not moving around too
much.

It was all different times then, nowadays money is the motivator, that might be a good thing seeing as our latter day heroes were not rewarded like the fancy dans of today.

Yeah they got superior wages to the working man in those days but not 300 or 400 times the national wage.

Sad, but the 60's and 70's players ended up working for the rest of their lives if they didnt get coaching or management
jobs.
 

stevenqoz

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2006
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Does anyone rememebr Gilly's incident with Bob Wilson at WHL? The ball had run through to Wilson who picked it up and preceded to bounce it befoe intending to kick it out. Everyone including the Referee had turned to face upfield expecting the ball to land on halfway from the kick. All except Gilly that is! He pretended to be running past Wilson, knocked the ball from his hands (can't remember if it was a hand or a nod) and rolled the ball into the empty net. Stunned, the Referee looked back to see what had happened. Wilson absolutely exploded wanting to kill Gilzean who was a picture of innocence. Eventually the referee disallowed the goal but only after a mass brawl in front of the Paxton.
Fantastic player Gilzean. Best offensive header of the ball I saw, with an especially deft touch. Of his time and it would be interesting to see if he had the physical makeup to make it today. One of our 'G' men.
 

doubledecker

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Nov 26, 2004
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Does anyone remember why he won so few caps for Scotland ? I would have thought his partnership with Denis Law could have been as prolific as the one he had with Jimmy.
 

kernowspur

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Nov 1, 2004
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A terrific player. Along with John White one of the best I have ever seen in a Tottenham shirt. Stevenqoz, yes I remember the Bob Wilson incident, made all ther better because Wilson was hated at WHL for his play acting and wanting to be a hero all the time.
 

DC_Boy

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May 20, 2005
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yep many fond memories of the G man

I remember the first FA cup win I saw live (having witnessed our 61 & 62 wins on TV) was against Millwall in 67 - we'd done really well to get a draw at the Den a fearsome place to visit in those days - around that time Millwall had a record unbeaten home run

Come the replay under the lights at the Lane - trememndous atmosphere - we struggled to break 'the Lions' down - then towards the end their first major mistake - a sloppy backpass greaves onto it like the predator he was - shot - save and there was Gilly to bang home the rebound right into the goal I was stood anxiously behind - joy all round - and we went on to win the Cup that year
 

dannythomas

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May 17, 2004
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yep many fond memories of the G man

I remember the first FA cup win I saw live (having witnessed our 61 & 62 wins on TV) was against Millwall in 67 - we'd done really well to get a draw at the Den a fearsome place to visit in those days - around that time Millwall had a record unbeaten home run

Come the replay under the lights at the Lane - trememndous atmosphere - we struggled to break 'the Lions' down - then towards the end their first major mistake - a sloppy backpass greaves onto it like the predator he was - shot - save and there was Gilly to bang home the rebound right into the goal I was stood anxiously behind - joy all round - and we went on to win the Cup that year

That same Cup run saw Gilly score a brilliant header in the 6-0 win in the 6th round replay against Brum. What a contrast from the dour 0-0 draw at st Andrews ( my first away game outside london ) Brilliant one touch move, brilliant goal, brilliant player.
 

DC_Boy

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May 20, 2005
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That same Cup run saw Gilly score a brilliant header in the 6-0 win in the 6th round replay against Brum. What a contrast from the dour 0-0 draw at st Andrews ( my first away game outside london ) Brilliant one touch move, brilliant goal, brilliant player.

ah right DT :) Never saw that game - listened to it on the radio though - great stuff - my Dad (an Arsenal fan - was moaning about Tottenham's lucky cup run) - of course in the semi we beat Forest who finished 2nd in lge that season - so nowt lucky about that cup draw
 

dannythomas

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May 17, 2004
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ah right DT :) Never saw that game - listened to it on the radio though - great stuff - my Dad (an Arsenal fan - was moaning about Tottenham's lucky cup run) - of course in the semi we beat Forest who finished 2nd in lge that season - so nowt lucky about that cup draw

Easiest match was the Final . Chelsea never threatened us and it could have been 4 or 5. Ah, those were the days.
 

DC_Boy

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May 20, 2005
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Easiest match was the Final . Chelsea never threatened us and it could have been 4 or 5. Ah, those were the days.

:) yep remember that - England was outstanding indeed all the defence were - barring that slip up at end that let Tambling in

I think my fave Gilly goal was that amazing team goal we scored that helped us beat Red Star Belgrade (one of Europe's top teams at time) and also the headers v Man U and West Ham in the classic 2-2 games we played v them in about 71 and 68 respectively - was at both those games (maybe the REd Star game too - though maybe just saw that on TV)
 

bluckaneyr

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Dec 28, 2005
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His son Ian had a lot to live up to.like all the sons of footballers. Hard act to follow eh !

Gilly's son, Ian (also known as Gilly) played for our club, St Patrick's Athletic here in Ireland.

A gentle giant and also a tremendous header of the ball, Ian had had serious knee problems as a young player which impaired his mobility and prevented him emulating his Dad's achievements at Spurs.

However, Ian won senior League Championship medals in Ireland with St Pat's and is still a St Patrick's Athletic legend here.
 

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
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Best header of a football I've ever seen :bowdown:

And I was one of the many who used to sing

Gilzean, Gilzean
Born is the king of White Hart Lane

There was nothing flash about Gilly, he just got on with it

Me too and I think that's why I've never felt comfortable with any of the others since, they just don't scan.

Alan Gilzean = ELEGANT
 
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