I only knew of John White as the Ghost. Didn’t realise that was Gilzean’s nickname also.
I have a book about Gilzean that I started reading about 2 year so ago and never finished. Now might be a good time to dig it out again.
Yep. Ironically John White was the ghost of White Hart Lane,however it was to Gilzean who was his replacement in a way!
I first saw Alan Gilzean playing for a Scottish eleven at WHL in John Whites testimonial. This was not long after Johnny White was cruelly struck by lightening and killed on a golf course. John Whites younger brother Tommy was playing for Scotland and it was rumoured he might be a replacement for John. However Tommy was nothing like as good a player as John but however another player you could not miss was Alan Gilzean who was running rings round some of the Spurs players. I remember him clearly turning on a sixpence and weaving his way through the Spurs team.
Nicholson must have signed him up when he came off and back through the tunnel!
Yes,so he was signed to fill the gap left by
John White although entirely different players.
Gilzean sometimes appeared a bit of a comedy act when he was not having a good game. I can say now that these times must have been when he was spending too much time on the booze.
Gilly was an absolute artisan. A brilliant individual footballer and it was not so long ago he was written into the Hall of all time Scottish great footballers. You had to be a World class footballer to get into that club which he was.
Fond Memories!
I remember watching a game as a youngster standing next to the old railing fence behind the
Paxton goal against Stoke I think it was and boy it was such a negative game to be fair to Stoke they really had come
To stop us getting any points and it was like..no way we're going score in this game!
Then out of blue Gillie hits one of crispiest shots you could see straight like a bullet along the ground and into the corner of the net..deadlock over.
Another game against the arses Gilly breaks the deadlock in the last minute and scores one of headers..I think.lol
This arse fan annoyed turns round to us ..he's done f all for the whole of the match and then scores. Well off course
Retorts my Dad..special orders by Billy Nick "he told Him, I don,t want you to do too much but just make sure you score at the end of the game"
Rip Alan Gilzean ..love you.
I'm do too much but just make sure you score to