Jimmy Gillespie

John Imrie Gillespie (16 January 1879 – 5 December 1943), known as Jimmy Gillespie, was a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for Scotland and the Lions.

Jimmy Gillespie

Birth name	John Imrie Gillespie
Date of birth	(1879-01-16)16 January 1879
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death	5 December 1943(1943-12-05) (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	chartered accountant
Rugby union career
Position(s) Half-back Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Edinburgh Academicals () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) Edinburgh District () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1899–1904 Scotland 10 (27) 1903 British and Irish Lions 3 (4) Refereeing career Years Competition Apps Home Nations

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

At club level he played for Edinburgh Academicals.

Provincial career

He was capped by Edinburgh District in 1898.

International career

Gillespie was selected for the 1903 British Lions tour to South Africa and finished the tour as the top Test scorer for the touring team. He played in 19 matches during the tour including all three test games against South Africa. He scored 13 conversions and a single try on the tour, and amassed four points in the first Test, the British failing to score in the second and third tests.

Referee career

He later became a successful referee, including two Wales vs England internationals, one in 1907, and the other in 1911.

Outside of rugby

Gillespie was a chartered accountant.

Bibliography

• Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
• Godwin, Terry Complete Who's Who of International Rugby (Cassell, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1838-2)
• Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)