| Ian Gillespie | |
| Fullname: | Ian Colin Gillespie[1] |
| Birth Date: | 1913 5, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Plymouth, England |
| Death Date: | [2] |
| Death Place: | Ipswich, England |
| Position: | Forward |
| Youthclubs1: | Frost's Athletic |
| Clubs1: | Norwich City |
| Years3: | 1937–1946 |
| Clubs3: | Crystal Palace |
| Caps3: | 21 |
| Goals3: | 4 |
| Years4: | 1945–1946 |
| Clubs4: | Ipswich Town (guest) |
| Years5: | 1946–1947 |
| Clubs5: | Ipswich Town |
| Caps5: | 6 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 1947 |
| Clubs6: | Colchester United |
| Caps6: | 4 |
| Goals6: | 1 |
| Clubs7: | Leiston |
| Totalcaps: | 31 |
| Totalgoals: | 6 |
Ian Colin Gillespie (6 May 1913 – 5 March 1988) was an English footballer who played in the Football League as a forward for Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. He was also signed to Norwich City.
Born in Plymouth, Gillespie began his career playing for Frost's Athletic, a youth club associated with Norwich City. He signed for Norwich in 1933, prior to signing for Harwich & Parkeston in the non-leagues.[1] [2] From there, he signed for Crystal Palace in February 1937. He appeared 27 times and scored five goals for Palace,[3] including four goals in 21 league appearances.[2] He also made over 80 wartime appearances for Palace.[4]
During World War II, Gillespie made guest appearances at a number of clubs, including Ipswich Town, where he played 29 first-team games during the war years, scoring four goals. He signed for Ipswich permanently in April 1946, going on to make six Football League appearances, scoring once[5] before moving to Southern League neighbours Colchester United in May 1947.[2]
Gillespie made his Colchester debut on 17 May in a 2–0 away defeat to Bedford Town.[6] He scored his first, and only, league goal in the reverse fixture one-week later, on this occasion a 4–0 victory at Layer Road.[7] His final game came on 11 September 1947, a 3–0 Southern League Cup victory over rivals Chelmsford City, a game in which he also scored.[8]
After leaving Colchester, Gillespie would later play for Leiston.[1] He died in Ipswich on 5 March 1988.[2]