Hi poolies just wondering who remembers my father john gill .. He is still going strong and sends his best regards to all poolie fans past and present.. Dad always looks out for your result every week and I have an interest too as my second team after my beloved Walsall fc

My dad played a few games with him at the end of the 60's. Was midway through the season they were relegated from the third division. He said he was a superb player

If my memory serves me right I can remember his receding forehead. I wonder how far its gone by now. anyway he was a real no nonsense player and I liked him.
Pretty sure about being follicly challenged. If I'm wrong I apologise unreservedly.

Did he have a leap on him like a salmon?

Hard as nails. A colossus in the air and once got bit by a dog on the Rec! How old is your old man now pal? He was some player so they reckon.

great centre half john,i remember him diving to head an own goal past george smith once,i forgave him instantly.george had no chance

One of my all time favourite Pools players. Definitely fits into the Poolie legend category, as both a player and a person. He pretty much symbolised the Cloughy and Simpson years and must have been the first name on the sheet.
He always made time to communicate with Pools’ away support. I remember once at Oldham he came looking for us in the bar to dish out free tickets!

I remember Mrs Gill the teacher at dyke house,she was stunning

He lived arond the corner from us. I remember as a kid getting the bus back after a match a bit on the late side and he was waiting for the No 6 bus. It was a duble decker with long seats at the back, he probably wondered what I was staring at. Puts the plsyers of today into context.
You could see him on a Sunday morning on the Rec watching matches with a cute little dog, someone thought it funny, the contrast that is, till someone wiser pointed out it was probably a snack. Nice bloke.

I can remember watching him play at the Vic in the early/mid 60's - a big strong imposing physical centre half who took no prisoners. Lived along Swinburne Rd I think.

John Gill eh? I remember we had a name for him, 'Cruncher' He was indeed hadrd as nails. If I'm not mistaken I think he played a few games 'up front' and scored a couple of goals

Scored one goal in over 200 games so tough but not prolific:-/

Someone wrote a great article about him for Monkey Business a few years back. Mentioned him scoring two own goals in one game at the Vic, and no-one in the crowd dared to slag him for it. I also remember an article about a player which may have been Gill, whose speciality was to nut opponents in the back of the neck when going up for headers.

I used to collect your paper money when you lived up Rift House, Swinbourne rd? 1969/70 I suppose.

Was talking to me Dad about him today and he said he was hard but very good on the field. Also said he had a go at him for whistling before they played at Gillingham. Just told him to "shut up youth that's unlucky". It must have been for me dad as it was his last FL game....

Yes he did like an own goal or six, hard as nails, a proper footballer with Bircumshaw, Drysdale and Parry

Not forgetting the fourth and probably hardest member of that defence, John Sheridan; the Pools equivalent of Norman Hunter (but with a lot less hair).

He was in the promotion side of the late sixties. Yes, he scored about 5 og's but he was a collosus. The team I remember:

Smith

Bircumshaw Drysdale

Parry Gill Goad

McGovern Bell Cummings Wright Summers.

Terry Bell and Bobby Cummings were worth 30 a season.

John Gill was the gaffer.