Willie Gibson, a talented all-rounder, was a leading player in club cricket in the Cardiff area during the early 1900s and made one appearance for Glamorgan in Minor County Championship cricket, against Devon at Swansea during 1904.
It was a relatively innocuous appearance for a man who that season took 8/11 for Cardiff Alpha against Barry before the following summer taking 8/20 for the Alpha club in their away match with Panteg.
He was the eldest son of John Gibson, a Scottish-born carpenter who had grown up in the Roath district of Cardiff before becoming a building contractor and overseeing the construction of many properties in the sprawling suburbs of Cardiff. John Gibson became an influential figure in the city’s building trade, and besides being a member of the city’s building sub-committee, he was involved in various projects at the Arms Park. Willie and his younger brother Jack subsequently followed in their father’s footsteps by erecting the lavish pavilion at the ground during 1904 and being involved in various other building projects at the ground during the inter-war era.
Willie’s selection for Glamorgan during 1904 followed many fine all-round performances for Cardiff Alpha, with Willie also appearing for Tom Schofield’s County XI at Tondu in 1905 besides playing alongside his brother in the Glamorgan side in the trial match in early August 1906 against a Colts XVIII as well as featuring in the Gentlemen of Glamorgan side which met the Players of Glamorgan at the Arms Park in 1907.
Willie had married Margaret Norie, the daughter of an Alpha team-mate, during February 1905 with the couple moving to live at Summerau, a substantial property off Pencisely Road and overlooking Thompson’s Park. Indeed, it was at the Park where his Alpha colleagues focused their playing operations before the Great War having left their original ground at Clark’s Field in Canton and subsequently Llandaff Fields, where the quality of the pitches left something to be desired.
After retiring from playing, Willie’s building concern with his brother secured a number of important commissions, whilst in 1939 at the time of the National Register, Willie was listed as “a master builder now engaged in ARP Civil Defense Works”.
GIBSON, William Farquhar.
Born – Cardiff, 1 April 1878.
Died – Cardiff, 2 April 1971.
Batting and Fielding Record
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| MC Championship | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MC Friendly | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Bowling Record
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| MC Championship | 30 | 0 | 34 | 0 | – | – | – |
Career-best performances
Minor County Championship – 7* v Devon at St. Helen’s, Swansea, 1904.