William Gibson, the nephew of Arthur Gibson, followed his uncle from the north-east of England to live and work in Cardiff, besides playing – albeit briefly – county cricket for Glamorgan during 1914.
As a young man, he had secured a post as a conductor on the Cardiff Corporation Tram network and duly rose to the position of Superintendent. His cricket was mainly for the Cardiff Alpha club, who played at the Harlequins Sports Ground off Newport Road, and one of the depots where William was based.
In 1907 he played alongside his uncle in the Gentlemen of Glamorgan’s one-day match at the Arms Park against an all-professional eleven. Similarly, he appeared in a fund-raising one-day match in June 1910 at the Arms Park for a Cardiff and District XI, captained by Gilbert Jessop against an eleven raised by Somerset’s Sammy Woods.
William’s sole appearance for Glamorgan came at the end of July 1914 in the away match against Monmouthshire and at a time when the Club’s modest finances meant the selectors opted for amateurs over professionals.
Due to the worsening situation in Europe and the looming War, several other amateurs were unavailable for the game, which proved to be Glamorgan’s last away fixture before the War. One can surmise that his call-up was largely through the influence of his uncle. Fortunately, he did not let him down in what proved to be a rain-ravaged contest, with William claiming a couple of wickets during his brief taste of county action.
GIBSON, William Stephen.
Born – South Shields, 28 December 1882.
Died – Cardiff, 13 November 1955.
Batting and Fielding Record
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| MC Championship | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Bowling Record
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| MC Championship | 51 | 0 | 37 | 2 | – | – | – |
Career-best performance
Minor County Championship – 2/37 v Monmouthshire at Rodney Parade, Newport, 1914.