Gerry O'Brien Player Profile

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Player Details



Playing History

Season Win % Draw % Loss %
1977-78 32 (1) 1 4 0 18.2% 24.2% 57.6%
1969-70 37 6 1 0 32.4% 24.3% 43.2%
1968-69 33 (6) 2 2 0 15.4% 38.5% 46.2%
1967-68 3 0 0 0 33.3% 33.3% 33.3%
Totals: 105 (7) 9


 Apps = First Team Appearances (Sub Appearances) | Gls = Goals
 GtGR = Goals to Games Ratio | W/D/L - Games won, drawn or lost as percentage of games played in
 Yel = Yellow Cards/Cautions | Red = Red Cards/Dismissals

 Recent First Team Starts
 29/04/78 Premier Division vs. Ayr Utd (H) 0 - 2
 26/04/78 Premier Division vs. Celtic (H) 1 - 1
 17/04/78 Premier Division vs. Celtic (A) 2 - 5
 15/04/78 Premier Division vs. Rangers (H) 0 - 2
 12/04/78 Premier Division vs. Dundee Utd (A) 0 - 1

 Recent First Team Goals
 07/01/78 Premier Division vs. Partick Th (H) 2 - 0
 28/02/70 Division 2 vs. East Fife (A) 1 - 1
 14/02/70 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (A) 1 - 1
 17/01/70 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (H) 3 - 4
 15/11/69 Division 2 vs. Brechin City (A) 2 - 2

 List of Goals Scored (click to expand)
 07/01/78 Premier Division vs. Partick Th (H)  2 - 0
 28/02/70 Division 2 vs. East Fife (A)  1 - 1
 14/02/70 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (A)  1 - 1
 17/01/70 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (H)  3 - 4
 17/01/70 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (H)  3 - 4
 15/11/69 Division 2 vs. Brechin City (A)  2 - 2
 18/10/69 Division 2 vs. Forfar Ath (A)  1 - 3
 29/03/69 Division 2 vs. Stenhousemuir (H)  2 - 2
 01/01/69 Division 2 vs. Dumbarton (A)  3 - 3

 List of Games Played (click to expand)
 29/04/78 Premier Division vs. Ayr Utd (H)  0 - 2
 26/04/78 Premier Division vs. Celtic (H)  1 - 1
 17/04/78 Premier Division vs. Celtic (A)  2 - 5
 15/04/78 Premier Division vs. Rangers (H)  0 - 2
 12/04/78 Premier Division vs. Dundee Utd (A)  0 - 1
 08/04/78 Premier Division vs. Celtic (H)  3 - 2
 25/03/78 Premier Division vs. Partick Th (A)  0 - 0
 21/03/78 Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (A)  0 - 2
 18/03/78 Premier Division vs. Hibernian (H)  0 - 3
 11/03/78 Premier Division vs. Motherwell (H)  0 - 2
 04/03/78 Premier Division vs. St Mirren (H)  2 - 2
 25/02/78 Premier Division vs. Ayr Utd (A)  0 - 0
 19/02/78 Premier Division vs. Rangers (H)  0 - 3
 07/02/78 3rd Round vs. Stirling Albion (A)  0 - 3
 04/02/78 Premier Division vs. Rangers (A)  0 - 1
 07/01/78 Premier Division vs. Partick Th (H)  2 - 0
 02/01/78 Premier Division vs. Hibernian (A)  0 - 2
 31/12/77 Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (H)  0 - 1
 24/12/77 Premier Division vs. St Mirren (A)  0 - 2
 17/12/77 Premier Division vs. Ayr Utd (H)  0 - 2
 10/12/77 Premier Division vs. Motherwell (A)  1 - 2
 26/10/77 3rd Round 2nd Leg vs. Dunfermline (H)  2 - 2
 10/09/77 Premier Division vs. Partick Th (H)  0 - 4
 03/09/77 2nd Round 2nd Leg vs. Stranraer (A)  1 - 0
 31/08/77 2nd Round 1st Leg vs. Stranraer (H)  0 - 0
 27/08/77 Premier Division vs. Hibernian (A)  0 - 2
 24/08/77 1st Round 2nd Leg vs. East Fife (A)  1 - 0
 20/08/77 Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (H)  1 - 3
 17/08/77 1st Round 1st Leg vs. East Fife (H)  5 - 0
 13/08/77 Premier Division vs. St Mirren (A)  1 - 1
 10/08/77 Preliminary Round 2nd Leg vs. Partick Th (H)  1 - 1
 08/08/77 Preliminary Round 1st Leg vs. Partick Th (A)  0 - 3
 06/08/77 1st Round vs. Stenhousemuir (A)  6 - 1
 28/02/70 Division 2 vs. East Fife (A)  1 - 1
 21/02/70 Division 2 vs. Stenhousemuir (H)  0 - 0
 14/02/70 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (A)  1 - 1
 11/02/70 2nd Round vs. Aberdeen (A)  1 - 2
 31/01/70 Division 2 vs. Arbroath (A)  0 - 2
 24/01/70 1st Round vs. Arbroath (A)  2 - 1
 17/01/70 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (H)  3 - 4
 03/01/70 Division 2 vs. Falkirk (A)  2 - 1
 01/01/70 Division 2 vs. Dumbarton (H)  0 - 0
 27/12/69 Division 2 vs. Stirling Albion (A)  2 - 5
 24/12/69 2nd Preliminary Round vs. Queen's Park (H)  1 - 0
 13/12/69 Division 2 vs. Montrose (H)  1 - 3
 06/12/69 1st Preliminary Round vs. Forres (A)  2 - 0
 29/11/69 Division 2 vs. Albion Rovers (H)  3 - 0
 22/11/69 Division 2 vs. Berwick Rangers (H)  1 - 1
 15/11/69 Division 2 vs. Brechin City (A)  2 - 2
 08/11/69 Division 2 vs. Stranraer (A)  2 - 1
 01/11/69 Division 2 vs. Hamilton Accies (H)  2 - 1
 25/10/69 Division 2 vs. East Stirlingshire (H)  2 - 0
 18/10/69 Division 2 vs. Forfar Ath (A)  1 - 3
 11/10/69 Division 2 vs. East Fife (H)  4 - 1
 04/10/69 Division 2 vs. Stenhousemuir (A)  1 - 1
 01/10/69 Division 2 vs. Queen's Park (H)  1 - 3
 27/09/69 Division 2 vs. Dumbarton (A)  1 - 5
 24/09/69 Division 2 vs. Albion Rovers (A)  4 - 1
 20/09/69 Division 2 vs. Falkirk (H)  0 - 7
 17/09/69 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (H)  1 - 1
 13/09/69 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (A)  0 - 2
 06/09/69 Division 2 vs. Arbroath (H)  0 - 2
 03/09/69 Division 2 vs. Cowdenbeath (H)  1 - 3
 30/08/69 Division 2 vs. Montrose (A)  1 - 4
 27/08/69 Group 7 vs. Cowdenbeath (A)  1 - 2
 23/08/69 Group 7 vs. Dumbarton (A)  0 - 1
 20/08/69 Group 7 vs. Stranraer (H)  3 - 2
 16/08/69 Group 7 vs. Cowdenbeath (H)  3 - 1
 13/08/69 Group 7 vs. Stranraer (A)  1 - 1
 09/08/69 Group 7 vs. Dumbarton (H)  1 - 3
 28/04/69 Division 2 vs. Ayr Utd (H)  0 - 1
 26/04/69 Division 2 vs. Berwick Rangers (A)  0 - 5
 19/04/69 Division 2 vs. Stirling Albion (H)  2 - 2
 14/04/69 Division 2 vs. East Stirlingshire (A)  0 - 1
 12/04/69 Division 2 vs. Forfar Ath (A)  0 - 1
 05/04/69 Division 2 vs. Ayr Utd (A)  0 - 0
 29/03/69 Division 2 vs. Stenhousemuir (H)  2 - 2
 22/03/69 Division 2 vs. Albion Rovers (H)  2 - 0
 15/03/69 Division 2 vs. East Fife (A)  1 - 1
 08/03/69 Division 2 vs. Motherwell (A)  1 - 2
 26/02/69 Division 2 vs. Hamilton Accies (H)  5 - 0
 22/02/69 Division 2 vs. Stranraer (A)  1 - 1
 15/02/69 Division 2 vs. Montrose (H)  5 - 0
 18/01/69 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (A)  3 - 3
 11/01/69 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (H)  3 - 3
 02/01/69 Division 2 vs. Queen's Park (H)  1 - 3
 01/01/69 Division 2 vs. Dumbarton (A)  3 - 3
 28/12/68 Division 2 vs. Stirling Albion (A)  0 - 2
 14/12/68 1st Preliminary Round vs. Cowdenbeath (A)  0 - 1
 07/12/68 Division 2 vs. Stenhousemuir (A)  0 - 0
 23/11/68 Division 2 vs. East Fife (H)  1 - 4
 16/11/68 Division 2 vs. Motherwell (H)  0 - 4
 19/10/68 Division 2 vs. East Stirlingshire (H)  0 - 4
 12/10/68 Division 2 vs. Hamilton Accies (A)  2 - 1
 05/10/68 Division 2 vs. Alloa Athletic (H)  0 - 2
 28/09/68 Division 2 vs. Queen of South (A)  1 - 1
 21/09/68 Division 2 vs. Berwick Rangers (H)  1 - 1
 18/09/68 Division 2 vs. Cowdenbeath (H)  1 - 1
 14/09/68 Division 2 vs. Queen's Park (A)  4 - 2
 11/09/68 Division 2 vs. Cowdenbeath (A)  3 - 3
 07/09/68 Division 2 vs. Dumbarton (H)  0 - 1
 04/09/68 Division 2 vs. Brechin City (H)  0 - 0
 31/08/68 Group 6 vs. Queen of South (H)  1 - 1
 28/08/68 Group 6 vs. Berwick Rangers (A)  0 - 3
 24/08/68 Group 6 vs. East Fife (H)  1 - 3
 21/08/68 Division 2 vs. Brechin City (A)  1 - 3
 17/08/68 Group 6 vs. Queen of South (A)  2 - 1
 14/08/68 Group 6 vs. Berwick Rangers (H)  2 - 4
 10/08/68 Group 6 vs. East Fife (A)  0 - 2
 06/04/68 Division 2 vs. Forfar Ath (H)  2 - 3
 03/04/68 Division 2 vs. Hamilton Accies (H)  3 - 2
 30/03/68 Division 2 vs. Stranraer (A)  1 - 1


Biography

Gerry O’ Brien joined Clydebank from Drumchapel Amateurs in March 1968 as a fresh faced youngster and was one of the original ‘Bankies Babes’. He was a small light framed right winger who quickly made a name for himself with his speed off the mark and his ability to go past two and three opponents at a time. In those days, Clydebank had the luxury of playing two wingers at the same time, with Jimmy Caskie filling the left hand side of the park. Now, looking back fifty years later, it seems strange to think that a game, as simple as football, had a glut of wingers, men who were willing to take on an opponent, and beat them with skill, or speed, or both, and now they have all but disappeared from the game, thank you, Sir Alf Ramsay.

The use of two wingers meant that both Caskie and O’Brien found space to operate and both these boys used that space to the full. They were completely different types of winger which complemented the team. Gerry stood erect with the ball comfortably in front of him, he would beat a man for speed and have the ball quickly crossed over into the box. He was never a great scorer of goals, more a provider. He came in for a lot of punishment from cynical defenders which often resulted in penalties or free kicks for Clydebank.

Strangely enough in his first spell with The Bankies one of his rare goals came in a 1-1 draw away to East Fife on 28 February 1970. This game was watched by Ted Bates the manager of Southampton, who immediately signed Gerry for a then 2nd Division record fee of £22,500. Bates had been so impressed with the “Bankies Babes” that he offered £120,000 for them all! Mr Bates thought with full time training Gerry O’Brien would replace a Southampton legend Terry Paine in time. This was to prove an impossible task for Gerry. Terry Paine was to play a club record 816 games for Southampton over eighteen seasons, he was in the England World Cup winning squad of 1966 and made one appearance in the finals and got an MBE. Southampton was a homely south coast club with some big names on their books. Besides Terry Paine, they boasted Mike Channon, Welsh international Ron Davies, Jimmy Gabriel and fellow Scots Eric Martin and Hugh Fisher.

Gerry O’ Brien moved on from Southampton in March 1976 and joined Swindon Town which was to prove a huge mistake. Southampton who had only used 15 players to reach the F.A. Cup Final, one of which was Gerry O’Brien, caused one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the 1976 final. After a dozen games with Swindon, Gerry was freed at the end of the season.

Gerry returned to Scotland and once more joined Clydebank only this time Clydebank were not the second division side he left seven years ago, they were now in the Premier League. Life was a struggle for The Bankies, they did not have the skill or the resources to meet the challenge. The highlights of the season were inflicting a first ever defeat on Celtic 3-2 at Kilbowie, and running the eventual Scottish Cup winners, Aberdeen close before going down 2-1 at Pittodrie. The season ended with Gerry moving onto Hibs. He is best remembered there for scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Hearts in the East of Scotland Shield Final. All three of Gerry’s brothers had played for Rutherglen Glencairn and Gerry left Hibs to join the Glens.

Kevin Gallagher the Scottish Internationalist born in Clydebank credits Gerry O’ Brien for his coaching and advice given at Duntocher Boys Club when Kevin was a youngster. In all Gerry O’ Brien played over a hundred games for Clydebank he was a fine servant and was deservedly inducted into the Clydebank Hall of Fame in 2017.

Debut

March 30th, 1968
Stranraer 1 - 1 Clydebank FC

League (Division 2)


Timeline

  • Date of Birth


    Gerry was born on this date in Glasgow.

    Thursday, November 10th, 1949

  • Signed For Clydebank FC


    Signed from Drumchapel Amateurs (initially on a provisional contract)

    Saturday, March 23rd, 1968

  • First Team Debut

    Stranraer 1 - 1 Clydebank FC
    League (Division 2)

    Clydebank's twin centre forwards, Fleming and Moy were not so much held at Stair Park by Stranraer's double pivot act of Lawlor and Heap as by the offside law.Fleming was the chief sinner, bei

    Saturday, March 30th, 1968

  • First Goal

    Dumbarton 3 - 3 Clydebank FC
    League (Division 2)

    Played before one of Boghead's biggest crowds of the season this six-goal thriller provided some great entertainment, amply rewarding the supporters who shrugged off the New Year booze-blues to go alo

    Wednesday, January 1st, 1969

  • 50th Appearance

    Clydebank FC 1 - 3 Cowdenbeath
    League (Division 2)

    Match report to follow soon....

    Wednesday, September 3rd, 1969

  • 50th League Appearance

    Stranraer 1 - 2 Clydebank FC
    League (Division 2)

    Clydebank were easier winners than the score suggests. The clever Bankies won on every count in a game that was played in atrocious weather conditions but they had the intelligence to harness the elem

    Saturday, November 8th, 1969

  • Left the Club


    Gerry signed for Southampton for a fee of £22,000

    Sunday, March 1st, 1970

  • Signed For Clydebank FC


    Gerry was signed on a free transfer from Swindon Town

    Thursday, July 21st, 1977

  • Last Goal

    Clydebank FC 2 - 0 Partick Th
    League (Premier Division)

    Saturday, January 7th, 1978

  • 100th Appearance

    Clydebank FC 0 - 3 Rangers
    League (Premier Division)

    Sunday, February 19th, 1978

  • Last Appearance

    Clydebank FC 0 - 2 Ayr Utd
    League (Premier Division)

    Saturday, April 29th, 1978