Gilbert Ivor '"Gil" Reece (2 July 1942 – 20 December 2003) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

international footballer. Described by former

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

manager Mike Smith as ''"a very quick player, sharp and tough"'', he made over 300 appearances in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

during spells with Cardiff City,

Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...

, Newport County and Swansea City and won 29 caps for

Club career

Reece was born in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and represented Wales at schoolboy level before being offered an apprenticeship at his hometown club Cardiff City. He made his way into the reserve side before spending a period on loan at

Ton Pentre Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district ...

and was released by the club during the 1962–63 season and joined Pembroke Borough. During his time in Pembroke, Reece worked as a plumber whilst playing part-time. In 1963, Newport County manager Billy Lucas offered Reece another chance at professional football and, after just one season

Somerton Park Somerton Park was a football, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Newport, South Wales. Football In April 1912 Newport County had been accepted to play in the Southern League for the 1912–13 season. Shortly afterwards, the site ...

, his impressive displays convinced

to pay £10,000 in April 1965 to sign him. Soon after he was called up to win his first cap for

against

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He settled quickly with the ''Blades'', helping them to a ninth-place finish in the First Division during his first season but suffered a badly broken leg the following year which kept him out of the side for nearly a year. Despite this he went on to appear over 200 times for the club, establishing himself as a fan favourite with the

Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...

crowd. He returned to his hometown club Cardiff City in September 1972 alongside teammate Dave Powell in an exchange deal for Alan Warboys. Appointed club captain, he went on to play in a variety of different roles for the club and in his first two seasons his goals helped the club win the

Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most ...

, scoring a hat-trick in the second leg of the 1973 final and once in the second leg of the 1974 final. The club suffered relegation during the 1974–75 season, with Reece finishing as the club's top scorer with 8 goals, but managed to win promotion on the first time of asking the following year. Reece left the club at the end of the season and joined Swansea City where he spent a short time before retiring. After 1976 Reece played for non-League Barry Town.

After football

On retiring from his playing career he ran a family heating business before becoming a hotelier in Cardiff, running the ''Clare Court'' hotel in Grangetown. In April 2000, Reece was forced to have his right leg amputated after continually developing cysts behind his knee. He died in Cardiff, aged 61. He was also the brother of Welsh boxer Leonard "Luggie" Reece, and Grandfather of Welsh Rugby League International

Lewis Reece Lewis Reece (born 17 June 1991) is a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who plays at for West Wales Raiders in the Betfred Championship Playing career He has previously played for the South Wales Scorpions, Kingston Press Championship ...

Honours

;Cardiff City *

winner: 1972–73, 1973–74

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Gil 1942 births 2003 deaths Welsh footballers Wales men's international footballers Cardiff City F.C. players Newport County A.F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players Swansea City A.F.C. players Barry Town United F.C. players Footballers from Cardiff English Football League players Men's association football wingers Pembroke Borough A.F.C. players