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Players Index Page Last Updated
6 February 2023
 
 

Billy Gunn

Notts County FC

2 appearances, 1 goal

P 2 W 1 D 0 L 1 F 4: A 1
50% successful

1884

captain: none
minutes played:
180

Timeline

  William Gunn
Birth Saturday, 4 December 1858 in Cathgart Street in St. Anne's, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
  registered in Nottingham January-March 1859.
 

According to the 1861 census, William is the youngest of two children to John and Sarah (née Daley). They live at Russell Street in St. Mary's area of Nottingham. His father is a brewer.

 

According to the 1871 census, John and Sarah still live at Russell Street with two more daughters. William is not on this return.

 

(His father died in 1880)
According to the 1881 census, William, a cricketer, is with his widowed mother and his three sisters, at 169 Kirkewhite Street in St. Mary's.

  "A CRICKETER'S CLAIM
"William Gunn, cricketer, claimed to be put on the list as a lodger for apartments in Bathley-street, Arkwright-street. — In answer to questions from the Revising Barrister he stated that he paid 16s. per week for lodgings, but, replying to Mr. Gilding, he said that he did not pay that amount when he was away from Nottingham, bit somehow or other, he 'made it up.' — This was held to be scarcely satisfactory, and the claim was disallowed." - Nottinghamshire Guardian, Friday 5 October 1883.
First marriage to Ann Elizabeth Taylor, in late 1883 in Nottingham
  registered in Nottingham October-December 1883
Children Billy and Ann Gunn had one daughter together. Mary Florence (b.early-1889)
 

According to the 1891 census, William is now married to Ann Elizabeth, with a daughter, Mary Florence. William is a 'cricketers outfitter' and they live at 9 Hope Drive in Nottingham.

 

According to the 1901 census, Wm, a sports outfitter, still married with their daughter, and one servant, living at 9 Hope Drive.

 

According to the 1911 census, William is a sport manufacturer, still married and living with their daughter, at 9 Hope Drive.
(Ann Gunn died on 28 December 1914)

Second marriage to Florence Holmes, in early 1917 in Nottingham
  registered in Nottingham January-March 1917
Children Billy and Florence Gunn had one daughter together. Nora (b.1918)
  "WILLIAM GUNN'S ILLNESS
"It is announced from Nottingham that William Gunn, the contemporary of Arthur Shrewsbury in one of the greatest periods of Notts. cricket, is still lying seriously ill at a Lincolnshire coast town, where he had gone to recruit his health."
-
Hull Daily Mail, Monday, 20 September 1920.
"We regret to learn that Mr. William Gunn, the famous old cricketer and footballer, and the present president of the Notts. County Football Club, is still lying seriously ill at Skegness" - Nottingham Journal, Tuesday, 21 September 1920.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Leicester Daily Post, Derby Daily Telegraph and Birmingham Daily Gazette, state he was ill in Scarborough
"MR. WILLIAM GUNN UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL OPERATION
"Mr. William Gunn, the famous Notts. cricketer and president of the Notts. Football Club, who has been seriously ill at Skegness for some weeks, and recently returned home in Nottingham, has just undergone a successful operation, and is reported to be progressing favourably."
-
Nottingham Evening Post, Friday, 5 November 1920.
"WILLIAM GUNN IMPROVING
"William Gunn, the distinguished Notts. cricketer, who has been lying seriously ill in Nottingham, was appreciably better yesterday. He underwent an operation some weeks ago, and this, though successfully performed, left him in a very weak state. His many friends will now be pleased to learn that he is slowly regaining strength, and has been able to sit up for brief periods and read."
- Sheffield Independent, Thursday, 30 December 1920.
Death Saturday, 29 January 1921 at his home in Hope Drive, Standard Hill, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
aged 62 years 56 days registered in Nottingham January-March 1921
Obituary  
"WILLIAM GUNN DEAD
"William Gunn, the famous Notts. cricketer, and uncle of John and William Gunn, the present Notts County players, died to-day at Nottingham at the age of 62. He was President of the Notts County Football Club. He learnt the game on the old Meadows ground, Nottingham. His outstanding performance was in June, 1890, when at the Oval he made 228 against the Australians. For Notts in August, 1898, he scored 236 not out against Surrey. In partnership with Arthur Shrewsbury he participated in the great score of 398 for the second wicket. He was top of the England batting averages in 1889 and 1893, and was first-in the Notts averages eight times between 1886 and 1897. He represented England in eleven Test matches, and his best score was 102 (not out) at Manchester in August, 1893. Altogether he made eight scores of over 200 runs in first-class cricket. Before becoming a leading cricketer he took a prominent part in football. He played for Notts Forest in 1880, and afterwards until 1890 appeared on the Notts County side. He played for England as outside-left against Scotland and Wales in 1884."

- Manchester Evening News/The Globe/Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday, 29 January 1921.

"Death of William Gunn.
"A great sportsman, who has carved his name on the tablets of achievement, passed away on Saturday morning at his residence in Nottingham in the person of William Gunn, famous for his prowess with the cricket bat, his brilliance as an outside right at Association football, and, above all, for his manliness, high sense of honour, and generosity. He was of those who did good by stealth when he became so successful in the business of Gunn and Moore, the athletic outfitters, of Nottingham. Men of the true gentlemen and worth which characterised William Gunn are not common. Born in 1858, he was in his sixty-third year. Of humble parents, he commenced life in the emporium of Richard Daft, and devoted his leisure to the cultivation of skill in cricket and football. He was out with the birds of a morning on the Meadows, those fine playing spaces to the south of Nottingham."
- Athletic News, Monday, 31 January 1921

Funeral
midday Tuesday 1 February 1921
Church Cemetery, Nottingham

"THE LATE WILLIAM GUNN
"The funeral of the famous Nottingham
cricket and football player, William Gunn, takes place to-morrow at twelve o'clock at the Church Cemetery, Mansfield-road, Nottingham." - Pall Mall Gazette, Monday, 31 January 1921
"An impressive tribute was paid at Nottingham, yesterday, to the memory of William Gunn, the great cricketer and football player, past and present notable exponents of the national games attending the funeral. The hearse and the mourning coaches conveying the family mourners, the widow and daughter, sisters and nephews, were preceded by two carriages completely embowered with floral tributes, many of which had been sent from different parts of the country." - Pall Mall Gazette, Monday, 31 January 1921
Probate "GUNN William of Hope Drive Nottingham sports outfitter died 29 January 1921 Probate Nottingham 24 May to William Edwin Finney solicitor's clerk and Frank Piggin contractor.
Effects £57392 15s. 9d." [2019 equivalent: £2,830,593].
  Florence Gunn died in 1968

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s) Played as an outside-left for Nottingham Forest FC in one appearance in November 1881, and then Notts County FC from 1881 until January 1891. In September 1890, Gunn was reinstated as an amateur and played junior football in Nottingham, as well as returning to Notts County FC to assist them in January 1893.
League History
3 appearances, 1 goal
Notts County FC 1888-93, three appearances, one goal.
debut: 29 September 1888 Aston Villa FC 9 Notts County FC 1.
last: 26 January 1893 Notts County FC 4 Newton Heath FC 0.

Club honours: Football League third place 1890-91 (one appearance);
FA Cup
runners-up 1890-91 (only appearance in second round).
Individual honours: Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1890
Distinctions: After plying his trade with the Notts Castle Club, he played first class cricket with Nottinghamshire (3 June 1880-1 August 1904, scoring 24,899 runs including 48 centuries); Uncle of George and John Gunn (Notts County FC)
Height/Weight: 6' 2½" 14st 7lbs [1892], 6' 4½" according to Lamming, 6' 2" or 6' 3" according to cricket archives.

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & ENFA.

England Career

Player number One of three who became the 111th players (113) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-left
First match No. 21, 15 March 1884, Scotland 1 England 0, a British Championship match at Cathkin Park, Cathcart Road, Glasgow, aged 25 years 102 days.
Last match No. 22, 17 March 1884, Wales 0 England 4, a British Championship match at The Racecourse, Mold Road, Wrexham, aged 25 years 104 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1883-84;
Individual honours The North (two appearances, 1884-86)
The Players (withdrew in January 1886)

Beyond England

"...upon attaining the age of fourteen was employed by the Notts veteran, Richard Daft, as an assistant in his cricket outfitting business." Gunn then helped to found the sporting goods firm of Gunn & Moore in 1885. Director and vice-President of Notts County FC at the time of his death. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.113/4.
 
Also played representative cricket, becoming one of the Colts of England in May 1880. Playing test match cricket with England (eleven test matches) and appeared for the MCC; A committee member on both Notts County FC and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps minutes Goals ave.min comp. goals captain
2 2 2 180 1 180 min 1 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 1 1 2 0.5 50 =0
Both of his matches were played in the British Championship competition and at an away venue

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1883-84 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 1 1 2.00 0.50 50.0 =0
BC All 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 1 1 2.00 0.50 50.0 =0

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 1 1 2.00 0.50 50.0 =0
2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 1 1 2 0.5 50 =0

Match History

 Club: Notts County F.C. - two full appearances (180 min) 1ᵍ F.A. Committee - two full appearances (180 min) 1ᵍx

Age 25 trial  
one appearance - The South vs. The North, January 1884.

apps match match details comp res rundown pos

1 21 15 March 1884 - Scotland 1 England 0
Cathkin Park, Glasgow
BC AL   ol

one of three who became the 111th (113) players to appear for England
the eighth player from Notts County FC to represent England

2 22 17 March 1884 - Wales 0 England 4
The Racecourse, Wrexham
BC AW 90 ol
   

Age 27 trial  
withdrew - The Players vs. The Gentlemen, January 1886; one appearance - The South vs. The North, January 1886.



   

 
 
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