Ross Gillespie
MBE
John Ross Gillespie
John Ross Gillespie
Personal information
Full name John Ross Gillespie
Born (1935-06-02)2 June 1935
Timaru, New Zealand
Died 29 January 2023(2023-01-29) (aged 87)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 68 kg (150 lb)
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1972 New Zealand
Teams coached
Years Team
1971–1976 New Zealand

John Ross Gillespie MBE (2 June 1935 – 29 January 2023) was a New Zealand field hockey player and coach. Gillespie represented New Zealand at the Summer Olympics twice as a player, in 1960 and 1964.[1][2] He was head coach of the New Zealand field hockey team at 1972 Summer Olympics and of the gold medal winning team four years later in 1976.[3]

Life and Career

Family

Gillespie was born in Timaru. He died in Christchurch on 29 January 2023, aged 87.[3][4]

Hockey

Tack, as he's been affectionately known in hockey circles since 1958, played for New Zealand at two Olympics (1960 and 1964), and was integral to the backbone of the Canterbury side who dominated domestic hockey in the 1950s and '60s.

In 1971, Ross co-coached the NZ men winning silver at a world six-a-side tournament, then had the head job to himself at the 1972 Munich Olympics (where he was also 17th man on the team sheet).

He was determined to keep the core of that team together for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and he got the mix right. He built the team's fitness and confidence, and made them laugh.

"He was a bit like Graham Henry," Arthur Parkin said in Striking Gold. "At first meeting you think, he's a grumpy bastard, when actually he's very personable and very witty." And very successful - the only New Zealand hockey coach to win an Olympic medal.[5]

Honours

In the 1977 New Year Honours, Gillespie was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to hockey.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ross Gillespie". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  2. ↑ Ross Gillespie at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
  3. 1 2 Smith, Tony (31 January 2023). "New Zealand Olympic hockey gold medallists mourn 'highly respected' coach Ross Gillespie". Stuff. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "John Gillespie obituary". The Press. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Remembering Ross Gillespie". New Zealand Olympic Team. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "No. 47104". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1976. p. 43.


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