Gibbon Samuel “Sonny” Image 2 Merthyr Town 1929

Description

Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan born right back and sometime centre forward Samuel “Sonny” Gibbon began his football career on the books of Merthyr Town, where his father was the club Chairman, in 1925-26 as a full back, but he didn’t make their first eleven and moved to Aberdare Athletic in 1926, where again he failed to make the first team in their final League season. He returned to Merthyr Town, making his Football League debut in a Division Three (South) fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion in August 1928, still as a full back, playing 8 games in that position before converting into a centre forward in November 1928, scoring 13 goals in a further 19 appearances for Merthyr before being sold to Fulham for £700 in March 1929.

He played 6 times during the remainder of the season for Fulham having reverted to right back, scoring his only goal when playing his only game as a centre forward in a 2-1 win at Swindon Town in April 1929. He was an ever present for Fulham in 1930-31 and the following season he played 26 times during the campaign as Fulham won the 1931-32 Third Division (South) Championship. However he only played 15 more times for The Cottagers in the Second Division, making his last appearance of 127 in May 1934.

While still in the reserves at Fulham, Gibbon was sadly killed in a motorcycle accident at Deal in Kent in April 1935, still aged only 25 years old.