Date / Year of birth: 11.04.38

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 70/71

Season of last appearance: 71/72

Also played for: Larkhall Thistle (Scotland), Chelsea (0), Motherwell (Scotland) (13,4), St.Mirren (Scotland (81,65), Manchester City (39,14), Hibernian (Scotland) (84,43),

5' 7" tall, much-travelled American international striker who was born in New Rochelle, New York State, USA to an English father and Scottish mother and then moved to Scotland as a child.

Gerry was brought up in Motherwell and played for Craigneuk Boys Club and Lanarkshire Schools before joining non-league side Larkhall Thistle. After only six games there he signed for Chelsea in June 1955 aged 17. However Gerry didn't make the first team at Stamford Bridge and in December 1956 he returned to Scotland.

He joined First Division Motherwell and went on to score four goals in 13 appearances for them during the 56/57, 57/58 and 58/59 campaigns.

In November 1958 Gerry was transferred to St.Mirren and he became a prolific marksman for the club. He scored in every round of the Scottish Cup during the 58/59 season, including a goal in the Final at Hampden Park as St.Mirren beat Aberdeen 3-1. The match was watched by over 100,000 people and in total Gerry scored eight goals in the competition. The 59/60 Scottish Cup campaign saw him make the headlines again as on 30.1.60 Gerry scored a record ten goals in a 15-0 win over Glasgow University. He scored 65 goals in just 81 appearances for St.Mirren before his exploits caught the eye of Manchester City and in November 1960 City paid a fee of around £30,000 for Gerry's services.

He scored 14 goals in 39 first team appearances for City during the 61/62 and 62/63 seasons before returning to Scotland once more in November 1961 to join Hibernian. The fee was again in the region of £30,000.

Gerry kept up his excellent scoring record during his time with Hibs and he bagged 43 goals in 84 appearances for the club that spanned the 61/62-63/64 seasons.

In December 1963 Gerry returned to England once more when Ipswich paid £25,000 for his services and by then he'd scored over 100 goals in senior Scottish football. Between December 1963 and his departure in November 1967 Gerry scored 66 times in 151 first team appearances for Ipswich and in all competitions his record was 66 goals in 151 games.

He left Portman Road to join Coventry for £25,000 and although he failed to find his scoring form of old Gerry broke into the USA's national side during his two year stay in the Midlands.

He made his debut on 13.10.68 as the USA lost 4-2 to Canada in a World Cup Qualifier in Toronto and went on to win a total of seven caps, scoring twice. Both goals came as the USA beat Bermuda 6-2 in a World Cup Qualifier in Kansas City on 2.11.68. Gerry's last international was a 1-0 loss to Haiti on 11.5.69 in San Diego. The game was another World Cup Qualifier and the defeat ended the USA's hopes of reaching the 1970 finals in Mexico.

In October 1969 Coventry loaned Gerry to Brentford and his eight appearances for the Bees were his last in League Football. He'd scored 79 goals in the Football League by the time Coventry released him at the end of the 69/70 campaign.

In the summer of 1970 Gerry was appointed as Margate's player-manager, replacing the legendary Almer Hall. However he wasn't a unanimous choice and the job almost went to a young manager named David Pleat. Gerry made his Margate debut in the opening match of the 70/71 campaign, a 3-0 win at Telford on 15.8.70. He impressed with his speed and alertness. Gerry scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Worcester at Hartsdown on 22.8.70 but a week later he dislocated his shoulder at Nuneaton. After recovering from the shoulder injury he began to show his class and scored six goals in a prolific spell during September 1970. At one stage Gerry scored in four consecutive matches, including two goals in a 4-0 win over Ashford on 21.9.70. On 20.10.70 he scored with a 20 yard half-volley in a 3-1 win at Ramsgate and the local paper described the strike as "tremendous". However on 24.10.70 Gerry broke two ribs in a home game against Dover and the injury kept him out until February 1971. He then played regularly until the end of the season and finished the campaign having scored 11 goals in 41 appearances (four as sub). That tally was enough to make Gerry the club's joint top scorer, Hughie Cochrane and John Baber also scored 11 goals.

In April 1971 Gerry denied rumours that he was to leave the club but he did admit that he'd received offers from South Africa and the USA. He started the 71/72 season in good form and scored five goals in 11 appearances early on, despite mainly playing in an unfamiliar left wing position. Gerry scored with a superb volley from 15 yards as Margate went down 5-1 at Barnet on 14.9.71 but it turned out to be his last goal for the club. He resigned as Margate's player-manager on 30.9.71 and a few weeks later Ramsgate manager Les Riggs took over.

Gerry immediately joined Nuneaton as a player and scored a hat-trick for them soon afterwards. He stayed there until joining Bedworth during the 72/73 season.

After retiring from football Gerry worked at the Jaguar car factory in Coventry for many years and during the 79/80 season he was managing the Coventry Colliery football team in his spare time.

His brother Joe played for England and scored over 150 First Division goals for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. Gerry's wife Ann was a successful sprinter while his daughters Karen and Lorraine both ran for England. In 2005 Lorraine was running her own sports shop in Coventry.

Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 46/47 onwards.

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