Bill Gates (footballer)
William Lazenby Gates (8 May 1944 – 21 October 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a central defender.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Lazenby Gates[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 May 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Ferryhill, England | ||
| Date of death | 21 October 2023 (aged 79) | ||
| Position(s) | Central defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Middlesbrough | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1974 | Middlesbrough | 283 | (12) |
| 1974–1975 | Spennymoor United | ||
| Total | 283+ | (12+) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Born in Ferryhill, Gates played for Middlesbrough.[1] He later played for Spennymoor United.[2] He retired aged 30 after suffering from migraines, and later qualified as an accountant before opening a series of sports shops.[3] He inspired a charity campaign related to footballers with dementia after heading footballs, for which his wife, Dr Judith Gates, launched the "Head for Change" and "Head Safe Football" charities.[3][4][5] A documentary about Gates called The Billion Pound Game was released shortly after his death.[3][4]
References
- "Bill Gates". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- Bill Gates at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- McElwee, Jade (23 October 2023). "Boro legend Bill Gates dies as wife pays tribute to 'unique' footballer". Teesside Live.
- "Ex-Middlesbrough defender Gates dies aged 79" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- "Obituaries". World Soccer. December 2023. p. 19.
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