Ross Gillespie
 John Ross Gillespie
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Ross Gillespie | ||
| Born |
2 June 1935 Timaru, New Zealand |
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| Died |
29 January 2023 (aged 87) Christchurch, New Zealand |
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| 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 (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. 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.
Life and Career
Family
Gillespie was born in Timaru. He died in Christchurch on 29 January 2023, aged 87.
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.
Honours
In the 1977 New Year Honours, Gillespie was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to hockey.