Gilbert Harold Merrick was an English footballer and football manager.
12 Facts About Gil Merrick
1.
2.
Gil Merrick spent his entire career at Birmingham City, playing more than 700 times between 1939 and 1960.
3.
Gil Merrick made 170 appearances during the Second World War and 485 in the Football League following the end of the war.
4.
Gil Merrick won 23 caps for the England national team, and played in the 1954 World Cup.
5.
Gil Merrick signed professional terms with Birmingham in August 1939, and remained with the team until his retirement as a player in 1960.
6.
At first, Gil Merrick was third-choice goalkeeper behind boyhood hero Harry Hibbs and Jack Wheeler.
7.
In 1948, Gil Merrick helped the club win the Second Division Two, missing only six games along the way.
8.
Gil Merrick was the keeper when Birmingham reached the FA Cup semi-final the following year, only to be knocked out by Manchester United.
9.
Gil Merrick made his debut against Ireland on 14 November 1951 at Wembley in the 1952 British Home Championship.
10.
Gil Merrick was first-choice goalkeeper for England in the 1954 World Cup, his last international appearance coming against Uruguay on 26 June 1954, as England were eliminated at the quarter-final stage.
11.
All of Gil Merrick's caps were gained when Birmingham City were a Second Division club.
12.
Gil Merrick had two more spells in management, with non-league Bromsgrove Rovers and Atherstone Town.