Edward Gibson

Edward Gibson (27 November 1927 – 18 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Eppie", was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for England and Cumberland, and at club level for Workington Town, as a , or , and was player-coach (later coach only) for Whitehaven. Background Gibson was born in Northumberland. The son of professional soccer player Ted Gibson, he was raised in Ellenborough. After attending Cockermouth Grammar School, Gibson went to Loughborough Teacher Training College where captained the rugby union team. He won a cap for Cumberland and Westmorland, and also played for the English Universities team. Between 1947 and 1949 he was a national serviceman in the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment. Playing career Despite being in the army for the first two years of his career Gibson signed for Workington Town in June 1947, aged 19. Playing at stand-off he made an immediate impact and before the end of the season he had been selected for the first of an eventual 17 caps for Cumberland, and was selected to play for England, making his international début in a 20–15 victory against France at Fartown, Huddersfield. Two more caps followed in 1951 in England's 35–10 defeat by the Other Nationalities at Central Park, Wigan; and in a 35–11 victory over Wales at Knowsley Road, St Helens. Eppie Gibson played in Cumberland's 5-4 victory over Australia in the 1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France match at the Recreation Ground, Whitehaven on Wednesday 13 October 1948, in front of a crowd of 8,818.