View source for Archie Gemmill

{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager}}
{{distinguish|Archibald Gemmell}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Archie Gemmill
| image = 
| fullname = Archibald Gemmill<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|7138|access-date=29 November 2019}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1947|3|24}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| birth_place = [[Paisley, Renfrewshire|Paisley]],<ref name=Hugman/> Scotland
| currentclub  =
| height = {{height|m=1.65}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/archie-gemmill/|title=Archie Gemmill|work=worldfootball.net}}</ref>
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| years1 = 1964–1967  
| clubs1 = [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] 
| caps1 = 65   
| goals1 = 9  
| years2 = 1967–1970  
| clubs2 = [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] 
| caps2 = 99  
| goals2 = 13  
| years3 = 1970–1977  
| clubs3 = [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] 
| caps3 = 261  
| goals3 =  17  
| years4 = 1977–1979  
| clubs4 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] 
| caps4 = 58   
| goals4 =  4  
| years5 = 1979–1982  
| clubs5 = [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] 
| caps5 = 97  
| goals5 =  12  
| years6 = 1982 
| clubs6 = [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] 
| caps6 = 32   
| goals6 =  2  
| years7 = 1982 
| clubs7 = [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] 
| caps7 = 11   
| goals7 =  0  
| years8 = 1982–1984
| clubs8 = [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] 
| caps8 = 63   
| goals8 =  8  
| totalcaps  = 686
| totalgoals = 65
| nationalyears1 = 1971–1981
| nationalteam1 = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
| nationalcaps1 = 43  
| nationalgoals1 = 8 
| manageryears1 = 1994–1996
| managerclubs1 = [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham United]]
| manageryears2 = 2005–2009
| managerclubs2 = [[Scotland national under-19 football team|Scotland U19]]
}}

'''Archibald Gemmill''' (born 24 March 1947) is a Scottish former [[association football|footballer]]. During his career, he won the [[European Cup]] and three [[English football champions|English league titles]], and captained his national side.

Gemmill scored the third Scotland goal in a 3–2 win against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] in the [[1978 FIFA World Cup]]. It is regularly cited as one of the greatest goals in the history of the World Cup.

==Club career==
===Early career===
Gemmill was born in [[Paisley, Renfrewshire]]. His early career at [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] was ruined by a succession of injuries, not least a broken ankle in early 1966. He was sent on to replace [[Jim Clunie]] on 13 August 1966 in a [[Scottish League Cup]] tie at [[Shawfield Stadium|Shawfield]] to become the first tactical substitute in Scottish football history.<ref>[http://www.stmirren.info/Players/Archie%20Gemmill.htm Archie Gemmill player profile] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504032542/http://www.stmirren.info/Players/Archie%20Gemmill.htm |date=4 May 2006 }}, www.stmirren.info</ref> Gemmill was sold for £13,000 to [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]].

===Derby County===
He came to the attention of [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]], Derby County's assistant manager. Taylor then told Derby manager, [[Brian Clough]], about Gemmill who had been considering signing for the reigning champions [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]. Clough saw him as a player who could pass well and had the type of energy that would drive an attack forward. Clough drove to Gemmill's house. When the player refused to sign for Derby (who had never won the [[English football champions|league title]]), Clough told him that he was going to sleep outside in the car. "But my wife invited him in and he stayed the night," Gemmill said. Clough, eventually, got his man for £60,000 over [[fried egg]]s the following morning.

Gemmill scored only three goals for the Rams that season, but they became Football League champions the following year. He was suspended for the [[European Cup 1972-73|1973 European Cup]] semi-final, but he became club captain in place of the injured [[Roy McFarland]] when the Rams won their second title in 1975. He made 324 appearances in total for the club and scored 25 goals. He left Derby after playing five times for them early in the 1977/78 season.<ref name=gemm>[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/nottingham-forest-fc/archie-gemmill-5060/league-appearances-for-forest_a14705/ "Archie Gemmill  Nottingham Forest FC, Sporting Heroes]</ref>

===Nottingham Forest===

Gemmill joined [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] for £25,000 in September 1977<ref name=gemm/> becoming the third ex Derby title winning player of Clough's to join him at Forest. [[John O'Hare]] and [[John McGovern (footballer)|John McGovern]] were the other two. He played 58 times for Forest in the league, scoring three goals. At the end of the 1977–78 season he had picked up a winners' medal as Forest won the [[Football League First Division|First Division]], but was ineligible for the [[EFL Cup|League Cup]], which they won, as he had played for Derby earlier in the competition.<ref>{{cite news 
|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/2863155/brian-cloughs-nottingham-forest-stun-english-football-rewind-to-1978
|title=Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest stun English football – Rewind to 1978
|publisher=ESPN
|date=3 May 2016 |access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref> He was integral to the success of the club in the late 1970s, but was dropped for the [[1979 European Cup Final]]. Gemmill referred to the decision later:<ref name = "BBC interview"/> {{blockquote|I was devastated at the time. I was led to believe I'd be playing in the match... I was far from happy. I hated every minute of the 90 and I hated afterwards as well.}}

===Later career===

He signed for [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] debuting on 18 August 1979 in a 4–3 defeat at home to [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]. He played 97 League matches for the Blues, scoring 12 goals.

In early 1982, Gemmill crossed the Atlantic to play for the [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|NASL]]. He only stayed for one season playing 32 league games.

In September 1982, he joined up with former teammate and club manager [[Larry Lloyd]] at [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] but only stayed for 11 matches. He returned to Derby County as player-coach to become [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]]'s first signing for the club in 1982. He retired from playing in 1984.

==International career==
Gemmill played 43 times and scored eight goals for [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]], and captained the team on 22 occasions.

The most famous moment of Gemmill's career, when he scored a goal against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] in a Group D fixture at the [[1978 FIFA World Cup|1978 World Cup]], is regularly rated as amongst the greatest goals ever scored in a World Cup match.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/sports/worldcup2006/history/events/top10-goals.html TOP 10 WORLD CUP GOALS OF ALL TIME], [[CBC Sports]].</ref><ref>[http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/471494/World-Cup-Top-Tens:-Top-Ten-Goals World Cup Top Tens: Top Ten Goals]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512150249/http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/471494/World-Cup-Top-Tens%3A-Top-Ten-Goals |date=12 May 2008 }}, [[Fox Sports (USA)|Fox Sports]], 3 May 2002.</ref> Scotland needed to win the game by three goals to qualify for the next stage of the tournament, having had very poor results in their first two games. With his team leading 2–1 in the 68th minute, Gemmill scored a goal which was described by ''[[The Scotsman]]'' as follows: {{blockquote|In 68 minutes, however, Scotland went 3–1 up when Archie Gemmill scored one of the great goals of this World Cup so far. The little midfield player homed in on goal, played a magnificent one-two with [[Kenny Dalglish|Dalglish]], then sprinted into the box and thumped a glorious goal past [[Jan Jongbloed|Jongbloed]] to revive all the hopes which had died the death this past fortnight. It was an extraordinary goal and an extraordinary moment. Suddenly Scotland were dreaming of glory again".<ref>[http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=658&id=1287982002 The lion roars  – too late], ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 11 June 1978.</ref>}} Three minutes later, [[Johnny Rep]] scored a second goal for the Netherlands, which was deflected off Gemmill's outstretched leg and flew past [[Alan Rough]]'s dive. The game ended 3–2, denying Scotland a spot in the second round.

The goal is referenced in the film ''[[Trainspotting (movie)|Trainspotting]]'', in which characters Tommy and Lizzie decide to make love while watching a homemade [[pornography|porno]] film, only to see it has been replaced with a football tape called "100 Great Goals" which features Gemmill's strike. At the same time, Renton ([[Ewan McGregor]]), who had switched the tapes in their cases and borrowed Tommy and Lizzie's tape, says after [[orgasm|climaxing]] during [[Sexual intercourse|sex]], "I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against [[Netherlands national football team|Holland]] in 1978!" Gemmill first saw ''Trainspotting'' on a club outing with [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham]], and his reaction was:<ref name = "BBC interview">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2005/09/29/archie_gemmill_interview_feature.shtml Archie, Archie Gemmill!], [[BBC]].</ref> "I got absolutely slaughtered by the lads... to be fair I was a bit embarrassed by it."

==After playing==
Gemmill returned to Nottingham Forest to be a coach alongside [[Brian Clough]] in 1984. Later he [[manager (association football)|managed]] [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham United]] for two seasons in the mid-1990s.

His son [[Scot Gemmill]] became a [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] player in the 1990s. In 1970, Archie drove his pregnant wife back to Scotland to ensure that Scot would be born there.<ref name = "Scot">Grant, Michael. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20020331/ai_n12575359 Scotland: Scot Gemmill; 'If it was up to my dad I wouldn't be here], ''[[Sunday Herald]]'', 31 March 2002.</ref> Archie became unhappy that Scot was selected for squads but was rarely used in games.<ref name = "Scot"/> He eventually told Scot to stop making himself available for selection, but Scot disagreed and continued to play for Scotland until late in his career.<ref name = "Scot"/>

Gemmill managed the [[Scotland national under-19 football team]] that finished second in the [[2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/5221720.stm |title=Scotland U19 1-2 Spain U19 |publisher=BBC Sport  |date=29 July 2006 |access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref> and thereby qualified for the [[2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup]] in Canada.

==Career statistics==
===International appearances===

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{SFA Profile|id=113777}}</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
|1971||3||1
|-
|1972||4||0
|-
|1975||2||0
|-
|1976||6||1
|-
|1977||7||0
|-
|1978||10||4
|-
|1979||2||1
|-
|1980||7||1
|-
|1981||2||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!43!!8
|}

===International goals===

:''Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first''

{| class="wikitable"
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition !! Ref
|-
| align=center | 1. || 13 October 1971 || [[Hampden Park]], [[Glasgow]] || {{fb|POR}} || align=center | 2–1 || align=center | 2–1 || [[UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying]] ||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot-intres1975.html |title=Scotland – International Matches 1971–1975 |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=17 October 2019 |access-date=4 November 2019 |first1=Alan |last1=Brown |first2=Gabriele |last2=Tossani}}</ref>
|-
| align=center| 2. || 8 May 1976 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|NIR}} || align=center | 1–0 || align=center | 3–0 || [[1975–76 British Home Championship]] ||<ref name = "rsssf 76">{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot-intres1980.html |title=Scotland – International Matches 1976–1980 |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=23 May 2019 |access-date=4 November 2019 |first1=Alan |last1=Brown |first2=Gabriele |last2=Tossani}}</ref>
|-
| align=center| 3. || 22 February 1978 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|BUL}} || align=center | 1–1 || align=center | 2–1 || [[Friendly match]] ||<ref name = "rsssf 76"/>
|-
| align=center | 4. || rowspan=2|11 June 1978 || rowspan=2| [[Estadio Malvinas Argentinas|Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza]], [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza]] || rowspan=2|{{fb|NED}} || align=center | 2–1 || rowspan=2 align=center | 3–2 ||rowspan=2| [[1978 FIFA World Cup]] ||rowspan=2|<ref name = "rsssf 76"/>
|-
| align=center | 5. || align=center | 3–1
|-
| align=center | 6. || 25 October 1978 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|NOR}} || align=center | 3–2 || align=center | 3–2 || [[UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying]] ||<ref name = "rsssf 76"/>
|-
| align=center | 7. || 17 October 1979 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|AUT}} || align=center | 1–1 || align=center | 1–1 || UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying ||<ref name = "rsssf 76"/>
|-
| align=center | 8. || 26 March 1980 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|POR}} || align=center | 4–1 || align=center | 4–1 || UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying ||<ref name = "rsssf 76"/>
|-
|}

== Honours ==
'''Player'''
;Derby County
* [[Football League First Division|First Division]]: [[1971–72 in English football|1971–72]], [[1974–75 in English football|1974–75]]
* [[FA Community Shield|FA Charity Shield]]: [[1975 FA Charity Shield|1975]]

;Nottingham Forest
* [[Football League First Division|First Division]]: [[1977–78 in English football|1977–78]]
* [[Football League Cup]]: [[1979 Football League Cup Final|1978–79]]
* FA Charity Shield 1978
* [[European Cup]]: [[1979 European Cup Final|1978–79]]

'''Manager'''
;Rotherham United
* [[Football League Trophy]]: [[1995–96 Football League Trophy|1995–96]]

==See also==
*[[List of Scotland national football team captains]]
*[[List of Scottish football families]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Archie Gemmill, ''Both Sides of the Border'', 296 pages (12 September 2005), Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd ({{ISBN|0-340-89570-5}})
*John Hodge and Irvine Welsh, ''Trainspotting: Screenplay'', Faber and Faber, 2000 ({{ISBN|0-571-20320-5}})

==External links==
* {{Scottish Sports Hall of Fame|archie-gemmill}}
* {{SFA player}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg    = gold
| fg    = navy
| list1 = 
{{Goal of the Season}}
{{1979–80 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{Derby County F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Scottish Football Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Scotland Squad 1978 World Cup}}
{{Rotherham United F.C. managers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gemmill, Archie}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1978 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Birmingham City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Derby County F.C. players]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Tea Men players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Paisley, Renfrewshire]]
[[Category:Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Preston North End F.C. players]]
[[Category:Scotland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:St Mirren F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:Derby County F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Scotland men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players]]
[[Category:Rotherham United F.C. managers]]