{{Short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gilbert Godsmark | image = | caption = | fullname = Gilbert Godsmark | birth_date = January 1877 | birth_place = Derby, England | death_date = February 1901 (aged 24) | death_place = South Africa | height = | position = Inside forward | years1 = |clubs1 = Ashford United |caps1 = |goals1 = | years2 = 1900 |clubs2 = Newton Heath |caps2 = 9 |goals2 = 4 }} '''Gilbert Godsmark''' (January 1877 – February 1901) was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. Born in Derby, he began his career at Ashford United. In January 1900, he became Newton Heath's first signing for which they paid a fee, joining the club for £40 on the recommendation of forward Bob Donaldson. Half of the fee was paid on signing, with the remainder due if Godsmark were kept on after an initial trial period.<ref name="dykes"/> He made his debut on 3 February 1900, playing at inside right in a 1–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday; his performance was well received, with the ''Athletic News'' reporting that "Godsmark proved a great success, he has any amount of dash and ability".<ref name="dykes">Dykes (1994), pp. 151–2.</ref> However, his stay at Newton Heath was curtailed three months later by a call-up to be a reservist with the British Army in the Second Boer War, after just nine league appearances and four goals. After just nine months in South Africa, Godsmark died from an unknown disease.<ref name="dykes"/> Because his death meant he was unable to return to Newton Heath after the war, despite them retaining his registration after he was enlisted, they withheld the remaining £20 of his fee, for which Ashford served them with a writ.<ref name="dykes"/>
==References== '''Bibliography''' *{{cite book |first=Garth |last=Dykes |title=The United Alphabet: A Complete Who's Who of Manchester United F.C. |year=1994 |publisher=ACL & Polar Publishing |location=Leicester |isbn=0-9514862-6-8 }} *{{cite book |last1=Shury |first1=Alan |last2=Landamore |first2=Brian |title=The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. |publisher=SoccerData |year=2005 |isbn=1-899468-16-1 }}
'''Footnotes''' {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/godsmark.html Profile] at StretfordEnd.co.uk *[http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/a-z_player_archive/a-z_player_archive_pages/godsmark_gilbert.html Profile] at MUFCinfo.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godsmark, Gilbert}} Category:1877 births Category:1901 deaths Category:Footballers from Derby Category:Footballers from Derbyshire Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football inside forwards Category:Ashford United F.C. players Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:British Army personnel killed in the Second Boer War Category:Royal Army Service Corps soldiers Category:Royal Field Artillery soldiers
{{England-footy-forward-1870s-stub}}