Overview
William Lazenby Gates (8 May 1944 – 21 October 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a central defender.
Career
Born in Ferryhill, Gates played for Middlesbrough. He later played for Spennymoor United. He retired aged 30 after suffering from migraines, and later qualified as an accountant before opening a series of sports shops. He inspired a charity campaign related to footballers with dementia after heading footballs, for which his wife launched the 'Head for Change' charity. A documentary about Gates called The Billion Pound Game was released shortly after his death.
References
1944 births
2023 deaths
People from Ferryhill
English men's footballers
Association football defenders
English Football League players
Middlesbrough F.C. players
Spennymoor United A.F.C. players
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).