Dermot “Joe” Gulliver – Athlete

Inducted November 13, 2004

Joe Gulliver began a soccer career in St. John’s in the early 1940’s and continued to play until 1969 on Newfoundland’s West Coast. It was in soccer that he earned a reputation as one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s greatest athletes in the 1950’s, including being voted as the “Province’s Soccer Player of the Fifties”. Joe began playing in the Craigmiller Avenue League from 1944 until 1948. In 1949 and 1950, he was a member of the Holy Cross Championship Team. He then moved on to the Holy Cross Junior Team for three years. Beginning in 1952, Joe played with the dominant Holy Cross team and in his seven years’ involvement with the St. John’s Soccer League he claimed three scoring titles. Joe moved to Corner Brook in 1962 and played with the Corner Brook League. Joe played on the Corner Brook All-Star Team for seven years and then he played one year in the Deer Lake League before returning to Corner Brook to play and coach. Joe’s skills in passing, trapping and shooting the ball were always exceptional. Adding to those skills, Joe was always a true sportsman on and off the soccer field. Although he made his mark on the soccer field, Joe Gulliver should also be recognized for his skills in baseball, basketball, hockey and bowling. He was an outstanding base runner who maintained a batting average of over .300 from 1954 until 1964 in both the St. John’s and Corner Brook Leagues. While in St. John’s he played on two Holy Cross Teams who took the city title as well as playing with the St. John’s Caps Team who took two provincial titles. From the time he finished school until 1962, Joe was a member of the Holy Cross “Whiz Kids”. An outstanding ball handler, he was also a good shooter and could drive to the hoop with great success. During the fifties, Joe was captain of the Mammy’s Bakery Team that claimed four St. John’s Commercial League titles. Joe was regularly the team’s leading scorer. In bowling, when the “Score Pin” made the game much different than in recent years, Joe always carried an average in the 220’s in the St. John’s Commercial League. Dermot “Joe” Gulliver’s outstanding, all-round athletic career has earned him induction into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame.