Born into a coal mining family in Ayrshire, Gibson spent most of his early life in Wishaw.
Having avoided more time down the pit when he signed for Sunderland from Cambuslang, he made his competitive debut for the Wearsiders on 27 October 1888 against Elswick Rangers in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round; his side won the match 5–3.
[3] He went on to make 100 league and cup appearances for Sunderland across two spells, scoring six goals, and played an important role in their consecutive Football League title winning seasons, with 20 appearances in 1891–92 and 30 in 1892–93.
[4] During his one-year spell in Glasgow with Rangers,[5] Gibson was selected for the Scottish Football League XI,[6] believed to be his only representative honour.
[7] His younger sister Marion married Jimmy Miller, one of Sunderland's star forwards of the period (both also played for Rangers, but not at the same time).