Alan Gordon (Scottish footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alan Fordyce Gordon | ||
Date of birth | 14 May 1944 | ||
Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 18 February 2010 | (aged 65)||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
1959–1961 | Edinburgh Athletic | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1961–1967 | Heart of Midlothian | 112 | (49) |
1967–1968 | Durban United | 19 | (10) |
1968–1969 | Heart of Midlothian | 15 | (6) |
1969–1972 | Dundee United | 77 | (34) |
1972–1974 | Hibernian | 84 | (51) |
1974–1976 | Dundee | 36 | (8) |
Total | 324 | (128) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alan Gordon (14 May 1944 – 18 February 2010) was a Scottish football player who is notable for playing for the two senior sides of both Edinburgh and Dundee, and is thought to be the only player to do so.[1]
Life and career
School and youth level
Though Edinburgh born, the earliest account of young Alan's precocious footballing talent recalls a blonde eight-year-old scoring freely for Sunnybank Primary School in
Despite winning a scholarship to the rugby union-playing George Heriot's School,[2] and trying rugby for one season, Gordon continued to nurture his footballing prowess. Initially, for two seasons, he turned out for his local Boys Brigade 43rd Company team and then, for a single season, for Sighthill Thistle who finished second in the Lothian Amateur Under 18 League. The following season, Alan was playing for the Scottish Juvenile (Under 18) side, Edinburgh Athletic. With his awareness in the box, lethal left foot and uncanny heading ability he proved a perfect foil for the mesmeric wing play and crossing of teammate, Willie Henderson and he scored 120 goals in 80 games over two seasons. In the 1959/60 season Edinburgh Athletic won the prestigious Lord Weir Cup at New Meadowbank, beating league rivals Edina Hearts 4–1 in the final with both Gordon and Henderson on target. By the time Henderson had completed his final appearance before moving to Rangers, Gordon had scored twice and Athletic had trounced Edina Hearts again, this time 9–1 in the Insurance Cup final at Saughton Enclosure. The consolation goal for Edina near the end of the game that day was scored by John Greig, who also signed for Rangers that summer. Gordon had already signed a provisional contract with Hearts in early September 1959 at the age of 15 and, henceforth, would train twice a week at Tynecastle.
Hearts
Having scored 13 goals in eight games for the reserves, Alan made his first team debut at
Gordon continued his studies after leaving Heriot's and gained a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of Edinburgh, where he also studied Moral Philosophy and Spanish Literature. By the 1964–65 season he had developed into a first team regular, scoring 23 times as the Maroons narrowly missed out on the League title.
Dundee United
Following a spell in South Africa in 1967 and 1968,
Hibernian
Dundee
Despite this success, Gordon was sold to Dundee for £13,000 in 1974,[1] earning the unique distinction of having represented both of Dundee and Edinburgh's senior sides.[4] His spell with the Dark Blues was less successful, however. Following their last-day relegation in 1976, due to a goal difference inferior to his former side United, Gordon retired from football aged 32.[1]
After football
After ending his playing career, Gordon continued to work in the accountancy profession, with his clients including Irvine Welsh.[3] During the 1980s, he co-presented the "Sportsbeat" programme on Radio Forth. He also appeared regularly on Scotsport with Arthur Montford and continued to work as a football reporter on both radio and television. In addition, following the election of Archie McPherson as Rector, by dint of being a graduate of that establishment, he was asked to undertake a three-year period of office as Rector's Assessor at the University of Edinburgh. Gordon died on 18 February 2010, from a brain tumour, having suffered a recurrence of the cancer[1] which had initially prompted the removal of part of his tongue eight years earlier and which curtailed his media involvement.
References
- ^ a b c d e Bathgate, Stuart (20 February 2010). "Alan Gordon, the thinking man's striker, passes away at age of 65". The Scotsman. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ^ ISBN 1-85158-736-5.
- ^ a b "Hibs hero of 73 toasts new breed". The Scotsman. 1 January 2005. Archived from the original on 13 September 2005.
- ISBN 0-902804-18-9.
External links
- Appearances Archived 1 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine at londonhearts.com
- Alan Gordon at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database