Alan Gordon (footballer)

Alan Gordon

Personal information
Full name	Alan Fordyce Gordon
Date of birth	14 May 1944(1944-05-14)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death	18 February 2010(2010-02-18) (aged 65)
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1959–1961	Edinburgh Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1961–1967	Heart of Midlothian	111	(49)
1967–1968	Durban United
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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (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.

Life and career

Hearts

Despite attending the rugby union-playing George Heriot's School, Gordon nurtured his early footballing prowess by appearing for youth side Edinburgh Athletic. He earned a professional contract with Hearts aged 17, although he persisted with his studies. Gordon gained a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, where he also studied Moral Philosophy and Spanish Literature. He made his senior debut a couple of months later, playing in a League Cup final in only his second match. 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, where he played for Durban United and worked as a company representative for Beare Brothers, Gordon left Tynecastle permanently in 1969 when Jerry Kerr paid £8,000 to take him to Dundee United. While with the Tannadice club he remained Edinburgh-based as he was now studying towards his professional Chartered Accountancy qualification, training twice a week with the Terrors. When Jim McLean was appointed manager a policy requiring all United players to live in Tayside was instigated, however. Gordon's conflict of interests led to him being transfer-listed.

Hibernian

Eddie Turnbull paid £12,000 to take Gordon back to Edinburgh, but this time with Hibernian. It was with the Easter Road side that he enjoyed his career highlights. In 1972-73 he helped Hibs to victory in the League Cup and Drybrough Cup, while the following season they retained the Drybrough Cup. He also featured in one of the most celebrated matches in Hibs' history, the 7-0 victory over rivals Hearts in the 1 January 1973 derby, a match in which he scored the second and seventh goals.

Dundee

Despite this success, Gordon was sold to Dundee for £13,000 in 1974, earning the unique distinction of having represented both of Dundee and Edinburgh's senior sides. 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.

After football

After ending his playing career, Gordon continued to work in the accountancy profession, with his clients including Irvine Welsh. He was a sports pundit for Radio Forth during the 1980s, as well as a three year spell as Rector's Assessor at Edinburgh University, and subsequently worked as a match host for Hibs at Easter Road.

Gordon died in February 2010, having suffered from cancer.

External links

• Appearances at londonhearts.com
• ALAN GORDON, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database.