Jimmy Gordon (footballer, born 1888)

James Eadie Gordon (23 July 1888 – 22 November 1954) was a Scottish footballer who spent most of his career with Rangers. During the First World War, he was a Sergeant in the Highland Light Infantry.

Jimmy Gordon
Personal information
Full name James Eadie Gordon
Date of birth 23 July 1888[1]
Place of birth Saltcoats, Scotland
Date of death 22 November 1954(1954-11-22) (aged 66)
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Right half
Youth career
Thornwood Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Renfrew Victoria
1907–1920 Rangers 315 (64)
Fulham (guest)
1917Heart of Midlothian (guest) 1 (0)
1920–1923 Dunfermline Athletic 25 (3)
International career
1909–1920 Scottish League XI 14 (2)
1912–1920 Scotland 10 (0)
1919 Scotland (wartime) 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Born in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Gordon played with juvenile side Thornwood Athletic and junior club Renfrew Victoria (being selected for the Scotland team at that level)[2] before joining Rangers during the 1906–07 season.[1] He stayed with the Ibrox club until 1920, playing 315 Scottish Football League games and winning five championships in the process (388 appearances including all cups of the time).[3] Versatile enough to play in any position on the pitch, he did just that playing in goals, in defence, in midfield and up front for Rangers.

His favoured role was right-half and this was the position he occupied most during his international career with the Scotland national team, which extended to ten caps between 1912 and 1920. Gordon also represented the Scottish League XI 14 times,[4][a] played in four unofficial wartime internationals[7] and took part in an unofficial Scottish tour of North America in 1921.[8][9]

Gordon "guested" for Fulham and Hearts during World War I and joined Dunfermline Athletic when he finally left Rangers in 1920.[1][10] After his playing retirement, he and former Rangers colleague Jimmy Galt ran a series of billiard halls.[1] He was included in the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame on 5 February 2007.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ The source lists 15 matches, but a cap in 1912 is counted twice;[5] Gordon did play, but William Walker was omitted.[6]
  1. ^ a b c d Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986. Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4.
  2. ^ Scotland – Double Internationals, RSSSF, 23 May 2019
  3. ^ Rangers player Jimmy Gordon, FitbaStats
  4. ^ "[SFL player] James Eadie Gordon". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. ^ Wed 06 Nov 1912 Irish League 1 SFL 3, London Hearts Supporters Club
  6. ^ Scottish League, 3; Irish League, 1, The Glasgow Herald, 7 November 1912
  7. ^ "Sat 22 Mar 1919 Scotland 2 Ireland 1". londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  8. ^ "When Third Lanark were Scotland". Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Scots on tour in 1921". Scottish Sport History. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  10. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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