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Tributes paid to Alan Gordon who has died aged 65

Hibs striker Alan Gordon against Celtic in the Drybrough Cup final 1972
Gordon in action against Celtic in the 1972 Drybrough Cup final

Tributes have been paid to former footballer Alan Gordon, who has died from cancer at the age of 65.

Gordon made his mark at Edinburgh and Dundee's senior clubs, beginning at Hearts in 1961 before moving to Dundee United, Hibernian and latterly Dundee.

There was a stirring minute's applause in his memory at Tynecastle on Sunday before Hearts' match against Hamilton.

Former Hibs captain Craig Paterson has described Gordon as "a great striker and a very clever footballer".

Born in 1944, Gordon turned out for the Jambos on 111 occasions between 1961 and 1967 while training to become an accountant.

His second game for the Tynecastle side, for whom he scored 49 goals, was the 1961 League Cup final against Rangers, which the Glasgow side won after a replay.

Gordon left for South Africa for a spell with Durban United and, after a second spell with Hearts in season 1968/69, Jerry Kerr signed him for Dundee United.

His most memorable time in the game, though, was with Eddie Turnbull's Hibs, whom he joined in 1972 and with whom he enjoyed League Cup and Drybrough Cup final successes over Celtic in his first season.

Paterson, now a BBC Scotland football pundit, recalls being taken to see Gordon star for "Turnbull's Tornadoes".

"Eddie Turnbull was a team-mate of my dad's so I was always taken to see Hibs play and, of course, I would get to watch Alan Gordon play regularly.

"That team was a joy to watch. Alan was a great big striker, very good in the air, and he used to team up with Jimmy O'Rourke up front. They were a classic little-and-large pairing.

Alan Gordon fires in a shot against Rangers in season 1974/75
Gordon fires in a shot against Rangers at Easter Road in season 1974/75

"There is a great quote from those days - that Turnbull supposedly told Alan Gordon that the problem with him was that all his brains were in his head!"

Paterson was in the crowd at Tynecastle for the 1973 New Year's Day derby when Gordon was on the scoresheet in the 7-0 hammering of his first club Hearts.

"Yes, I was there, but there are 100,000 Hibs fans who claim to have been there!" said the former centre-half before reeling off Hibs' usual starting 11 from that era.

Gordon scored 51 goals in 84 matches with the Easter Road side, where he played for just under three years before joining Dundee, and in signing for the Dark Blues is believed to have become the first player to have turned out for the two senior clubs in Edinburgh and Dundee.

Hibs will have a minute's applause in his honour before their Scottish Premier League game against St Johnstone on 27 February.


Texts sent to BBC Scotland paying tribute to Alan Gordon:

"So sad to hear about Alan Gordon. I well remember his two goals against the Jambos in the 7-0 game in 1973."
Baldy Hibby in East Kilbride

"Rest in peace, Alan Gordon, a Turnbull Tornado. A double cup winner. A Hibs legend. Glory glory."
Colin in Edinburgh

"Rip, Alan Gordon - great footballer and a true gent."
James in Portobello, Hibernian season ticket holder

"Alan Gordon was a 17-year-old student at my first Hampden game, the League Cup Final 1961. Earned a penalty in 1-1 draw. Poor old AG also had to suffer 1965 last-day tragedy v Killie."
Jambojohn from Jura

"Was sad to read that former Hibs striker Alan Gordon passed away yesterday after battling cancer. A fine striker and key member of Turnbull's Tornadoes of the early '70s, I'm told he was a gentleman off the park too."
Chris, Edinburgh



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see also
Dundee honour late skipper Cox
20 Feb 10 |  Dundee


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