The 25 year "hoodoo" Rangers endured between 1903 and 1928 in the Scottish Cup meant there were some all-time great players in Royal Blue who went through an illustrious career at Ibrox without winning the national cup competition. One of these great players was Jimmy Gordon.
Born in Saltcoats in 1888, Gordon joined William Wilton's Rangers as a teenager and made his debut in a 3-0 home league win over Kilmarnock in April 1907.That was his only appearance that season, but Gordon established himself at right half in the Rangers team the following season, playing in 30 matches, including 22 in the league. In his third game for the club, he won his first medal, helping the team to a 1-0 Charity Cup Final victory over Celtic at Cathkin Park in front of 38,000 spectators.
A versatile player, Gordon would feature in virtually every position over his long Rangers career (including 1 match in goal), in fact in season 1908/09 he was briefly a very effective centre forward, scoring 7 goals in 3 Charity Cup matches, including a double in another winning final against Celtic, this time at Parkhead. That season was probably best remembered for the infamous Hampden riot, when both sets of fans invaded the pitch at the end of a drawn Scottish Cup Final replay when it became apparent there would be no extra time as had been expected, resulting in the trophy being withheld for the season. Unbelievably, for a player who played in the Rangers first team for over a decade, this was to be Jimmy Gordon's only appearance in the Cup Final.
Gordon's initial seasons coincided with a spell of Celtic dominance, winning 6 titles running. That run ended in season 1910/11. Jimmy Gordon was back mainly at right half again by then, and was a mainstay in the championship winning side, playing in 28 league games as the Ibrox side won the title by 4 points from second placed Aberdeen. He also played in the Glasgow Cup Final, a 3-0 win over Celtic which brought the old trophy back to Ibrox for the first time in 9 years in front of a huge 65,000 people. That season heralded a spell of 3 successive league titles for Rangers, with Jimmy Gordon's personal highlight being scoring the clinching goal in a 3-1 win over Celtic in 1912 that ensured the title stayed at Ibrox.
Jimmy Gordon earned his first Scotland cap in 1912, and represented his country 10 times, the last being in 1920. No doubt he would have added to that tally had international matches not been suspended during the Great War. Just prior to conflict breaking out, he enjoyed his greatest moment in Scotland's blue when captain of the team who beat England 3-1 in April 1914.
His football career was put briefly on hold in 1916 when he enlisted with the Highland Light Infantry, and while serving his country he lost his place in the Rangers team to a new right half, Peter Pursell, signed from Queens Park. Gordon played more of a utility role in the Rangers title winning team of 1917/18, amassing 16 league appearances that season in no particular position, but filling in in defence and attack. This Rangers team was the beginning of the great side who would go on to dominate Scottish football by the early 1920s, as the likes of Tommy Muirhead and Sandy Archibald now wore the famous colours.
Peter Pursell left Rangers for Port Vale in 1919, and this allowed 1 more glory season for the veteran Jimmy Gordon in season 1919/20, which was to be the last Rangers played under the legendary William Wilton. Rangers raced to title glory in a season they dominated, with Jimmy Gordon playing 40 games and scoring 10 goals in all competitions, including 7 in the league. His fifth championship medal had been won at the age of 32.
He scored his last Rangers goal on 24th April 1920, thirteen years after his club debut, in a 6-1 home win against Dundee, and made his final competitive appearance at Dumbarton 4 days later. By this time a young right half by the name of David Meiklejohn had made his debut, and the youngster was to take over that position and serve the club with incredible distinction for many years.
The tragic events prior to season 1920/21 that saw the untimely death of William Wilton and the beginning of the Bill Struth era also coincided with the end of a glorious Rangers career for Jimmy Gordon. He only played 1 match under Struth, a benefit match on August 30th 1920 for the magnificent Rangers servant Bert Manderson, when Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 in front of 20,000 spectators.
Jimmy Gordon left Rangers soon after, heading to the Kingdom of Fife to briefly play for Dunfermline, before he hung up his boots and enjoyed life after football as the owner of a number of billiard halls along with his old Rangers teammate Jimmy Gault.
Jimmy Gordon died in November 1954 at the age of 66, and he deservedly was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Gordon, Rangers FC 1907 - 1920
Appearances 388 (all competitions)
Goals 79
5 League Titles
10 Scotland Caps
6 Glasgow Cups, 4 Charity Cups
Rangers Hall of Fame member
World War 1 veteran
Never forgotten.
Born in Saltcoats in 1888, Gordon joined William Wilton's Rangers as a teenager and made his debut in a 3-0 home league win over Kilmarnock in April 1907.That was his only appearance that season, but Gordon established himself at right half in the Rangers team the following season, playing in 30 matches, including 22 in the league. In his third game for the club, he won his first medal, helping the team to a 1-0 Charity Cup Final victory over Celtic at Cathkin Park in front of 38,000 spectators.
A versatile player, Gordon would feature in virtually every position over his long Rangers career (including 1 match in goal), in fact in season 1908/09 he was briefly a very effective centre forward, scoring 7 goals in 3 Charity Cup matches, including a double in another winning final against Celtic, this time at Parkhead. That season was probably best remembered for the infamous Hampden riot, when both sets of fans invaded the pitch at the end of a drawn Scottish Cup Final replay when it became apparent there would be no extra time as had been expected, resulting in the trophy being withheld for the season. Unbelievably, for a player who played in the Rangers first team for over a decade, this was to be Jimmy Gordon's only appearance in the Cup Final.
Gordon's initial seasons coincided with a spell of Celtic dominance, winning 6 titles running. That run ended in season 1910/11. Jimmy Gordon was back mainly at right half again by then, and was a mainstay in the championship winning side, playing in 28 league games as the Ibrox side won the title by 4 points from second placed Aberdeen. He also played in the Glasgow Cup Final, a 3-0 win over Celtic which brought the old trophy back to Ibrox for the first time in 9 years in front of a huge 65,000 people. That season heralded a spell of 3 successive league titles for Rangers, with Jimmy Gordon's personal highlight being scoring the clinching goal in a 3-1 win over Celtic in 1912 that ensured the title stayed at Ibrox.
Jimmy Gordon earned his first Scotland cap in 1912, and represented his country 10 times, the last being in 1920. No doubt he would have added to that tally had international matches not been suspended during the Great War. Just prior to conflict breaking out, he enjoyed his greatest moment in Scotland's blue when captain of the team who beat England 3-1 in April 1914.
His football career was put briefly on hold in 1916 when he enlisted with the Highland Light Infantry, and while serving his country he lost his place in the Rangers team to a new right half, Peter Pursell, signed from Queens Park. Gordon played more of a utility role in the Rangers title winning team of 1917/18, amassing 16 league appearances that season in no particular position, but filling in in defence and attack. This Rangers team was the beginning of the great side who would go on to dominate Scottish football by the early 1920s, as the likes of Tommy Muirhead and Sandy Archibald now wore the famous colours.
Peter Pursell left Rangers for Port Vale in 1919, and this allowed 1 more glory season for the veteran Jimmy Gordon in season 1919/20, which was to be the last Rangers played under the legendary William Wilton. Rangers raced to title glory in a season they dominated, with Jimmy Gordon playing 40 games and scoring 10 goals in all competitions, including 7 in the league. His fifth championship medal had been won at the age of 32.
He scored his last Rangers goal on 24th April 1920, thirteen years after his club debut, in a 6-1 home win against Dundee, and made his final competitive appearance at Dumbarton 4 days later. By this time a young right half by the name of David Meiklejohn had made his debut, and the youngster was to take over that position and serve the club with incredible distinction for many years.
The tragic events prior to season 1920/21 that saw the untimely death of William Wilton and the beginning of the Bill Struth era also coincided with the end of a glorious Rangers career for Jimmy Gordon. He only played 1 match under Struth, a benefit match on August 30th 1920 for the magnificent Rangers servant Bert Manderson, when Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 in front of 20,000 spectators.
Jimmy Gordon left Rangers soon after, heading to the Kingdom of Fife to briefly play for Dunfermline, before he hung up his boots and enjoyed life after football as the owner of a number of billiard halls along with his old Rangers teammate Jimmy Gault.
Jimmy Gordon died in November 1954 at the age of 66, and he deservedly was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Gordon, Rangers FC 1907 - 1920
Appearances 388 (all competitions)
Goals 79
5 League Titles
10 Scotland Caps
6 Glasgow Cups, 4 Charity Cups
Rangers Hall of Fame member
World War 1 veteran
Never forgotten.
