Alan Gordon

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 Aberdeen. The family sojourn in the North East was brief, however, and back home in Edinburgh, he thrived as part of the Murrayburn Primary School which had won The School Board Cup in 1954, 1955 and 1956 and four other trophies in those three seasons. He was selected to play for Edinburgh Primary Schools and would go on to captain the team that beat Bellshill Primary Schools 3–0 in the second leg of the Scottish Cup Final for the Wilson Trophy at Tynecastle, winning 4–2 on aggregate. Gordon scored once in a match which was played on 14 May 1956, his twelfth birthday. Naturally left footed, he was by now confirmed in the inside left position. Despite winning a scholarship to the rugby union-playing George Heriot's School, 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…