HTFC PROGRAMME 2113-14 DESIGN 11th Jan 2014 | Page 16

PITMEN ARCHIVES
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Club historian Dave Shaw delves into his extensive archives to honour a name from the club’s long and illustrious past

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GORDON FRANCIS LEE

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‘Onka’ Lee, as Gordon became known throughout his childhood and to the Hednesford football faithful
during the early 1950s, was born in Pye Green, a small village on the outskirts of Hednesford, 13 July 1934,
and spent his youth in Heath Hayes. He was to become a sound and versatile performer, capable of playing
in any of the defensive positions.

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Initially, Gordon showed a very keen interest in football and cricket, captaining his Littleworth School in both
sports. His football development continued with the Girton Road Gasworks team before he joined
Hednesford Football Club in 1953, making his first senior outing for us in a 1-0 victory over Sutton, 10
January 1953.

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First Division Aston Villa signed Gordon on the recommendation of former Villa star, Jackie Martin, the recent
Hednesford manager and his schoolteacher at Littleworth several years earlier. Gordon originally signed
amateur forms, allowing him to continue playing for Hednesford and for the RAF as he was about to begin his
National Service. On his demob, he signed professional ones, 1 October 1955, but it would be three years
before his first senior-team game - a 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest was the first of 14 outings in 1958;
Hednesford was awarded £50 for Gordon reaching Central League status and £200 on his First Division
debut.

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The Football League Cup competition was introduced in 1960; Villa won the trophy in its inaugural year with a
3-2 victory over Rotherham after a 2-0 defeat at Millmoor and a 3-0 victory in the return leg for Gordon and
his teammates. Two years later, he and Villa reached
the final again, only to be defeated by arch-rivals
Birmingham City.

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After spending 11-years at Villa Park, where he
appeared 142 times and scored two goals in all
competitions for their senior team, Gordon transferred
to Shrewsbury Town, 1 July 1966, playing twice as
their player-coach before taking his first managerial
role with Port Vale, replacing Stan Matthews, in 1968.
Hednesford hero, Brian Horton, was one of his
captures for Vale.

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Six years later Gordon took over at Blackburn Rovers,
winning the Third Division title at the end of his first
year in charge, taking over at Newcastle United
between 1975 and 1977. Everton, 1977-81 and
Preston North End, 1981-83 followed, losing League
Cup finals whilst at both clubs, before taking on
Iceland’s Reykjavik KR for a two-year spell.

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He later coached in Saudi Arabia and at Leicester City,
also helping them as assistant-manager and as
caretaker-manager. Gordon has also acted as scout
for several clubs, nationwide. He now lives in Lytham
St. Anne’s.

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thePitmen

Onka Lee