Joe Jordan (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Joe Jordan


fullname = Joseph Jordan
height = height|ft=6|in=1
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1951|12|15|df=y
cityofbirth = Carluke
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath =
currentclub = Portsmouth (Head Coach)
position = Forward (retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs = Blantyre Victoria
years = 1968–1970
1970–1978
1978–1981
1981–1983
1983–1984
1984–1987
1987–1988
clubs = Greenock Morton
Leeds United
Manchester United
A.C. Milan
Hellas Verona
Southampton
Bristol City
Total
caps(goals) = 008 00(1)
170 0(35)
109 0(37)
052 0(12)
012 00(1)
048 0(12)
057 00(8)
456 (106)
nationalyears = 1973–1982
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 052 (11)
manageryears = 1988–1990
1990–1993
1993–1994
1994–1997
2005
managerclubs = Bristol City
Heart of Midlothian
Stoke City
Bristol City
Portsmouth (Caretaker)

Joseph "Joe" Jordan (born 15 December, 1951 in Carluke, Scotland) was a centre-forward in the Leeds United team of the 1970s. He is the only Scottish player to score in three World Cups (1974, 1978 and 1982).

Playing career

Early career

Jordan commenced playing lower league football for Blantyre Victoria at the age of 15. As an apprentice, Jordan combined playing with working as a draughtsman. Jordan eventually moved to Greenock Morton, where he was spotted by a Leeds scout. Jordan moved to Leeds for £15,000 in 1970.

Jordan was an imposing figure throughout his career, as his four upper front teeth had been knocked out whilst playing football for Leeds. He subsequently had dentures fitted which, for safety reasons, he would remove prior to every game, therefore giving him a fearsome toothless grin.

Early Career At Leeds United

Initially, there was little prospect of Jordan getting first team football, as the partnership of Allan Clarke and Mick Jones was a well established and successful duo.

In 1973, he appeared in the first team on a regular basis, managing 16 League starts and scoring nine goals. However, he was left out of the team which contested the FA Cup final against Sunderland which Leeds lost 1–0. Days later, Don Revie selected him for the European Cup Winners Cup final on 16 May against A.C. Milan, which again ended in a 1–0 defeat. In the same month, Jordan played his first game for Scotland, a 1–0 defeat to England at Wembley on 19 May.

Jordan was a regular in the following season, as Leeds coasted to the League title. He scored seven goals in 25 League games and earned nine more Scotland caps by the end of the season, scoring two goals on the way (including one against England at Hampden Park). This ensured his inclusion in the Scotland squad for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany.

1974 World Cup Appearances

At the World Cup, Jordan scored the second goal in a 2–0 win over Zaire in the first group game, and a last minute equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Yugoslavia. Scotland finished the group unbeaten, but went out of the competition at the group stage on goal difference.

Later Career At Leeds United

At Leeds, Mick Jones was fighting a losing battle with a knee injury, and in the 1974–75 season Jordan was finally able to establish himself as the club's main target man. He was in the Leeds team which contested the 1975 European Cup, which Leeds lost 2–0 to Bayern Munich. The match signalled the end of Revie's side; older players began to leave the club, and Jordan found himself at a club in slow decline.

1978 World Cup Appearances

Jordan was still a regular for Scotland, and in 1977 he caused controversy during the decisive World Cup qualifying match between Scotland and Wales. Late in the game, with the scores level, Scotland were attacking in the Wales penalty area when Jordan allegedly handled the ball. The referee, believing the ball to have been handled by a Welsh player, awarded a penalty, from which Scotland scored. The victory meant that Scotland qualified for the World Cup at Wales' expense.

He was selected by Ally MacLeod in the Scotland squad for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, scoring in the opening 3–1 defeat against Peru. Scotland again failed to qualify beyond the group stage.

Manchester United

In 1978, Leeds agreed a £350,000 pounds fee from rivals Manchester United, and Jordan left for Old Trafford. Jordan had made 135 League appearances and scored 39 goals for Leeds.

Jordan helped Manchester United reach the FA Cup final in 1979, which they lost 3–2 to Arsenal. He remained at Old Trafford until 1981, when he moved to A.C. Milan.

1982 World Cup Appearances

In 1982, Jordan was again in the Scotland squad for the World Cup. Scotland once again failed to progress beyond the group stages; however, a personal milestone was achieved when he scored in the 2–2 draw against the USSR. Unfortunately he was injured in the same match, missed the rest of the tournament and never played for his country again. His international career ended with 52 appearances and 11 goals. As a player with more than 50 caps, he holds a permanent place in the Scotland Hall of Fame.

Later career

After leaving Milan, he went on to play for Hellas Verona before returning to England to join Southampton in 1984.

He spent three years there as his career wound down, finishing his playing days at Bristol City, for whom he was briefly player-manager.

International goals

:"Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first."

Coaching and management career

After an impressive spell at Bristol City which saw the club reach the semi-finals of the League cup, Jordan returned to Scotland afterwards to coach Hearts. He then worked for a time at Celtic, before returning for a second spell in charge of Bristol City, and from there Huddersfield Town and Stoke City. From December 2000 until May 2002, he was assistant to his former Manchester United team-mate Lou Macari at Huddersfield Town.

Jordan was part of Harry Redknapp's backroom team at Portsmouth and continued to coach the team under the management of Velimir Zajec and Alain Perrin. He took over as caretaker manager for 2 games in November 2005 after Perrin's departure, before Redknapp returned after resigning from Southampton.

His son, Tom plays for Havant and Waterlooville.

Managerial stats

External links

*SFA Profile|id=14613|name=Joe Jordan
*soccerbase|4009|Joe Jordan's (incomplete)
*soccerbase (manager)|id=764|name=Joe Jordan
* [http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/jordanjoe.html Profile] at [http://www.londonhearts.com londonhearts.com] Navboxes
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