*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Gordon Burden
Appearances: 190+9 Goals: 88
Date / Year of birth: 26th November 1938
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1965/66
Season of last appearance: 1968/69
Also played for: Ashford Town, Doncaster Rovers (0), Hastings United, Brett Sports, Deal Town, Sheppey United and Sittingbourne
Ashford-born diminutive, stocky winger who started his senior career with his hometown club during the 1954/55 campaign, immediately after leaving school. Gordon then spent two seasons with Doncaster Rovers but didn't make the first team and returned to Ashford in July 1957.
On 19.10.59 Gordon scored as Ashford lost 7-2 in a game against Chelsea to mark the switching on of the new floodlights at Essella Park and the legendary Jimmy Greaves got four of the Londoners goals. Ashford also enjoyed a good FA Cup run during 1959/60 and reached the 1st Round Proper before losing at Brentford. The Nuts & Bolts twice paid for Gordon to be flown in from Germany where he was doing his National Service so that he could take part in important ties.
After more than five years back at Ashford he joined Hastings in October 1962, shortly after Margate had enquired about him. Gordon became a very popular player at Hastings and he was the club's 'Player of the Year' for the 1964/65 campaign. He scored 31 goals in 69 appearances during the season. 1965/66 was another good campaign for Gordon as he scored 14 goals in 46 games for Hastings before moving to Margate for a fee of approximately £250 in March 1966.
Gordon made an instant impression when he made his Margate debut on 28.3.66, scoring in a 2-2 draw with Folkestone at Hartsdown Park and being described by the local paper as "a first-class buy". His accurate crossing from the left wing and speed off the mark were complimented by solid tackling - an unusual asset for a winger to possess. Gordon went on to make 13 appearances for Margate before the end of the 1965/66 season as the club were relegated from the Southern League Premier Division and he scored four goals. The best of them was a lofted effort from outside the penalty area in a 5-2 win over Yeovil at Hartsdown Park on 30.4.66.
In the summer of 1966 Gordon took part in Margate's tour of West Germany and scored four goals during the trip.
The 1966/67 season was an excellent one for Gordon, he made 58 appearances (one as a substitute) and scored 20 goals - an excellent tally for a winger - as Margate won promotion from the Southern League Division One by finishing as runners-up. A volley in a 4-2 win over Banbury at Hartsdown Park on 29.4.67 was the pick of his goals and the strike was described as "magnificent" by the local paper. Gordon complimented his goalscoring and creativity with hard work and he was described as "tireless".
He enjoyed an even better season during 1967/68, scoring a remarkable 37 goals from a total of 70 appearances, and on 6.11.67 Gordon bagged a hat-trick in a 5-0 home win over Stevenage in the Southern League Cup. On 13.12.67 he was in the side that won 3-1 at Yeovil in the FA Cup 1st Round and Gordon also played in the 2nd Round as Margate lost 4-0 at home to Peterborough on 6.1.68.
On 3.1.68 he scored four times in a 5-0 win over visitors Maidstone in the Kent Floodlight League and Gordon then notched up another hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Hillingdon at Hartsdown Park on 17.2.68. On 6.4.68 he featured in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final - a 1-1 draw with Ramsgate at Hartsdown Park - and then took part in the 2nd Leg at Southwood on 13.4.68 which finished 0-0. On 16.5.68 Gordon was in the Margate team that secured the trophy by beating Ramsgate 3-1 in the replay at Hartsdown Park. During the season he was described as "terrier-like" by the local press and Gordon's "dash and verve" also won him praise in the paper.
During the 1968/69 season Gordon made a further 58 appearances and eight of them were as a substitute, mainly due to the form of the talented Tommy Jenkins on Margate's left wing. However Gordon was still amongst the goals, scoring 27 in total, and on 16.9.68 he bagged a hat-trick in a 6-2 home win over Wellington in the Southern League. Gordon then scored four times during a 20 minute spell in the second half of a 6-0 win at Sheppey in the FA Cup on 5.10.68 and all of his goals were set up by Phil Amato. On 16.11.68 Gordon was in the side that lost 3-1 at Northampton in the FA Cup 1st Round.
He scored a superb solo goal in a 4-1 defeat at Hereford on 21.12.68, beating two defenders before finishing, and on 10.3.69 Gordon found the net with what the local press described as a 'delightful lob' in a 5-0 win over visitors Deal in the Kent Floodlight Cup. On 17.4.69 he scored a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw at Canterbury in the same competition but at the end of the season Gordon left Margate and returned to Ashford for a third spell, becoming their player-coach. Hughie Cochrane joined Margate in exchange.
During the 1969/70 season Gordon helped Ashford to gain promotion to the Southern League Premier Division and then became player-manager of Brett Sports in the summer of 1970, taking over from former Margate player Bobby Harrison. He scored for Brett against Margate Reserves on 27.3.71 and stayed with the Canterbury-based club until it folded at the end of the 1972/73 season.
Gordon then became player-manager of Deal for the 1973/74 campaign and stayed there until February 1975. He scored 18 goals during that time and then had a brief spell as a player with Sheppey before the end of the 1974/75 season, playing only three games before being struck down with appendicitis.
In the summer of 1975 Gordon was appointed as Sittingbourne's player-manager and his two seasons with the Brickies were very successful. The club won the Kent League in the 1975/76 season and finished as runners-up in the 1976/77 campaign.
He then returned to Ashford for a fourth spell in August 1977 and in April 1978 Gordon became the club's player-manager. His son Dean was Ashford's goalkeeper at one stage.
Gordon left Ashford after six years having made over 250 appearances in total for the club and he later had an eight week spell in charge of Herne Bay in 1985 before returning to Ashford once more towards the end of the 1989/90 season. He had a short stint as the club's caretaker manager but then had nothing more to do with football.
In 2003 Gordon reflected on his spell with Margate and said "it was a wonderful time to be playing for Margate, the dressing room was a happy one and the players were treated well."
Gordon was still living near Ashford in 2014 and on 12.4.14 he was one of the many former Margate players who attended the club's 'Legends Day' at Hartsdown Park.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
KSS |
|
1965/66 (MFC) |
13 (67) |
N/A |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (22ND OF 22) |
1QR |
2R |
SF |
RU |
SF |
| Margate relegated to
Division One. Played in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 1st Leg (12.05.66 - lost 3-1 at Dartford). Played in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 2nd Leg (18.05.66 - lost 5-2 at home to Dartford). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
KSS |
|
1966/67 (MFC) |
57 (72) |
1 |
20 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 24) |
3QR |
QF |
RU |
GR |
2R |
| Margate promoted to
Premier Division. Played in Kent Senior Cup Final 1st Leg (03.04.67 - lost 5-0 at home to Dover). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
KSS |
|
1967/68 (MFC) |
70 (82) |
0 |
37 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (8TH OF 22) |
2R |
W |
1R |
GR |
N/A |
| Played in FA Cup 1st
Round (13.12.67 - won 3-1 at Yeovil Town). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (06.01.68 - lost 4-0 at home to Peterborough United). Played in Southern League Cup Final 1st Leg (06.04.68 - drew 1-1 at home to Ramsgate Athletic). Played in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (13.04.68 - drew 0-0 at Ramsgate Athletic). Played in Southern League Cup Final replay (16.05.68 - beat Ramsgate Athletic 3-1 at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
SLCH |
|
1968/69 (MFC) |
50 (75) |
8 |
27 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (18TH OF 22) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
W |
W |
| Played in FA Cup 1st
Round (16.11.68 - lost 3-1 at Northampton Town).
Played in Kent Senior Cup Final 1st Leg (30.04.69 - lost 4-0 at Folkestone Town). Played in Kent Senior Cup Final 2nd Leg (08.05.69 - beat Folkestone Town 2-0 at home). Played in Southern League Championship Match (12.08.68 - won 4-1 at Chelmsford City). | |||||||||