Joe Jordan

Joseph Jordan was born into the modest environs of Carluke, Lanarkshire on 15th December 1951. After honing his footballing potential and abilities at Blantyre Victoria FC, the young Jordan shunned a career as a draughtsman to sign his first professional contract with Greenock Morton aged just 17. The following years saw a rapid career progression as Jordan traversed the foremost European Leagues with some of the continents most famous clubs while representing his country on 52 separate occasions.

A powerful striker, Jordan’s form of intelligent forward play, occasional disregard for his own well being and most importantly his goals, were highly sought after throughout his career. His physical appearance – he was missing his four upper front teeth added to his fearsome aura and reputation as he was christened ‘Lo Squalo’ or ‘The Shark’ during his stint in Italy.

After only eight first team appearances for Morton, Jordan’s potential was recognised by legendary Leeds manager Don Revie, who wasted no time in offering the young Scot the opportunity to join the West Yorkshire club. Jordan’s early Leeds United days were spent amongst the fine company of colossal and legendary figures such as Billy Bremner, Allan Clarke and Mick Jones. Unfortunately for Jordan however, his esteemed company and consistent success of the more senior players restricted Jordan’s first team opportunities.

Despite making fleeting appearances it was season 1973/74 before Joe Jordan managed to consistently contribute to Revie’s Leeds side. This productive season laid the foundations for the following years, with 16 starts yielding nine goals as Leeds reached the FA Cup final and Cup Winners Cup Final, although they were unfortunate to lose to Sunderland and AC Milan respectively.

Season 1973/74 saw Jordan establish himself as the focal point of the Leeds United front line, winning the Division One Championship at a canter. Scoring nine goals in a far more significant 25 appearances Jordan also increased his now burgeoning tally of Scotland caps as his performances at the English Champions saw him included in the 1974 World Cup Final Squad heading for West Germany. Despite scoring against Zaire and Yugoslavia Scotland predictably, failed to qualify from the tournaments group phase as a spectacular miss from Leeds United team-mate Billy Bremner saw the Scots exit the competition on goal difference.

The following season at Leeds United would provide yet another historic achievement for the reigning English Champions. Despite spectacularly throwing away their League championship crown to Derby County, Leeds reached their first and only European Cup Final, where they would meet Bayern Munich in the Parc de Prince, Paris. Despite a brave showing from the men in white, Leeds would eventually succumb to two late goals as the German Champions claimed the second of their three consecutive Champions Cup triumphs.

The European Cup Final defeat was a high watermark for Revie’s legendary side and the following years saw a steady decline in performance as many of the players who had inspired Leeds United’s dominant period in English football retired or moved to pastures new. Amongst them was Joe Jordan who in 1978 made the short journey from white to red rose country as he signed for Leeds’s Lancashire rivals Manchester United.

As part of Dave Sexton’s United side, Jordan would score 37 goals in 109 appearances in 1978. 1978 was also the year of Scottish infamy as Ally Macleod’s deluded and euphoric bubble was spectacularly burst with a poor showing in the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina. Despite the eventual humiliation Jordan managed to maintain a semblance of personal dignity as he scored his third World Cup goal in five appearances against an excellent Peru side.

Another scoring World Cup Final appearance in Spain 1982 would follow, however not before ‘Lo Squalo’ was introduced to Serie A. Signing for AC Milan in 1981 Jordan would go on to play 52 times in two seasons with the Rossaneri, scoring 12 goals and endearing himself to red and black hordes on the North Bank of the San Siro stadium. A move north in 1983 saw Jordan transferred to Hellas Verona, at the time one of Italy’s leading teams. However injury curtailed his contribution in the Shakespearean city as he played only 12 times, scoring one goal. Yet in keeping with the recurring career theme of Cup Final tragedy that had consistently permeated his professional career, Jordan endured yet another defeat as Verona lost to Roma in the 1984 Copa Italia final.

As a fruitful career came to an close ‘the shark’ would return from the deep blue waters of Serie A, where tactical and defensive mastery frustrated many a great striker, to the simpler and less complicated surroundings of the English top tier. Two seasons at Southampton followed by a spell as player-manager of Bristol City gradually brought the curtain down on the playing career of the Scotland Hall of Famer as he made his first tentative steps into football management.

The intervening period has seen Jordan perform numerous managerial roles both north and south of the border, most notably with Hearts and Portsmouth. Currently highly regarded as Harry Redknapp’s assistant at Tottenham Hotspur, Jordan remains a quietly dignified an intelligent presence amongst the less articulate Tottenham managerial team of Redknapp, Tim Sherwood and Les Ferdinand.

Although his contribution today may not be as ecstatically received or well regarded as his goal against Czechoslovakia in the famous 1977 World Cup Qualifier, his reputation remains unblemished, fully deserving of his place in the pantheon of Scottish greats in the Hampden Hall of Fame.

PLAYER PROFILE

Full Name: Joseph Jordan
Date of Birth: 15th December 1951
Place of Birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Height: 6ft 1in. (1.85m)
Playing Position: Forward

CLUB CAREER

1968-70 Greenock Morton – 8 Appearances [1 Goal]
1970-78 Leeds Utd – 170 Appearances [35 Goals]
1978-81 Manchester Utd – 109 Appearances [37 Goals]
1981-83 AC Milan – 52 Appearances [12 Goals]
1983-84 Hellas Verona – 12 Appearances [1 Goal]
1984-87 Southampton – 48 Appearances [12 Goals]
1987-88 Bristol City – 57 Appearances [8 Goals]

NATIONAL TEAM

1973- 1982 Scotland – 52 Appearances [11 Goals]

CAREER STATS

508 Appearances [117 Goals]

MANAGERIAL CAREER

1988-1990 Bristol City
1990- 1993 Heart of Midlothian
1993-1994 Stoke City
1994-1997 Bristol City
2005 Portsmouth [Caretaker]
2008 Portsmouth [Caretaker]

Reproduced from Issue Five of the Scottish football fanzine, The 12th Man.