In January 1907, a new master started at Hymers College. Edward Gordon Dundas Wright, known as Gordon, started as a Junior Form Master, also teaching Mathematics in the Senior School and becoming a Football Master.  At 22 years old, this was likely his first teaching position, but he was already at that time an international forward and captain of the Corinthians (an English amateur football club based in London).

He joined Hull City and became its captain but, as a teacher with Saturday morning classes, he could only play in home matches.  He was an amateur in the game and, when asked if he liked playing with the Tigers, he replied, 'They are good fellows and they play very hard.'

Born in 1884, Gordon attended St Lawrence College in Ramsgate before taking up a place at Queen's College in Cambridge.  On graduating from Cambridge in 1906, he was appointed as a teacher for Hymers College in September 1906, starting there in the following New Year of 1907.

Nearly a year before being appointed as a master, while in Newcastle at the end of December 1905, it was reported that Gordon had signed for Hull City.  This was a considerable catch for Hull City as they completed their first season in the Football League.  Gordon was widely acknowledged to be the finest outside left in the English game and had just been selected to play an international trial game designed to assess players’ prospects for international honours – a trial that bore fruit for Gordon.

 Although his allegiance was pledged to Hull City, as an amateur player, Gordon was at liberty to also play for other sides, notably renowned London-based amateur side Corinthian Casuals. He made his debut for the Corinthians in January 1905 and joined their Easter 1906 tour of Europe, Summer 1906 tour of the United States and 1907 tour of South Africa.

Gordon was Hull City's 31st player and made his City debut against West Bromwich Albion on 7 April 1906, an event that put over 3,000 on City’s usual gate for home matches and new fans saw the England outside left score a debut goal. He returned to the City side in late September 1906 after his summer tour with Corinthians and played in the majority of games in the 1906/07 season.  Captain of the City side, Gordon contributed seven goals that season, however, he scored far less frequently during the remaining years of his time at Hull City, preferring to create goals from the wing rather than cut inside.

Gordon continued to serve City during the 1907/08 and 1908/09 seasons, displaying the familiar pattern of joining the side in late September and ending his season during mid-April, due to his various other footballing and teaching commitments.

In March 1909, Gordon announced that he would be attending the Royal School of Mines, part of the University of London, in order to retrain as a mining engineer and his time with both Hymers College and Hull City would come to an end, although he did continue to play with the Tigers whenever possible.

In the summer of 1913, Gordon decided to return to South Africa and take work as a mining engineer.  This would draw a close to his association with Hull City, a club where his presence in the team was responsible for much success in its early years after formation and that he had captained for seven consecutive seasons from 1906 to 1913.

Gordon’s international trial match in January 1906 led to him being selected to play for the England senior side in March 1906 against Wales, a match that England won 1-0 at Cardiff Arms Park. As a consequence, Gordon is Hull City’s only ever full England international, although it should be noted that this cap was awarded prior to Gordon making his City debut (he had signed for Hull City in December 1905 and had intended to play in January 1906).

Gordon spent several years in South Africa and briefly performed military service in 1917 in South Africa before returning to his mining work. Between 1926 and 1930, Gordon worked in Brazil, performing survey work for the Sao Paulo Railway company, then in the 1940s he had a short spell working in the United States. In the mid-1940s he returned to live in South Africa and died in Johannesburg in June 1947, aged 62 years old.

During his time playing football, he was the 317th player to appear for England and won 20 amateur caps for the England Amateur team.  He stood out for his excellent ball control and tactical knowledge as an outside left.

Gordon twice represented the England amateur football side in the Olympics. In the 1908 London Olympics he was part of the squad but did not play, but in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, he made one appearance in the semi-final against Finland and received a gold medal.

Thanks to On Cloud Seven and John Clayton, OH 1972-79 for their research.

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