July 13, 2025 • 17 mins
We are saddened to hear that former Millwall Manager Gordon Jago MBE peacefully passed away at the age of 92 on July 6th, 2025.
Jeff Burnige fondly remembers Gordon and is joined by cherished former Millwall players Trevor Lee, Phil Coleman, and Bryan King in paying tribute.
Also included is a heartfelt excerpt from a 2021 interview with Gordon, celebrating his enduring legacy.
Jeff Burnige fondly remembers Gordon and is joined by cherished former Millwall players Trevor Lee, Phil Coleman, and Bryan King in paying tribute.
Also included is a heartfelt excerpt from a 2021 interview with Gordon, celebrating his enduring legacy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gordon Jago, Milwall's promotion winning manager, winning nineteen seventy four
and nineteen seventy seven, died on the fourth of July,
age ninety two. He was a big, big part of
football in the United States of America, but also in England.
Born in Poplar, to the north of the Isle of Dogs,
(00:21):
he turned to coaching after a playing career which included
under twenty caps for England and some appearances for Charlton Athletic.
So what was his contribution to Millwall. He was appointed
in nineteen seventy four under a new board when it
became clear that the brilliant Benny Fenton's side had broken
(00:42):
up and was now in great danger of relegation to
the third tier. The new strategy was to create the
very best youth policy in the whole of the country
under Bob Pearson, an appointment by Gordon Jago, and to
start building direct communications with the fans and the local community,
(01:04):
in particular on the field. It was to re establish
a secure position in the second tier of English football,
at least all this with hooliganism gripping the game at
its height in the nineteen seventies, and with crowds down
to around five and six thousand at the Den. In
(01:25):
an era of political uproar, relegation was nearly avoided, but
within one year Jago's team had returned the club to
the second tier with promotion, holding off a late challenge
from Crystal Palace. The youth policy became a cornerstone of
(01:46):
Millwall policy for much of the next fifty years, featuring
two victories in the FA Youth Cup and many other honours,
and the emergence of young talent reaching the very highest
points of the game. Think Teddy Sheringher and think Tim
Cahill and just many others. Think also Keith Stevens, Alan McCleary,
(02:09):
Kevin O'Callaghan, Dave Memmett for long serving and significant players
in the club's history. Gordon was nothing if not forward
thinking and innovative. When I was preparing this special tribute
podcast to Gordon, I had the opportunity to listen again
to what he told us in twenty twenty one about
(02:30):
how he came to actually join Millwall and I enjoyed
listening to that. I hope that will be a nice
part of this tribute.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I walked out at QPR and I got it very quickly.
I got a call from Brian Moore, who was of
course to the ITV television sports reporter, and he asked
me to call mister Burnach, Jef's father, and said that
they were interested in talking to me, and that's how
it all started. I went to meet mister Burnach. That
clarriage is in London a piece. His office was right
(03:01):
next door, and I was so impressed with mister Burnage.
He was very honest and forthright about the position of
the club. It was in danger of being relegated. It
wasn't in a good financial position at that time, but
he was very forthright and I respected him and I
accepted to join Millwall as their manager at that time,
(03:23):
so leaving QPR was a disappointment, but Millwall was great.
It was two years. It was a fascinating time. We
went through a great deal and as your dad probably
would know, it was an interesting season or two at
that time because there was the hooligan problem, and of
course I thought I could save the club. There were
(03:43):
in the bottom three at that time. I thought I
could get him out of trouble. I joined them in
I think in November. I thought I could get him
out of trouble and then move on and you know, say, hey,
I've enjoyed it, I've done a good job. See what's next.
But unfortunately I didn't. Got relegated to the third Division
first time in my life. But we had a very
(04:04):
young side. We had to make a lot of changes
because a lot of the senior players at that time
at Millwall wanted to leave. There were five on the
chantel and list when I got there. There we cut
a long story short. We satisfied those boys, we moved
them on and we went out and we signed a
lot of young boys. We developed a drink u side.
We got promoting back in the first attempt, so we
(04:27):
got back into the second Vision and.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That promotion in nineteen seventy six was built on shall
we say, slender means.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
So what did he do?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Among other things? He signed two twenty year old black
lads from South London straight from non league Epsom and Eule,
who were not even a top level non league club.
They were the late great Phil Walker and right winger Trevoralie,
who I spoke to after we both heard of Gordon's
untimely death. Well, as we said, Gordon Jaygo was a
(05:03):
forward looking man with some very fresh ideas in the
mid nineteen seventies and was determined to get the club
back up to the second tier at the first time
of asking, and in nineteen seventy five he certainly showed
some forward thinking by signing two young black twenty one
year olds from Battersea who were at school together, namely
(05:26):
Phil Walker and Trevor Lee. And I've got trevorally with
me now. Trevor tell us exactly what you can recall
of being asked if you'd like to sign for Millwall.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
It was an occasion whereby we had to play in
the reserve team, you know, and charals like so we'd
come midweg on a Wednesday and play in the reserves,
you know. And after that period, after about two or
three weeks, Gordon Jaygo asked if we wanted a sign
for the club.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Took his time then, yeah, he took his time. Yeah,
And do you remember any of those games? Were any
of them but probably games like London.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
They were they were reserved team games friendly, yeah, where
they were in the league then, yeah, they were.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I think it was a long bit London mid week
something something like that. So that's how it happened and
you actually give notice of your job and become professional footballer.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Well, I mean I was working as a locksmith and
ended up going down to the den, and it was
it was a really strange experience for us, because I
mean I played in professional football grounds before, obviously when
I was a youth team player of Fulham. After the
(06:45):
three weeks I was, I was shocked to find out
that one.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Of the side. Did Gordon tell your himself? He did? Yes, Well,
can you recall.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
What he said, how he put it to you and
what he expected of you.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
He just expected us to to play our normal game
and if he had any if there's anything to talk
about as far as the game was concerned or the
way he played, he would let us know to take
a side.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
You know. But after that he put you straight in
the team, didn't he He did.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yeah, we we went straight in there. I couldn't believe it.
I mean, I thought, at least be you know broken there.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Was any one sub in those days, Yes, there was
only one, so he had no choice in you.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
You're on the right wing, feel somewhere in midfield. Yeah,
I believe he might.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Have scored the winner. Well, we're talking about Gordon today
rather than your experiences. What what sort of things did
he say to you to encourage you in your early
professional career.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
He used to He used to take us aside and
it just talked to us and say, look, you know,
play a normal game. Play play the game that you
feel and you can handle. At the end of the day,
he said, if there's anything to talk about, we will
talk about it. But he never really said. He just
(08:05):
said go out and enjoy yourself. So it was coaching
at the time. It was yes, the coach. Now THEO
was he put a lot of pressures because Gordon said
one thing and he said the other. He said, when
you lose the ball, get back and defended, you know,
and for for a while because I was so used
to attacking all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I was a winger.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
I attacked fallbacks and whatever and defenses. So for me
go running back, you know, to defend.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That season ended well because when they getting is promoted
in your first season as a full time professional footballer. Absolutely,
what's the recollections of that season and how Gordon dealt
with it?
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Yeah, the season was I mean towards the end of
the season, you're talking about probably about thirteen games Unbellion
some like that. Yes, and we got promoted instead of
Crystal Palace.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well that it's not a bad thing, is it. But
do you remember one thing? He had some crazy ideas,
very forward looking.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Do you remember him bringing in Romark the hypnotists? Yeah? Romark, Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I mean Romarke used to go to the Way games
with us on the train up north or the Midlands
or wherever, and he had put on a little show
on the train. You know, he gets the loads and
tricks and whatever, you know, all these sorts of things
he used to come up with.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We had a couple of players on loan at the
end of that season. Christ McGrath was one I remember.
But as it got in we were looking like we
might get up. But Crystal Palace were hard on our heels,
weren't they. And I believe Romark put a curse on
Crystal Palace.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Apparently, I do remember that well.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I remember a lot of our fans will remember us
going over there and getting a result. I think a
one Neill win, and I think Peter Taylor might have
missed a penalty and Romark said it was because he
put a curse on and.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Then do you remember how how you found out that
we've got promoted? Because it wasn't on the field, was
it when we found out?
Speaker 4 (10:05):
We I think I think our last game was away
from home and I think it's Swindon not something.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, yeah, and we were one one at Swindon. Yeah,
you know, so Paris had two games left and steal Peppers.
But I think we were.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Actually playing a five a side tournament at Wembley State
at Wembley Arena when the news came out. Can you
remember finding out how we got promoted a long time ago?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
It was? Yeah, yeah, it was. So what else about Gordon?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Do you like to tell everybody your feelings about him
and how how he importantly was.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
In your in your future career? Absolutely? Yeah, I mean
without God.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
I mean I was, I was getting the disillusioned by
the time I got to Fulham and then once once
Fulhamer turfed me out. They said that you're not the
standards and you know, and so I was, I was
kicked out of it. But he saw like his attitude
(11:08):
was just gonna have fun, gonna have fun boys, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
How was he with a Millwall fans? Do you think
was good.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
He was good with a yeah, yeah, and he encouraged
you to take them on board and they soon started
to really like you, didn't they.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Yeah, but they could they could not like us because
at the end of the day, the first game we played,
we we we beat Mansfield I think it was. And
did you set it up? Phil's going to go?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I set it up?
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, I back across the going for from that moment. Okay,
that was it. We hit the ground running.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Any final thoughts on what Gordon was like as a
man and what he was like for you, what would
you like to say?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah, he was.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
He was a great fellow and he he reminded me
of an old school teacher I used to have, you know,
and he told you and he'll let you talk to him.
He didn't say too much back, you know here, just
let me talk. And but a lovely guy, great briller
(12:11):
and sadly missed.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I'm glad you've made time to tell us about those experiences. Trevor,
thank you very much, and we all look forward to
seeing you back at the New Den fairly soon.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
The Milwaukee Inc.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You trust, is to launch a former players Association. I'm
sure you'll be a part of that eventually, and thank
you very much.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Can't thank you enough. No problem Jack.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
That was a lovely conversation I had with Trevor Lee
the other day. Now next here from Phil Coleman.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
This week I received the sad news that former managers
Gordon Jago had passed away. Gordon was my first professional manager.
When I signed school boy forms as a fifteen year
old at Millwell. I was training during the school holidays
at Pete Freeings and watching him lead the team from
the tunnel at the Old Den. He was a lovely man.
He took an interest in encourage young players. He was
(13:05):
the manager when I left school and became an apprentice footballer,
training every day beside the first team where Gordon and
coached Theofoley worked there magic with players like Trevorale, Phil Walker,
Terry Brisley, Dave Donaldson and obviously Big Barry Kitchener. He
put in place youth development structure that set up what
would happen a few years later, and in terms of
(13:27):
coaching and management it was ahead of his time, with
a vision for the future that might happen one day.
I remember him saying we need to offer more at
the Den to make money than just a few games
of football every year. Gordon was forward thinking, a decent
man and we'll be missed by many, including his family
and friends. Rest in peace, boss.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
That was a fine tribute from Phil who went on,
as I say, to a long career in football and
many apearances, including some in that legendary nine ninety eighty
eight side who won promotion to the top flight for
the only time in the club's history. Finally we hear
(14:13):
from Brian King in some fans mind, the best ever
goalkeeper formal Wall, who was at the club when Gordon
arrived and whom he met later on many occasions.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
What did Brian want to say?
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Sad to hear that Gordon Jogo has passed away age
ninety two. Gordon came to Milwall in November nineteen seventy four.
It was a difficult season which ended in relegation. We
talked about the new season seventy five seventy six. Gordon
(14:48):
said that he wanted to rebuild the team and needed
a sale of a player. That player would be me.
He told me two clubs were interested. I then met
Gordon Milne and decided to join Coventry. That was a
difficult season for me, but a great season for the
(15:09):
Lions they gained promotion. I had an in and out
season at Coventry, playing forty games and sustained an injury.
We played in May at the Old Den in my
testimonial and that was to be one of the last
times I saw Gordon or actually played football. I then
(15:35):
moved to Norway and after Gordon's successful spell at Millwall,
he moved on to America where he became a big name.
He was very successful with Tampa Bay and then moved
on to Dallas where he introduced youth football. He was
a great advocate of youth football and really set America
(15:56):
alike with the Dallas Tournament. I kept with Gordon through
the years and actually met him a couple of years
ago at the Football Writers Dinner. Just the same Gordon,
very elegant, smart, loved to talk especially football, about the
old days and what was going to happen in the future.
(16:20):
All I can say, Gordon is rest in peace, my friend,
and condolences to your family. I had a great time
getting to know you and you'll be missed in the
football world.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
There was so much more that could be said about
Gordon Jago, who left our club in the aftermath of
the notorious BBC Panorama program, who he felt betrayed by
and for which he bravely took responsibility.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Rip Gordon Jago
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Visionary and promotion winning Millwall manager of the nineteen seventies.
Gordon Jago, Milwall's promotion winning manager, winning nineteen seventy four
and nineteen seventy seven, died on the fourth of July,
age ninety two. He was a big, big part of
football in the United States of America, but also in England.
Born in Poplar, to the north of the Isle of Dogs,
(00:21):
he turned to coaching after a playing career which included
under twenty caps for England and some appearances for Charlton Athletic.
So what was his contribution to Millwall. He was appointed
in nineteen seventy four under a new board when it
became clear that the brilliant Benny Fenton's side had broken
(00:42):
up and was now in great danger of relegation to
the third tier. The new strategy was to create the
very best youth policy in the whole of the country
under Bob Pearson, an appointment by Gordon Jago, and to
start building direct communications with the fans and the local community,
(01:04):
in particular on the field. It was to re establish
a secure position in the second tier of English football,
at least all this with hooliganism gripping the game at
its height in the nineteen seventies, and with crowds down
to around five and six thousand at the Den. In
(01:25):
an era of political uproar, relegation was nearly avoided, but
within one year Jago's team had returned the club to
the second tier with promotion, holding off a late challenge
from Crystal Palace. The youth policy became a cornerstone of
(01:46):
Millwall policy for much of the next fifty years, featuring
two victories in the FA Youth Cup and many other honours,
and the emergence of young talent reaching the very highest
points of the game. Think Teddy Sheringher and think Tim
Cahill and just many others. Think also Keith Stevens, Alan McCleary,
(02:09):
Kevin O'Callaghan, Dave Memmett for long serving and significant players
in the club's history. Gordon was nothing if not forward
thinking and innovative. When I was preparing this special tribute
podcast to Gordon, I had the opportunity to listen again
to what he told us in twenty twenty one about
(02:30):
how he came to actually join Millwall and I enjoyed
listening to that. I hope that will be a nice
part of this tribute.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I walked out at QPR and I got it very quickly.
I got a call from Brian Moore, who was of
course to the ITV television sports reporter, and he asked
me to call mister Burnach, Jef's father, and said that
they were interested in talking to me, and that's how
it all started. I went to meet mister Burnach. That
clarriage is in London a piece. His office was right
(03:01):
next door, and I was so impressed with mister Burnage.
He was very honest and forthright about the position of
the club. It was in danger of being relegated. It
wasn't in a good financial position at that time, but
he was very forthright and I respected him and I
accepted to join Millwall as their manager at that time,
(03:23):
so leaving QPR was a disappointment, but Millwall was great.
It was two years. It was a fascinating time. We
went through a great deal and as your dad probably
would know, it was an interesting season or two at
that time because there was the hooligan problem, and of
course I thought I could save the club. There were
(03:43):
in the bottom three at that time. I thought I
could get him out of trouble. I joined them in
I think in November. I thought I could get him
out of trouble and then move on and you know, say, hey,
I've enjoyed it, I've done a good job. See what's next.
But unfortunately I didn't. Got relegated to the third Division
first time in my life. But we had a very
(04:04):
young side. We had to make a lot of changes
because a lot of the senior players at that time
at Millwall wanted to leave. There were five on the
chantel and list when I got there. There we cut
a long story short. We satisfied those boys, we moved
them on and we went out and we signed a
lot of young boys. We developed a drink u side.
We got promoting back in the first attempt, so we
(04:27):
got back into the second Vision and.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That promotion in nineteen seventy six was built on shall
we say, slender means.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
So what did he do?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Among other things? He signed two twenty year old black
lads from South London straight from non league Epsom and Eule,
who were not even a top level non league club.
They were the late great Phil Walker and right winger Trevoralie,
who I spoke to after we both heard of Gordon's
untimely death. Well, as we said, Gordon Jaygo was a
(05:03):
forward looking man with some very fresh ideas in the
mid nineteen seventies and was determined to get the club
back up to the second tier at the first time
of asking, and in nineteen seventy five he certainly showed
some forward thinking by signing two young black twenty one
year olds from Battersea who were at school together, namely
(05:26):
Phil Walker and Trevor Lee. And I've got trevorally with
me now. Trevor tell us exactly what you can recall
of being asked if you'd like to sign for Millwall.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
It was an occasion whereby we had to play in
the reserve team, you know, and charals like so we'd
come midweg on a Wednesday and play in the reserves,
you know. And after that period, after about two or
three weeks, Gordon Jaygo asked if we wanted a sign
for the club.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Took his time then, yeah, he took his time. Yeah,
And do you remember any of those games? Were any
of them but probably games like London.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
They were they were reserved team games friendly, yeah, where
they were in the league then, yeah, they were.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I think it was a long bit London mid week
something something like that. So that's how it happened and
you actually give notice of your job and become professional footballer.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Well, I mean I was working as a locksmith and
ended up going down to the den, and it was
it was a really strange experience for us, because I
mean I played in professional football grounds before, obviously when
I was a youth team player of Fulham. After the
(06:45):
three weeks I was, I was shocked to find out
that one.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Of the side. Did Gordon tell your himself? He did? Yes, Well,
can you recall.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
What he said, how he put it to you and
what he expected of you.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
He just expected us to to play our normal game
and if he had any if there's anything to talk
about as far as the game was concerned or the
way he played, he would let us know to take
a side.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
You know. But after that he put you straight in
the team, didn't he He did.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yeah, we we went straight in there. I couldn't believe it.
I mean, I thought, at least be you know broken there.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Was any one sub in those days, Yes, there was
only one, so he had no choice in you.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
You're on the right wing, feel somewhere in midfield. Yeah,
I believe he might.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Have scored the winner. Well, we're talking about Gordon today
rather than your experiences. What what sort of things did
he say to you to encourage you in your early
professional career.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
He used to He used to take us aside and
it just talked to us and say, look, you know,
play a normal game. Play play the game that you
feel and you can handle. At the end of the day,
he said, if there's anything to talk about, we will
talk about it. But he never really said. He just
(08:05):
said go out and enjoy yourself. So it was coaching
at the time. It was yes, the coach. Now THEO
was he put a lot of pressures because Gordon said
one thing and he said the other. He said, when
you lose the ball, get back and defended, you know,
and for for a while because I was so used
to attacking all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I was a winger.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
I attacked fallbacks and whatever and defenses. So for me
go running back, you know, to defend.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That season ended well because when they getting is promoted
in your first season as a full time professional footballer. Absolutely,
what's the recollections of that season and how Gordon dealt
with it?
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Yeah, the season was I mean towards the end of
the season, you're talking about probably about thirteen games Unbellion
some like that. Yes, and we got promoted instead of
Crystal Palace.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well that it's not a bad thing, is it. But
do you remember one thing? He had some crazy ideas,
very forward looking.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Do you remember him bringing in Romark the hypnotists? Yeah? Romark, Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I mean Romarke used to go to the Way games
with us on the train up north or the Midlands
or wherever, and he had put on a little show
on the train. You know, he gets the loads and
tricks and whatever, you know, all these sorts of things
he used to come up with.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We had a couple of players on loan at the
end of that season. Christ McGrath was one I remember.
But as it got in we were looking like we
might get up. But Crystal Palace were hard on our heels,
weren't they. And I believe Romark put a curse on
Crystal Palace.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Apparently, I do remember that well.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I remember a lot of our fans will remember us
going over there and getting a result. I think a
one Neill win, and I think Peter Taylor might have
missed a penalty and Romark said it was because he
put a curse on and.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Then do you remember how how you found out that
we've got promoted? Because it wasn't on the field, was
it when we found out?
Speaker 4 (10:05):
We I think I think our last game was away
from home and I think it's Swindon not something.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, yeah, and we were one one at Swindon. Yeah,
you know, so Paris had two games left and steal Peppers.
But I think we were.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Actually playing a five a side tournament at Wembley State
at Wembley Arena when the news came out. Can you
remember finding out how we got promoted a long time ago?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
It was? Yeah, yeah, it was. So what else about Gordon?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Do you like to tell everybody your feelings about him
and how how he importantly was.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
In your in your future career? Absolutely? Yeah, I mean
without God.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
I mean I was, I was getting the disillusioned by
the time I got to Fulham and then once once
Fulhamer turfed me out. They said that you're not the
standards and you know, and so I was, I was
kicked out of it. But he saw like his attitude
(11:08):
was just gonna have fun, gonna have fun boys, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
How was he with a Millwall fans? Do you think
was good.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
He was good with a yeah, yeah, and he encouraged
you to take them on board and they soon started
to really like you, didn't they.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Yeah, but they could they could not like us because
at the end of the day, the first game we played,
we we we beat Mansfield I think it was. And
did you set it up? Phil's going to go?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I set it up?
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, I back across the going for from that moment. Okay,
that was it. We hit the ground running.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Any final thoughts on what Gordon was like as a
man and what he was like for you, what would
you like to say?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah, he was.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
He was a great fellow and he he reminded me
of an old school teacher I used to have, you know,
and he told you and he'll let you talk to him.
He didn't say too much back, you know here, just
let me talk. And but a lovely guy, great briller
(12:11):
and sadly missed.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I'm glad you've made time to tell us about those experiences. Trevor,
thank you very much, and we all look forward to
seeing you back at the New Den fairly soon.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
The Milwaukee Inc.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You trust, is to launch a former players Association. I'm
sure you'll be a part of that eventually, and thank
you very much.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Can't thank you enough. No problem Jack.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
That was a lovely conversation I had with Trevor Lee
the other day. Now next here from Phil Coleman.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
This week I received the sad news that former managers
Gordon Jago had passed away. Gordon was my first professional manager.
When I signed school boy forms as a fifteen year
old at Millwell. I was training during the school holidays
at Pete Freeings and watching him lead the team from
the tunnel at the Old Den. He was a lovely man.
He took an interest in encourage young players. He was
(13:05):
the manager when I left school and became an apprentice footballer,
training every day beside the first team where Gordon and
coached Theofoley worked there magic with players like Trevorale, Phil Walker,
Terry Brisley, Dave Donaldson and obviously Big Barry Kitchener. He
put in place youth development structure that set up what
would happen a few years later, and in terms of
(13:27):
coaching and management it was ahead of his time, with
a vision for the future that might happen one day.
I remember him saying we need to offer more at
the Den to make money than just a few games
of football every year. Gordon was forward thinking, a decent
man and we'll be missed by many, including his family
and friends. Rest in peace, boss.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
That was a fine tribute from Phil who went on,
as I say, to a long career in football and
many apearances, including some in that legendary nine ninety eighty
eight side who won promotion to the top flight for
the only time in the club's history. Finally we hear
(14:13):
from Brian King in some fans mind, the best ever
goalkeeper formal Wall, who was at the club when Gordon
arrived and whom he met later on many occasions.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
What did Brian want to say?
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Sad to hear that Gordon Jogo has passed away age
ninety two. Gordon came to Milwall in November nineteen seventy four.
It was a difficult season which ended in relegation. We
talked about the new season seventy five seventy six. Gordon
(14:48):
said that he wanted to rebuild the team and needed
a sale of a player. That player would be me.
He told me two clubs were interested. I then met
Gordon Milne and decided to join Coventry. That was a
difficult season for me, but a great season for the
(15:09):
Lions they gained promotion. I had an in and out
season at Coventry, playing forty games and sustained an injury.
We played in May at the Old Den in my
testimonial and that was to be one of the last
times I saw Gordon or actually played football. I then
(15:35):
moved to Norway and after Gordon's successful spell at Millwall,
he moved on to America where he became a big name.
He was very successful with Tampa Bay and then moved
on to Dallas where he introduced youth football. He was
a great advocate of youth football and really set America
(15:56):
alike with the Dallas Tournament. I kept with Gordon through
the years and actually met him a couple of years
ago at the Football Writers Dinner. Just the same Gordon,
very elegant, smart, loved to talk especially football, about the
old days and what was going to happen in the future.
(16:20):
All I can say, Gordon is rest in peace, my friend,
and condolences to your family. I had a great time
getting to know you and you'll be missed in the
football world.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
There was so much more that could be said about
Gordon Jago, who left our club in the aftermath of
the notorious BBC Panorama program, who he felt betrayed by
and for which he bravely took responsibility.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Rip Gordon Jago
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Visionary and promotion winning Millwall manager of the nineteen seventies.
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