Gordon Tait

Being born in 1973, the year that Montgomery, Porterfield and Stokoe led Sunderland to FA Cup glory, it seemed inevitable that Gordon would end up a lifelong Newcastle fan. Raised in Gateshead, resistance to sporting obsession was futile and he would follow closely in the footsteps of Paul Gascoigne. Unfortunately, it was going to the same school and Redeugh Boy's Club, not playing for Newcastle and England.

Willing to try any sport, Gordon represented schools in a variety of them, including Football, Badminton, Basketball and even Chess. The back lanes and schoolyards were the tutoring for the young Mr. Tait, fostering an interest in football and cricket (through a Yorkshireman, Uncle Roy). Gordon's first game at St. James Park was a Milk Cup tie against Oxford Utd in 1983 and his abiding memory of the game was the Oxford fans adaptation of Culture Club's Karma Kameleon!! Newcastle drew 1-1 with a goal from Terry McDermott.

As with the careers of Waddle, Beardsley and Gascoigne, Gordon's future lay elsewhere and University in Hull beckoned in 1991, just months before Newcastle Utd went through a revolution under Kevin Keegan's managerial reign. The move to Hull brought a brief hiatus in the sporting career as 'other interests' (beer and kebabs) were pursued with far more vigour. Sunday League football was to be the next stage for Gordon to display his footballing talents, career before a new found cricket career started in 1994, being a founder member of the Haworth Arms CC. Before long Gordon had established himself as an upper order batsman of dubious quality.

After various clubs the football career finally came to an end, at the age of 29, due to a couple of dodgy knees. The cricket career continues with the same team (after a number of guises it is, at the time of writing, back to Haworth Arms) and a role as wicket-keeper batsman ensures the dodgy knees are kept busy. Gordon also plays the occasional round of golf (badly), the odd 5-a-side and a weekly game of squash in a vain attempt to halt the rapidly growing waistline. Gordon is available for speech writing of all kinds and should an idea or project require developing to the half-baked stage then look no further.

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