Gordon Davies (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Gordon John Davies is a former Welsh
international football player. He earned 16 caps for Wales
between 1979 and 1986, scoring 2 international goals.
, Manchester City
and Chelsea
.
He joined Fulham in 1978 from Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
, and spent six years with the London club. After a season with Chelsea he was signed by Manchester City for a fee of £100,000. He made his City debut on 12 October 1985 against Watford
, and his first goal came two days later in a 6–1 victory over Leeds United in the Full Members Cup
; Davies scored a hat-trick that day. Once Billy McNeill
departed as City manager Davies' days at the club were numbered and his final City match was against Southend United in the Football League Cup
, and he returned to Fulham in October 1986.
His second spell at Fulham lasted five years, at the end of which he had become Fulham's record goalscorer, with 159 league goals in 394 appearances. At the end of his Fulham career, the club granted him a testimonial
which was played against a Wales XI. He then had short spells at Wrexham and Northwich Victoria, and retired from the game in 1993.
debut on 21 November 1979 against Turkey
. He made 16 Wales appearances in total (scoring two goals) with his last game against Republic of Ireland
on 26 March 1986.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international football player. He earned 16 caps for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
between 1979 and 1986, scoring 2 international goals.
Club career
Davies, a forward, played club football for a number of English clubs, including FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
He joined Fulham in 1978 from Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...
, and spent six years with the London club. After a season with Chelsea he was signed by Manchester City for a fee of £100,000. He made his City debut on 12 October 1985 against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, and his first goal came two days later in a 6–1 victory over Leeds United in the Full Members Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
; Davies scored a hat-trick that day. Once Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill
William "Billy" McNeill MBE is a former Scottish footballer and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic to the European Cup triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic....
departed as City manager Davies' days at the club were numbered and his final City match was against Southend United in the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, and he returned to Fulham in October 1986.
His second spell at Fulham lasted five years, at the end of which he had become Fulham's record goalscorer, with 159 league goals in 394 appearances. At the end of his Fulham career, the club granted him a testimonial
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
which was played against a Wales XI. He then had short spells at Wrexham and Northwich Victoria, and retired from the game in 1993.
International career
Davies made his WalesWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
debut on 21 November 1979 against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. He made 16 Wales appearances in total (scoring two goals) with his last game against Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
on 26 March 1986.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 May 1983 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
0–1 | Win | 1983 British Home Championship 1983 British Home Championship The 1983 British Home Championship was the penultimate in the series of football tournaments between the British Home Nations which stretched back 99 years to 1884... |
|
| 2 | 15 February 1986 | Dahran, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... |
1–2 | Win | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |