The son of an Oldbury brewer, Willie Jordan was educated at St Edward’s School. Birmingham before going to St John’s College Oxford. A centre-forward, he was on the books of West Bromwich Albion from 1904 and on 16 February 1907, whilst still at University, he scored a hat-trick on his début in the 5-0 win over Gainsborough Trinity. He would later become a vicar and has the distinction of being the first vicar to play for Albion in the Football League. Jordan appeared in the 1907 FA Cup semi-final defeat by Everton at Burnden Park. All this happened before he won his only football Blue in 1908 when he scored one goal in Oxford’s 4-1 win over Cambridge. He made his England amateur debut against France at Park Royal in March 1908 and scored six goals, which led to him being named as one of the non-travelling reserves for the 1908 Olympics. After 17 goals in 35 games for the Baggies he moved to Oxford City in 1909 and spent a couple of seasons with the non-leaguers and it was during his time with them that he won his last England amateur cap against Ireland in November 1909, scoring the equalising goal in a 4-4 draw which avoided England’s first ever defeat by the Irish. Having obtained a BA and MA he was ordained and in 1910 moved to his first Parish, in Liverpool. He played two games for Everton in the first division in 1911-12 before playing the next season for Wolverhampton Wanderers, but thereafter his clerical duties overtook his footballing ones. Jordan moved to other Parishes in the north-west of England, in Southport and Widnes before spending six years on the Isle of Man, where he played football for St George’s in 1919. He returned to Liverpool and then crossed the Pennines to Slaidburn, Yorkshire in 1927 when he became a Canon. He eventually returned home to his native Worcestershire where he died in 1949. Jordan was married to Eleanor Madden the daughter of the late Archdeacon Madden of Liverpool. His brother James was also a minister.
Great Britain