Saints Number: #568
Saints Career: 1921-1929
Appearances: 54
Position: Wing

Career Statistics

Tries: 28
Total Points: 84

Official Roles

Assistant Club Secretary
Club Secretary
Club President

Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2025

Jerry Gordon

Ernest James ‘Jerry’ Gordon’s impact on Northampton Saints extended far beyond his playing career. While he made only 54 first-team appearances, few individuals have contributed more to the Club’s long-term development.

Gordon joined Saints in 1921 as a winger and scored 28 tries before knee cartilage problems forced his retirement at the age of 26. However, his involvement with the Club was only just beginning. In 1929 he moved directly into administration, becoming Club Secretary following an eventful annual general meeting at The Peacock Hotel. He would ultimately serve Northampton Saints for 36 years.

His stewardship spanned some of the most turbulent periods of the twentieth century, including the Wall Street Crash, the Great Depression, the Second World War and the years of post-war rationing. Throughout that period, Saints continued their rise to become one of the leading rugby clubs in the country.

Gordon’s responsibilities extended into almost every aspect of Club life. He sought out player recommendations, chaired selection meetings, organised tours and negotiated with hotels and suppliers. Away from rugby he ran the Franklin’s Gardens hotel before returning to farming at Rothersthorpe. Club folklore recalls him being accompanied to the bank by his pet bull mastiff, Mike, whenever he carried the Club’s takings.

He earned widespread admiration throughout the rugby community. The Saints Supporters Club praised his ‘enthusiasm, hard and unremitting work’ in a commemorative publication in 1947/48, while later Club Historians described him as an inspired and inspiring administrator whose contribution to Northampton could scarcely be measured.

His connection to the Club was reflected in the naming of the Gordon Terrace when the covered stand opened in 1954/55, marking his 25th season as Club Secretary. Alongside his wife, Hilda, and their family, Gordon became woven into the fabric of Franklin’s Gardens.

Gordon died shortly after succeeding Gordon Sturtridge as Club President. Today, every supporter who stands on the Terrace is reminded of his legacy. As long as rugby is played at Franklin’s Gardens, Jerry Gordon’s contribution to Northampton Saints will continue to be remembered.

Hall of Fame profiles have been researched and compiled, with the Club’s grateful thanks, by the volunteers of Northampton Saints Foundation’s Heritage Department – whose work helps preserve and share the rich history of Northampton Saints.