Gordon Jago was born on 22nd October 1932 in Poplar, East London.
After playing for non-league Dulwich Hamlet, Gordon then moved to Charlton Athletic in 1954.
He coached Fulham at the end of his playing days before managing Eastbourne United.
In 1967, Gordon then began what was to be his long association with coaching/managing in the USA. He was even briefly named coach of the National team.
Gordon arrived at Loftus Road in May 1969 and initially took on the position of coach, working alongside manager Les Allen.
He took over from Les in January 1971 and he went on bring in a number of what were to be a number of significant signings, which included; Stan Bowles, Dave Thomas, Frank McLintock and Don Givens.
Gordon resigned at the beginning of October 1974 and then took over at Millwall.
This was followed by a move back to the USA, where he coached Tampa Bay Rowdies between 1978 and 1982 and then later the Dallas Sidekicks.
The following Michael Wale Report (amended) appeared in the Sheffield Wednesday match programme on 5th September 1970:
‘It was the Sunday morning after Rangers’ opening match at Swindon. Gordon Jago was back in London with the team – plus a league point.
A fair enough result I thought, although the newspapers suggested Rangers should have won. A view shared by Gordon:
“In the dressing room afterwards everyone was so disappointed, so sick. That to me proves the standards we’ve set ourselves.”
Off the field there have been changes too. Gordon says that plans for the new 5,000-seater stand on the site of the old stand should be finished by late October. Work at present is on schedule.
The director’s box, press box and dressing rooms have been moved to beneath the South Africa Road Stand, which has at last mercifully been protected against the weather at each end.
With his experience of management in America, Gordon would still like to see an all-seater stadium but says: “Although we’re doing all this work off the field, it all depends on what we do on the field, that’s what I’m judged by.”
Alan Barnes told me about the time he and Keith Davies (RIP) collected match-worn shirts from Gordon after the Sunderland game at Roker Park in 1973. Alan received Terry Mancini’s and Keith took hold of Stan’s.
Alan, Keith, Jim Mellins and Jeff Ledwidge were amongst the handful of R’s fans at the game. Rangers had secured promotion, and Sunderland had just won the FA Cup.
Not only was it an emphatic 3-0 win but Tony Hazell famously knocked the FA Cup off the pitch-side table and the referee had to take the players off for ten minutes!
In 1973, John Anthony’s superb article: ‘Jago Sells Rangers the American Way’, included some of these forward-looking public relations ideas Gordon had brought with him from America.
“The days are over when an English football club can open its gates on a Saturday afternoon and just sit back and watch the thousands stream in.”
“We have tried to bring our fans closer to the club, to give them a greater affiliation with the club, to feel that they are part of Queen’s Park Rangers. I learned how to handle the crowd situation and the public relations angle of sport in America.”
“We started the idea off by letting some of the fans meet the players on match days, then we took them around the ground to show them things like the dressing-rooms and the directors’ box.”
“Clubs must go out of their way to attract the fan and, when they have got him, look after him.”
“The secretary, commercial manger and myself are always open to any offers in this direction, and we try anything we think will work along these lines.”
Gordon Harold Jago, MBE, passed away in his sleep in Dallas, Texas on 4th July 2025, aged 92.
Rest in Peace Gordon, and thanks.
Steve Russell
It’s all been said about the great man. Any child looking for a team to support in 1973/74 became a QPR fan for life.
One of our great managers. The Club was fortunate to secure his services.
R I P Gordon and Thanks. You did us proud
Bernard Lambert