We were saddened to learn of the death of former Fulham first-team coach and Dallas Cup consultant Gordon Jago MBE aged 92.
Jago, who began his coaching career at Craven Cottage looking after the first team in 1966, was born in Poplar and played non-league football at Dulwich Hamlet before joining Charlton Athletic. He made more than a hundred league appearances for the Addicks before taking over as manager of Eastbourne United after hanging up his boots. Jago then spent eighteen months on the staff at Craven Cottage before being appointed head coach of Baltimore Bays in 1967.
He briefly coached the USA national team before returning to England as a coach under Les Allen at Queens Park Rangers in May 1970 and was appointed caretaker bass after Allen’s resignation in January 1971. Jago got the job on a permanent basis after inspiring the R’s to finish the season strongly and signed Stan Bowles, Don Givens and Dave Thomas before guiding Rangers to promotion back to the top flight in 1973. He led QPR to their highest top flight finish of eight the following season before leaving in September 1974 – but Jago is widely regarded as the man responsible for building Rangers’ best ever side.
Jago was named manager of Millwall in November 1974 and, although he couldn’t keep the Lions in the Second Division, he helped them bounce back at the first attempt and bought the likes of Ray Evans, Tony Hazell, John Seasman and Chris McGrath to the Den. He returned to America as head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1982 and then served as coach of the indoor side Dallas Sidekicks on two occasions between 1984 and 1997.
Jago retired from professional coaching but wasn’t finished with contributing to youth football. He settled in Dallas and was a driving force behind the development of Dallas Cup, an internationally acclaimed annual youth tournament, serving as an executive director until he stepped down in 2013. The organising committee renamed one of the elite groups in the under-19 competition the Gordon Jago Super Group in his honour in 2012.
Jago was made a charter member of the FC Dallas hall of fame in 2005 and was made an MBE by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II a year later ‘for his lifetime achievements in advancing association football around the world’. Jago received a lifetime achievement award from the Dallas Cup in 2016 – and numerous Fulham academy graduates, including Jack Grimmer, the Sessegnon twins, Patrick Roberts and Emerson Hyndman, have spoken about the importance of that tournament in their development into the professional game.
Jago passed away aged 92 in Dallas on American independence day. He spoke fondly of his time coaching the Fulham first team in the era of the Maestro, Johnny Haynes. His immense contribution to the development of the game, both in the United Kingdom and the United States, shall never be forgotten. We would like to send our sincerest condolences to Gordon’s friends and family at this tremendously sad time.
I was so sorry to hear this news. I became good friends with Gordon and June when I was in Dallas. He was a wonderful man and did much to promote soccer in the USA. He was deservedly awarded an MBE for this, something which made him so proud. I will miss him. RIP Gordon.
Many condolences.
On a side note, I may be the only person in this audience who remembers the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The NASL was pretty grim. The Atlanta Chiefs played in the Braves stadium (baseball), and the stands were miles from the field. I went to a friend’s birthday party at the game when Pele’s team came to visit – 1980 or so. I remember needing binoculars (does that word translate to British? 🙂 ) just to see the field, half of which was covered in dirt because it was the baseball infield on most days. The weather was insufferably hot. 98F easy – those players were tough.
Thankfully, the world has evolved. C’mon Fulham!
Knew Gordon during his time at Millwall. Lovely man.