Gordon McQueen, born Kilbirnie, Scotland, June 26, 1952. Gordon McQueen appeared for St Mirren and Leeds United before he joined Manchester United in early February 1978. While with United, the stopper formed a strong partnership with fellow central defensive bulwark Martin Buchan and helped the Old Trafford club win the 1983 FA Cup Final after a replay against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Hailing from Ayrshire, Gordon McQueen kick-started his footballing career with Scottish First Division outfit St Mirren and the promising player was handed his first team debut for The Saints in a heavy 4-0 friendly defeat to English First Division side Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on the 1st of August 1970. A solidly constructed central defender who also liked to join the attack, he registered five goals in 57 Scottish League appearances for the Paisley club before he was discovered by controversial Leeds United boss Don Revie who subsequently bought him for a bargain fee of £30,000 at the front end of the 1972-73 campaign. The Whites had ended the previous season as First Division runners-up and FA Cup winners, and with players like Billy Bremner, Allan Clarke, Eddie Gray, and Norman Hunter, they were still a major force to be reckoned with. And although Leeds had got themselves a reputation as a physical team, they nevertheless played some entertaining football under Revie during the first half of the 1970s, and the new signing from St Mirren quickly settled down in his new surroundings.
The Scot, who had been brought to Elland Road as a long-term replacement for former England international defender Jack Charlton, debuted for The Peacocks in a 3-2 First Division victory over Derby County at Baseball Ground on the 3rd of March 1973, and managed to make six Football League appearances for his new employer during his first season. After establishing himself as a regular in the talented first team at Leeds, the steady stopper proceeded to play 171 Football League matches for the club, and was an important part of the successful side that clinched the First Division Championship in 1973-74. Following Don Revie’s departure to become manager of England in July 1974, however, the West Yorkshire outfit gradually went into decline. As a consequence, Leeds found it increasingly difficult to compete with wealthier clubs in the seasons to come, and McQueen eventually made a high-profile move across the Pennines when he was signed by old rivals Manchester United for a record transfer fee of £495,000 on the 9th of February 1978.
At Manchester United, Gordon McQueen linked with former Leeds United teammate Joe Jordan who had been brought to the Old Trafford club from Elland Road for a transfer fee estimated to be somewhere in the region of £350,000 only a few weeks before. The Ayrshireman was given his First Division debut for his new employers by Dave Sexton in a 3-1 defeat against North West enemies Liverpool at Anfield on the 25th of February 1978 and would go on to appear in 184 League Division One games for the club, contributing 20 goals during the process. During his stay at Manchester United, the prodigious performer became universally acclaimed for his brilliance in the air as well as his buccaneering forward manoeuvres, and the towering defender stayed with The Red Devils until persistent injuries forced him to retire from the game of football at the end of the 1984-85 campaign. He also had a comparatively short spell as manager at Scottish League club Airdrieonians, but when he left The Waysiders in 1988, it was effectively the end of his managerial ambitions.
A Scottish international, Gordon McQueen gained 30 senior caps for the country of his birth after being handed his full debut by former St Johnstone head coach Willie Ormond in a 2-1 friendly encounter defeat against Belgium at the Albert Dyserynck Stadium in the city of Bruges on the 1st of June 1974. Arguably, one of his most unforgettable moments at international level arrived in the 2–1 victory against old foes England at Wembley Stadium in the British Home Championship on the 4th of June 1977. In front of a Wembley attendance of almost 100,000 people, including nearly 70 000 Scots, Gordon McQueen scored the opener for Scotland when he headed home a free-kick from Manchester City midfielder Asa Hartford just two minutes before the half time break. In the second period, Kenny Dalglish added a second goal for Ally MacLeod´s team on the hour mark, before Mick Channon reduced the deficit for the hosts from the penalty spot after McQueen had brought down Birmingham City forward Trevor Francis inside the box with three minutes remaining of the contest. The blond Clydesdale of Scottish soccer, who was picked for the squad for both the FIFA World Cup in West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978, played his final game for his nation in a 2-0 British Home Championship defeat against Wales at Vetch Field in Swansea on the 16th of May 1981.