A LOCAL author has is enlisting the help of football fans in a bid to help commemorate a little known football hero.

David Herd is a retired Irvine GSK manager who lives in Ardrossan and he has taken to writing historic footballing stories ever since.

A lot of his work has focussed on Glasgow Rangers - and it is one of their former players he is hoping to help immortalise.

A little known star of the past, James 'Jimmy' Gordon was born in Saltcoats way back in 1888.

Gordon would join Rangers as a teenager, and featured for the side from 1907 until 1920.

In those 13 years, Gordon was both an international class 'half back' and occasionally a goalscoring centre forward.

In 388 competitive fixtures for the Govan based side, he scored an impressive 79 goals.

He won five titles in his time with the club - and was one of a small number of players who won that trophy both before and after the First World War.

And as was the case with many footballers at that time, Gordon also served his country - as part of the Highland Light Infantry.

As well as his talents at club level, Gordon was also a full Scotland international, featuring 10 times for his nation.

Famously, he was captain of the Scotland side who defeated England 3-1 at Hampden Park in 1914 - in front of more than 100,000 spectators.

And now, over a century on from his footballing endeavours, author David is looking to honour the Saltcoats born star here in his home town.

Alongside other local football fanatics, David has launched a fundraising campaign which will look to see a plaque erected in Saltcoats in his name - "to commemorate one of the town's greatest ever sporting sons".

The target for this has been set at £695.

As part of this, a fundraising night is to be planned for the Windy ha bar in Saltcoats - with all proceeds going towards getting this plaque made. Details of this will be arranged in due course.

While efforts to immortalise his name in his home town don't stop there, with David also putting together a tribute article for Gordon, to be added to the North Ayrshire Heritage website.

David, and those supporting him, say they are very much excited to be helping to celebrate this "forgotten local hero". Anyone wishing to help, can contact David on Facebook - tinyurl.com/DavidHerd.