Alberton Football Club is mourning the loss of its chairman, Spencer Gordon, who died suddenly in his sleep at the age of 43.

Gordon had been deeply involved with the club for many years, initially joining as a parent when his son, Troy Gordon, began playing football at eight years old.

His daughter, Casey Gordon, later followed in his footsteps and went on to play for JVW and Banyana Banyana.

According to Alberton FC vice-chairman Warrick Atmore, Gordon eventually joined the club’s committee before becoming vice-chairman and later chairman when the previous chairman stepped down.

Atmore said he had known Gordon for 15 to 17 years, with the pair’s children having played football together, and had worked alongside him as vice-chairman for about eight years.

“He was 100% a club guy. He was an incredible father, a very good husband, and I think an incredible friend. And then obviously, like a supporting pillar to most players,” Atmore said.

Atmore said Gordon was the person players, parents and others would turn to when they needed assistance.

“If there was an issue, Spencer would be the one to get the phone call. If there was trouble, Spencer would be there to sort the issue out. If there was a shoulder to cry on, he was there.”

A chairman who put the club first

Gordon was not only involved in the club’s administration, but also contributed financially when Alberton FC faced difficult times.

The club is a non-profit organisation and, according to Atmore, Gordon would often use his own money to ensure staff were paid during periods when the club had limited funds.

“During the lean times, when there is no funding available… he would always go into his pocket,” Atmore said. “He would always dig into his pocket and be the first one to pay.”

Atmore also credited Gordon for playing a major role in the club’s move into Hollywoodbets football, describing the decision to enter the top league as one of the biggest decisions the two made together.

Alberton has subsequently spent several years competing at that level and won the league twice, according to Atmore.

However, Gordon’s vision for the club extended beyond results on the football field.

Atmore said Gordon strongly believed Alberton FC should remain a community club where young people, regardless of their financial circumstances, would have an opportunity to play.

“He would always say, guys, listen, we’re not going to turn a player away. If there’s a boy that comes from a disadvantaged community. We’ll look after him. So long as he comes, it’s better than him being on the street,” Atmore said.

For Gordon, the club was about more than football.

“We’re about teaching. We’re about, obviously, getting involved with communities,” Atmore said.

‘The proverbial big teddy bear’

Despite his imposing appearance, Atmore described Gordon as warm, generous and approachable.
“He was the proverbial big teddy bear,” he said.

Gordon also spent much of his free time at Alberton FC, often sitting at his favourite table outside the clubhouse while watching matches.

“That’s where you’d find him,” Atmore recalled. “Saturdays and Sundays. As I said, he spent a lot of his time at the football club and gave his life to it.”

Atmore said Gordon was known throughout the football community as ‘Spanner’, and his reputation extended beyond Alberton FC.

“You can go to any club within Ekurhuleni, and you can just say ‘Spanner’. Everybody knows who Spanner was.”

Gordon was also involved in baseball and had played football himself, including veterans’ football until about two or three years ago.

A sudden loss

Atmore said he learned of Gordon’s death on Monday morning, shortly after the family discovered he had passed away.

“He unfortunately just passed away in his sleep,” he said.

Atmore said there was no known longstanding illness and that the death was completely unexpected.

He said there had been speculation that Gordon may have suffered a heart attack, but this had not been confirmed.

The news sent shockwaves through the club.

“From all corners of players, parents were in total shock,” Atmore said.

The club received condolences from coaches, parents and other football clubs, while the league also reached out following Gordon’s death.

The family is arranging a memorial service, with Gordon to be cremated according to his wishes.
Atmore said details of the memorial would be shared once finalised.

He added that the family was grateful for the support and condolences received from the wider community.

‘We’ve lost the ultimate clubman’

For Atmore, one of Gordon’s greatest contributions was helping maintain the family and community spirit that Alberton FC has built over the years.

“He was the mainstay, the pillar of strength,” Atmore said.

He described Gordon as a man who was approachable despite his sometimes “rough exterior”, and someone who helped preserve the club’s diverse, family-oriented character.

The club, Atmore said, did not want to become a professional club at the expense of the community identity that made Alberton special.

“He was really standing up for that,” he said.

With Gordon’s passing, Atmore believes Alberton has lost more than its chairman.

“For me specifically, we’ve lost a person that has a lot of footballing knowledge, a lot of knowledge in terms of managing parents, people, so people skills. As I said, we’ve just lost the ultimate clubman.”

The club will continue with its fixtures this weekend, with a minute’s silence planned before every game and players expected to wear black armbands in Gordon’s memory.

While the league had offered Alberton the opportunity to postpone its matches, Atmore said he believed Gordon would not have wanted football to stop.

‘There’s so much I want to talk to him about’

Beyond the chairman and football administrator, Gordon’s death has left a personal void for Atmore.

The two spoke several times a day, discussing everything from fixtures and club management to decisions affecting the organisation.

“Just our daily chats,” Atmore said when asked what he would miss most.

“Him and I have been friends for a very long time.”

Asked what he would say if Gordon were sitting beside him, Atmore struggled to find the words.

“There’s so much we talked about daily,” he said. “There’s so much I want to talk to him about and things that I had to discuss. Things that I now have to make those decisions on my own.”

For Alberton Football Club, Gordon’s absence will be felt not only in the chairman’s office, but on the sidelines, around the clubhouse and among the generations of players and families he helped support.

As Atmore put it: “He will be missed.”

Family thanks community for support

As the family makes arrangements to lay Gordon to rest, Atmore said his wife, Natasha Gordon, has expressed her gratitude to everyone who has supported the family since his passing.

He said the family had been overwhelmed by the messages of condolences and support received from the Alberton community, the football community and people who knew Gordon outside of football.

Atmore said the family would like to thank everyone who had stood by them during what has been an extremely difficult time.

A memorial service is expected to take place on Thursday, August 20, with the exact time and venue still to be confirmed.

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