Gordon honoured by writers' award

IN BEING named the Scottish football writers' player of the year, Craig Gordon has not only broken the Old Firm's domination of the award but has become the first goalkeeper to take the prize since Andy Goram in 1993.

Gordon, the Hearts and Scotland No1, has enjoyed an outstanding season, helping the Tynecastle side to the Tennent's Scottish Cup final and keeping them on course for second place in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

The 22-year-old is the first Hearts player to win the trophy since Sandy Jardine 20 years ago. He is also the first player outside Rangers and Celtic to collect the award since 1991 when Dundee United's Maurice Malpas triumphed.

Gordon said: "There are obviously not too many goalkeepers that have won it and not too many Hearts players, so on both these counts it's a very big honour for me and the club. The last goalkeeper to win it was Andy Goram and that was a good while ago."

Goram's award came 13 years ago after he helped Rangers to win the domestic treble. The only other goalkeepers to win the player of the year prize were Dundee United's Hamish McAlpine in 1985, Partick Thistle's Alan Rough in 1981 and Celtic's Ronnie Simpson in 1967.

Gordon, who signed a new contract last month tying him to Hearts until 2009, has produced some breathtaking saves over the course of the season, but he paid tribute to his team-mates for helping him maintain an average of one clean sheet every three games.

"I think the main reason [for the lack of goals conceded] is our settled defence," Gordon told the Hearts website. "I think we're still on single figures at Tynecastle this season in the league and I need to pay tribute to a lot of the guys in front of me for helping me to get this award."

Gordon will be presented with his prize at the annual Scottish Football Writers' Association player of the year dinner in Glasgow on Sunday. Also picking up awards will be Celtic's Gordon Strachan for manager of the year and Steven Naismith of Kilmarnock, who was voted young player of the year.

ANGUS WRIGHT

Taken from the Scotsman