And Jordon makes three
Simon Wright offers the story so far for Hereford’s third signing in a week.
Free agent Jordon has made that difficult transition into part-time football by joining the Bulls. Our new central defender is 23 and London-born.
His story is a familiar one of a young player gaining a few games here and there but never quite getting the chance to properly make a name for himself. His QPR and Coventry young professional days probably felt like teasers rather than development. Sitting on the bench at Wembley in May 2018 as Coventry City beat Exeter in the League 2 Play-off Final. 32 Championship minutes. 200 League One minutes. “Here’s what you could have had.”
He toured the country picking up half a dozen games in various obscure locations, often gap-filling in unfamiliar areas – never quite enough to become really useful. His Sky Blues literally career slipped because of “his foot slipping in his flip-flop and going down the grid in the showers which sliced his toe,” revealed City manager Mark Robins to the Coventry Telegraph. “And that’s a major issue because if the skin dies, he’s going to be out for three months.” Rather than realign their facilities, Coventry City waved goodbye to Jordon in the summer of 2021.
After a loan spell with Wrexham where he tried to impress, Thompson joined Gloucester City in mid-September on an almost one-year full-time contract. During a thankfully brief “interview” on his first day by a homework-shy presenter, he was asked “how do you think we’re going to do this season?” Oh dear. He politely dodged it. With the Tigers missing their senior defenders, Thompson racked up a decent looking 2,268 minutes, split between 28 games with 4 goals to his name.
Cast your mind back to a dismal afternoon in April. Hereford travelled to the Gloucester Dock surplus stock stadium. A certain Harvey Wiles-Richards was in goal for City and Jordon Thompson was in front of him. The Gloucester Citizen takes up the story:
“In the 71st minute, Thompson was in the right place at the right time as he has been all season to head home for his fourth goal in a City shirt. Just five minutes later, Thompson was back in his own box defending the lead and was called upon to make a vital block from just six-yards out to deny an equaliser.
It’s been a remarkable few months for Thompson who was the player of the month for February after stepping up in the absence of Ben Gerring and Ben Nugent. Despite the casualties to defence, City have remained formidable at the back and enough praise can’t be given to Thompson who has been a constant.”
It’s not clear why the defender left City after such a solid campaign though is likely to be connected to the Tigers reverting to part time training. A deal with a National League club fell through hence his availability for HFC.
Despite barely knowing his team-mates, Jordon’s debut against Blyth Spartans was calm and composed.
More of the same would unfurrow a few brows.
Welcome to a big club Jordon..
Simon Wright
Images: Graham Goodwin
