Ex-Sunderland Defender Richard Ord Turns 37

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Richard Ord - Center-half Signed from Sunderland by Ray Harford in the Summer of 1998 for around 700,000 pounds (which was a lot for a heavily-in-debt QPR). Sadly - both for the player himself and also for QPR - Ord was injured before he played a single League game for QPR. He never did play a League game for QPR and was forced to retire from football.

From Sunderland Official Site - Past Players
Richard Ord - July 1987 - July 1998
Born: March 3, 1970

Murton native Richard 'Dickie' Ord joined Sunderland as an associate schoolboy in 1984 and became a club trainee two years later before turning pro in July 1987.

Sunderland's best win for more than 30 years also coincided with Ord's league debut against Southend in November 1987, the Lads introducing the 17-year-old in a 7-0 triumph.

Able to perform in central defence as well as left-back, Ord really reached prominence when he pinned down a centre-back slot, most notably in Peter Reid's First Division championship side of 1996.

Ord's solid and reliable displays alongside Andy Melville were the bedrock of that promotion campaign and his confidence in possession sparked the fans' tribute song 'Who Needs Cantona When We've Got Dickie Ord'.

Injury robbed Ord of the chance to play Steaua Bucharest in his own testimonial and injury troubles cost him his first team place in the 1997-98 campaign.

A £1million move to Queens Park Rangers offered the defender a fresh start, but disaster struck in Ord's first training session with the Londoners when he suffered a knee injury that ended his professional career.

Dickie remained eager to perform, turning out for Durham City, and now runs a pub in County Durham Official Site

Birthday