A former Workington Reds player who runs youth tournaments in the North East has landed support from a major golfing facility.
Dean Gordon, now 52, played for the Reds in 2009 at the end of his 18-year career in the game.
Gordon founded Pro-motiv8 Tournaments a few years ago and has secured backing for 2026 from Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, in support of its grassroots football events across the North East.
The tournaments, aimed at players aged seven to 15, regularly attract teams from Cumbria and Scotland and may soon expand into Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Mr Gordon said: “I have been to The Pin a few times and it’s absolutely incredible, there’s nowhere else in the North East like it.
“And I thought it – and the hotel – would be a fantastic match to sponsor our tournaments while we at the same time can get the word out about what amazing facilities the hotel has.”
Since launching Pro-motiv8, Mr Gordon has worked with hundreds of youth teams and more than 10,000 players.
John Adamson, owner of Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, said: “Sport is a great passion for everyone at Ramside.
“Along with our own championship golf courses, many of the region’s leading sports organisations hold events at the hotel.
“Pro-motiv8 Tournaments do a fantastic job in promoting grass roots football across the North East and when Dean approached us we had no hesitation in agreeing to sponsor them for 2026.”
Pro-motiv8 tournaments run throughout the year and are open to both boys’ and girls’ teams.
Gordon, who was a left back, played 201 League games for Crystal Palace before joining Middlesbrough and making a further 63 appearances.
But after brief spells at Coventry (35) and Grimsby (20) he became something of a journeyman with 16 more clubs on his CV. These included spells in Cyprus and New Zealand.
He was signed for the Reds by Darren Edmondson in his first spell in charge of the club.
He played two full league games and was substitute a further seven times, unused in five of those.
Gordon also played for Reds in a Cumberland Cup final, which took his total starts to three. He was on the winning side so somewhere in the Gordon collection should be one for the Cumberland Cup.
Reds beat Penrith 2-0 at Brunton Park with goals from Gareth Arnison and Callum Ruttledge.
Following his retirement, Gordon lived in Sunderland and began coaching and teaching for the Show Racism The Red Card group.
He started going around schools in the North East to teach them about racism and was involved in Futsal Sunderland in the city, providing competitions and other Futsal events for all ages.
He is the father of Southampton centreback Nathan Wood-Gordon.
