Gordon the Tramp

For other people named Gordon Roberts, see Gordon Roberts (disambiguation).

Gordon Roberts (born 1928),[1] better known as Gordon the Tramp, is a resident of Bournemouth who is famous for always knowing the correct time even though he does not own a watch.[2][3]

He is a well known character in Bournemouth with his large beard and Manchester United scarf, which he wears to all the AFC Bournemouth games.[4] Despite his nickname, Roberts is not actually a homeless man as he owns a house in Charminster, Bournemouth.[5]

Roberts became an internet phenomenon when Chris Kimber, a Bournemouth University student, created a Facebook page on his behalf.[6] As of January 2010 he has gathered an appreciative collection of 14,685 friends on this site;[7][8] fans have uploaded pictures of themselves with Roberts and added stories about meeting him.[6][9] The phenomenon has been widely reported in many UK newspapers and has spread as far as the Netherlands and Australia.[10] He has also been a subject on South England's Meridian News which can be viewed on video sharing websites such as Youtube. On 13 January 2010, a Facebook group was set up proclaiming Roberts had died of a heart attack. However it was soon discovered to be a hoax and shortly afterwards he was found alive and well in Bournemouth town centre.[11] As of July 2011, an online campaign is underway to have Roberts carry the Olympic torch as it passes through Bournemouth.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Exclusive interview with living legend... Gordon the Tramp". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 2010. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4857677.Exclusive_interview_with_living_legend____Gordon_the_Tramp/. Retrieved 2010-01-20. 
  2. ^ "Tramp shoots to fame on internet". BBC News. 2007-07-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6264694.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  3. ^ Pyatt, Jamie. "Supertramp is a global superstar". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007300436,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  4. ^ "'Gordon the Tramp' Global Star!". AFC Bournemouth. http://www.bournemouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=71782. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  5. ^ "Gordon the Tramp on the news!". Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b13vsbLgwrs. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
  6. ^ a b "Gordon the Tramp". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2369753231. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  7. ^ "Gordon the Tramp Facebook Group". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2369753231. Retrieved 2010-01-19. 
  8. ^ "Worldwide Fame For Time-Telling Tramp". Sky News. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1273389,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  9. ^ "Tramp becomes facebook hero". Metro (Associated Metro Limited). http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=55489&in_page_id=34. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  10. ^ "Engelse zwerver wordt hit op Facebook". NU.nl. http://www.nu.nl/news/1138245/50/Engelse_zwerver_wordt_hit_op_Facebook.html. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  11. ^ "Gordon the Tramp: back from the dead". Bournemouth Daily Echo. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4849949._Gordon_the_Tramp__back_from_the_dead. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
  12. ^ "Bid for Bournemouth character to carry Olympic torch" BBC