Purdon was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He came to England on tour with his South African club in 1950 at the age of 20, was watched by representatives of several clubs, and signed for Birmingham City. During his three seasonsat the club he scored 30 goals in 70 games in all competitions and was the club's top scorer in 1953–54, despite playing only 23 games before his mid-season transfer to Sunderland. He was also a good cricketer, and was named once as twelfth man for Warwickshire. He moved to Sunderland, then known as the "Bank of England club" because of their high transfer spending, for a fee of £15,000. Purdon made a spectacular start to his Sunderland career, scoring twice on debut against Cardiff City and following that up with a hat-trick against Arsenal at Highbury in his second game. The first goal of the three, scored after only ten seconds, was believed to be the fastest goal in Sunderland's history. Playing alongside the likes of Len Shackleton and Billy Bingham, he scored 42 goals in 96 games for the club over a three-year career. Purdon was a big man whose "physique allied to a total lack of fear made him a handful for any centre-half"; West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Norman Heath was in collision with him during a game and received spinal injuries so severe that he never played again. He and his team-mates were punished by the Football Association for receiving illegal payments from the club. By the time this matter was investigated, Purdon had left Sunderland for Workington of the Third Division North. He played his part in the club coming close to knocking Manchester United's Busby Babes out of the 1957–58 FA Cup. Workington took an early lead and Purdon came close to adding a second before Dennis Viollet's second-half hat-trick settled the matter. In March 1958 he moved to nearby Barrow, also in the Third Division North, where he also spent a year. He was part of the Barrow team which conceded ten goals in a league match at Hartlepools United. In August 1959 he dropped into non-league football, helping Bath City win the Southern League championship. This success prompted a move back into the Second Division at Bristol Rovers, but he only made four first-team appearances for the club. He emigrated to Canada in 1961, where he played for Toronto City and other Canadian clubs in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League, and also helped New York Ukrainians to win the 1965 National Challenge Cup. He later coached in Canada. Purdon was a founder member and honorary president of Sunderland's North Americansupporters' club. In company with fellow supporters he had just watched on television Sunderland beating Burnley in the game which almost clinched the club's 2007 promotion to the Premier League when he suffered a stroke. He died in a Toronto hospital two days later at the age of 77.
