Full name Leslie John Wilson Name Les Wilson Role Football player | Playing position Position Utility player Years Team | |
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Date of birth (1947-07-10)10 July 1947 ?-1962 Collingwood Legion (British Columbia) | ||
Les wilson the soccer hall of fame 2012
Leslie John "Les" Wilson is a football administrator and former professional player. He played in The Football League for Bristol City, Norwich City, and most notably Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the very first North American-trained players to do so. Following his playing career with the original North American Soccer League's and his hometown Vancouver Whitecaps, Wilson became a Canadian Soccer Association coach and administrator involved in a number of the national program's finest ever results.
Contents
- Les wilson the soccer hall of fame 2012
- Childhood and youth career
- Senior playing career
- Coaching and administrative career
- Honours
- References
Childhood and youth career
His family settled in Vancouver when Wilson was seven years old. He played youth soccer for Collingwood Legion in the Vancouver and District Juvenile Soccer League.
Senior playing career
At age 16, Wilson joined top Canadian amateur club Westminster Royals' senior side. The following summer, that of 1963, while a member of a British Columbia All-Star side that competed against Wolverhampton's first team during their pre-season tour in North America, Wilson was invited England to try out for Wolves. He made his Wolves first team debut in December 1965, in a Second Division away match against Middlesbrough.
Wilson is one of very few professional footballers to have played in matches in nine different positions, as designated in that era by a player's jersey number, something he achieved while playing for Wolves. During his over ten years playing in England, which also included a brief stint at both Bristol City and Norwich City, Wilson played over 100 First Division matches.
Coaching and administrative career
Wilson became a Whitecaps coach immediately following retiring as a player, helping the club lift the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl, and stayed on with the club as an administrative until the organization folded in 1984.
Wilson joined the CSA as a national teams administrator. During his tenure, the senior national team reached their only World Cup finals to date, Mexico 1986. The side also reached the quarter-finals at the 1984 Summer Olympics and beat huge odds to win the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup championship with Wilson on staff.
Wilson was named CONCACAF assistant secretary in 1999. The following year he became executive director of the British Columbia Soccer Association.