History By Colin: The First Real Madrid Game
Colin Jose
Colin Jose publishes the
History Of Canadian Soccer Website
When Real Madrid play against Toronto FC on August 7, it will not be the first time that the club has played in Canada. It will be the second.
The first time was on August 25, 1961 in Vancouver against Toronto City. Yes that’s right Toronto City.
This was the first year of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League so chances are that Toronto City provided the opposition because it was thought that they would provide the best opposition.
At the start of that season, Toronto City had such stars as Scottish international goalkeeper Tommy Younger, English internationals Stanley Matthews and Johnny Haynes, Scottish international Jack Mudie and Northern Ireland international Danny Blanchflower in the line up.
But long before Toronto City played Real Madrid all but Tommy Younger had gone home, as a result it was a team of little known players mostly from Britain that faced the men in white shirts.
The game was played at old Empire Stadium and the attendance was 24,264. Real won 5-1 on goals from Puskas 2, Di Stefano, Del Sol and Gento. Alec Marshall scored for Toronto. It was 1-1 at half time. Ticket prices were $2, $3 and $4.
The pre-game Real line up, as it was in the Vancouver Sun of August 25, 1961 was; Rogelio Dominguez – Isidor Sanchez, Pedro Casado – Jose Vidal, Jose Santamaria, Enrique Pachin – Justo Tejada, Luis Del Sol, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento.
However the game report said that Puskas did not play in the first half and Di Stefano did not play in the second. The actual game line ups are not in the Vancouver Sun.
The pre game Toronto line up was Tommy Younger – David Caldwell, Tommy McGlennon – Willie Huberts, Andy Fraser, Allan Ashberry – Errol Crossan, Alec Marshall, Peter Smethurst, Bobby Johnstone, Allan Harvey.
Colin Jose Induction Long Overdue
Canadian soccer’s Professor Emeritus
By Peter Mallett Globe & Mail
He may not have scored any memorable goals, recorded any shutouts or hoisted any championship trophies during his career but soccer historian Colin Jose will finally join an esteemed list of soccer legends and be inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ont. this weekend.
On Saturday evening the 72-year-old London, Ont. resident will tear himself away from his vast archives of game reports, statistics, miles of microfilm, stacks of old photos, books and video tapes and finally join the ranks of an institution of which he is also widely considered the father and creator.
“Colin’s unassuming nature completely belies the intensity with which he pursues his research,” said Soccer Hall of Fame chairman Les Jones.
“He is ‘Mr. Soccer’ when it comes to the documenting the sport in North America with soccer journalists, statisticians and even FIFA relying on his information and expertise. Without him our knowledge of the beautiful game would be greatly diminished and far less accurate.”
History By Colin: Jay Eye Connection
Courtesy Nuke Soccer
Colin Jose
Unlike sports such as hockey, football, baseball and basketball, very few records were ever kept of soccer in North America, and hardly any books were ever published.
He was a football man. CFL football fans will remember J.I. Albrecht.
He has just died but the obituaries missed his soccer connection. The press forgot Albrecht was General Manager of the Toronto Metros-Croatia of the North American Soccer League in 1978.
I knew him quite well at that time, and liked him a lot. He only lasted that one season because by the time 1979 rolled around, the Metros-Croatia had been sold to Global Television and renamed Toronto Blizzard.
The Global Television Network bought the Toronto Metros-Croatia from the Toronto Croatian community in 1979. Paul Morton was President and Seymour Epstein was the Chairman. The General Manager was Norman Sutherland and the Head Coach Keith Eddy. The team played at Exhibition Stadium.
On opening day, there was a snowstorm at half time that covered all the field markings.
Global TV didn’t televise all the games, but did cover quite a few — mostly at home, but also some away. The commentator was Mike Anscombe, who later moved on to become news anchor. There were times when Jim Kernaghan was the analyst.
The coverage was not commercial free, so from time to time a goal was scored during a commercial.
Global owned the team for three years. Before the 1982 season Global sold the team to York Hannover Sports Enterprises.
Chairman of the Board was Karsten von Wersebe, President Clive Toye and Gordon Cunningham and Dave Barbour were also members of the board. The Head Coach was Bob Houghton. York Hannover owned the team until the league folded early in 1985, and also beyond that.
Thought you might like to know.
Colin.
About Colin Jose
Colin Jose has been researching the history of soccer in both Canada and the United States for over 40 years, and is currently the historian at The Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario and Historian Emeritus at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York.
History By Colin: Not On The Radar
Colin Jose
Unlike sports such as hockey, football, baseball and basketball, very few records were ever kept of soccer in North America, and hardly any books were ever published.
If someone asked me to nominate a soccer player to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t know who to nominate. Ottawa has never seemed to be a soccer town.
However, there is one person with a soccer connection in the Ottawa … Sam Berger. He owned the Montreal Olympique of the North American Soccer League in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
This is not unusual. Soccer often gets overlooked in these things.
Frank Calder, first President of the NHL, was a big soccer man, a referee, and founder of the Province of Quebec Football Association, long before the NHL began. But that’s not mentioned in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Neither is the fact that Gump Worsley was a good soccer player. When he died, I told various sports writers that they had omitted his soccer career … none of them knew. The last time I looked, Gump’s Hockey Hall of Fame bio doesn’t mention it.
Few sports halls of fame in Canada or the USA have inducted soccer players. Soccer is not on their radar screens it seems.
For 2008, I have nominated Jason DeVos to the London Sports Hall of Fame. If he is selected, he will be the first soccer player. We won’t know until November.
I have been invited to nominate soccer players to the BC Sports Hall of Fame and will do so shortly. BC is the only sports hall of fame in Canada that has inducted many soccer players. In BC there is a soccer lacrosse connection as well.
All of this is why it’s important that there be a Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.
About Colin Jose
Colin Jose has been researching the history of soccer in both Canada and the United States for over 40 years, and is currently the historian at The Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario and Historian Emeritus at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York.
