Les Wilson (soccer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leslie John Wilson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 July 1947[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Playing position | utility player [2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ?-1962 | Collingwood Legion (British Columbia)[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1962-1964 | Westminster Royals | ||
| 1964-1971 | Wolverhampton | 101 | (7) |
| 1967 | → Los Angeles Wolves (guest) | ? | (0) |
| 1969 | → Kansas City Spurs (guest) | 7 | (1) |
| 1971-1973 | Bristol City | 43 | (1) |
| 1973-1974 | Norwich City | 6 | (0) |
| 1974-1978 | Vancouver Whitecaps[1][2] | 37 | (1) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
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.[2] 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.
Childhood and youth career
His family settled in Vancouver when Wilson was seven years old.[2] He played youth soccer for Collingwood Legion in the Vancouver and District Juvenile Soccer League.[1]
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.[1][2] 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.[2] 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.[2]
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.[2]
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.[2] The following year he became executive director of the British Columbia Soccer Association.[2]
Honours
- selected as a senior British Columbia All-Star at age 17, the first ever to do so
- winner of the 1971 Texaco Cup as a member of Wolves
- inducted into the Ontario Soccer Association's Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008 for his administrative work