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Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League. History The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium. In 1975, 50% of the team was purchased for $250,000 by the Toronto Croatia of the National Soccer League, and the team became the Toronto Metros-Croatia. The club won the 1976 Soccer Bowl championship. However, they continued to struggle at the gate. In mid September 1976, it was reported that team owed $100,000 to the Ontario government and $95,000 to the metropolitan Toronto government, that several star players were free agents and the team might fold. The Global Television Network purchased 85% of the struggling Toronto Metros-Croatia on February 1, 1979 for $2.6 million.Wangerin p.192 Following the purchase, Toronto Croatia returned to the NSL as a separate club. With only 7 of the 26 players from the 1978 roster staying, the NASL team was renamed th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varsity Stadium
Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto. Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the current stadium was built in 2007 to replace the original permanent stadium built in 1911. Varsity Stadium is also a former home of the Toronto Argonauts, and has previously hosted the Grey Cup, the Vanier Cup, several matches of the 1976 Summer Olympics soccer tournament, and the final game of the North American Soccer League's 1984 Soccer Bowl series (which was also the last game played by the original NASL). It is located next to Varsity Arena. History Athletic teams of the University of Toronto have used the site as an athletic ground since 1898. In 1911, the university opened Varsity Stadium. First stadium Canadian sprinter Percy Williams set a world record in the 100 metres with a time of 10.3 seconds at Varsity Stadium during th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Turner (footballer, Born 1943)
David John Turner (born 7 September 1943) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a wing half or midfielder for Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Blackburn Rovers. Life and career Turner was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire. He played schools football for his county, and joined Newcastle United straight from school. He turned professional in 1960, and was a member of the team that won the 1961–62 FA Youth Cup. He made his first-team debut on the last day of the 1961–62 Football League season, a 3–0 defeat at home to Leeds United in the Second Division, and appeared twice more before moving on to Brighton & Hove Albion in December 1963 for a £4,500 fee. He soon established himself in the team, and settled so well that he was appointed captain during the 1966–67 season. Despite knee injuries that affected his last couple of seasons with the club, and a loan spell at Portsmouth while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jan Möller
Jan Börje Möller (born 17 September 1953) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Starting off his career with Malmö FF, he went on to represent also Bristol City, Toronto Blizzard, Helsingborgs IF, and Trelleborgs FF during a career that spanned between 1971 and 1993. A full international between 1979 and 1988, he won 17 caps for the Sweden national team and represented his country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. In 1979, he was awarded Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year. Club career Möller had a successful 16-year career for Malmö FF during the 1970s and 1980s (two different spells), appearing in the 1978–79 European Cup final against Nottingham Forest, a 0–1 loss in Munich. He also played for Helsingborgs IF, Bristol City of England, Toronto Blizzard of Canada (following his former manager at Malmö, Bob Houghton, to both clubs), and Trelleborgs FF, retiring professionally at the age of 40; in 1979, he was awarded the ''Guld ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Miller (soccer, Born 1964)
Colin Fyfe Miller (born 4 October 1964) is a Canadian professional soccer coach who captained the Canadian national team several times while earning 61 caps (scoring 5 goals) in total. Club career Moving to Vancouver at the age of 10, Miller began his professional playing career as a 17-year-old, joining the Toronto Blizzard of the NASL in 1982. After playing 23 games over three seasons with the Blizzard, Miller joined Scottish giants Rangers, where he spent the 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons, appearing in four first-team games. Miller played in 61 games and scored three goals for Football League side Doncaster Rovers in 1986–87 and 1987–88, for Scottish Football League club Hamilton Academical 199 times over six seasons (1989–94), St Johnstone in 12 games in 1994, Heart of Midlothian 16 games in 1994–95, Dunfermline 62 times over three seasons (1995–98), Ayr United six times in 1998, and eight times as a player-manager of Academical in 1998–99. Miller also pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trevor McCallum
Trevor McCallum (born February 26, 1964) is a former English-Canadian soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and earned eighteen caps with the Canada men's national soccer team. Career McCallum played with Aston Villa's youth team, and in 1979 he moved to Canada where he played with Mississauga United in 1981. In 1982, he played in the National Soccer League with Toronto Italia. In 1983, he played in the North American Soccer League with Toronto Blizzard in the last two seasons of the league. In 1986, he returned to the National Soccer League and played with former team Toronto Italia. The following season he played in the Canadian Soccer League with the Edmonton Brick Men, but was traded to the Blizzard midway through the season. During his time in the Canadian Soccer League he was selected to the 1989 All-Star team. In 1990, he was originally transferred to Edmonton, but shortly after was traded to Kitchener Spirit. In 1991, he r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victor Kodelja
Victor Kodelja (born November 26, 1951) is a former member of the Canadian national soccer team and North American Soccer League. Professional Prior to playing professionally, Kodelja played in the Pacific Coast Soccer League, playing at least the 1969–70 season with Columbus F.C. In 1974, he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the team's inaugural season in the league. In 1976, he moved to the San Antonio Thunder. At the end of the season, the team moved to Hawaii where it became Team Hawaii in 1977. In 1978, he was back on the mainland with the San Jose Earthquakes; 1981 with the Calgary Boomers; 1982 and 1983 with the Toronto Blizzard; and 1984 with the Chicago Sting. He remained with the Sting when the team moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League following the collapse of the NASL. National team Kodelja played eight times for Canada from 1974 through 1977. He debuted for the national team on 12 April 1974 in a scoreless draw versus Bermuda in Hamilton, Bermuda. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conny Karlsson (footballer)
Conny Karlsson (born 21 November 1953) is a Swedish football manager who lastly coached the women's team of Stattena IF. Career Born in Oskarshamn, he played for local club IFK Oskarshamn before moving to Swedish giants IFK Göteborg, where he won the 1981–82 UEFA Cup. After a short stint with the Toronto Blizzard, he ended his playing career at Örgryte IS. He was capped 5 times for Sweden. He began his coaching career at Örgryte IS, first as an assistant-coach, then as first-team coach. He also managed Landskrona BoIS (which he got promoted to Allsvenskan in 1993), HamKam, FK Haugesund, Kalmar FF, Assyriska Föreningen, Trelleborgs FF, Sarpsborg 08 FF and Helsingborgs IF. After winning Allsvenskan with Helsingborgs IF in 2011, Karlsson decided to withdraw as head coach on 14 June 2012 and was replaced by Åge Hareide Åge Fridtjof Hareide (born 23 September 1953) is a Norwegian football manager and player, currently managing Malmö FF as the interim manager. In his pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul James (soccer)
Paul John James (born November 11, 1963) is a retired professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He was a one-time CONCACAF champion who represented Canada at both the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He later worked as a soccer analyst and soccer coach. He is an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. In 1998, was granted his Canada Soccer Coaching "A" Licence. After working as a player-coach in the Canadian Soccer League, he later served as a coach with Canada's national youth teams from 1998 to 2001, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2001. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, James has added to his academic credentials by completing the prestigious Football Industries MBA (FIMBA) at the University of Liverpool in England. In February 2012, Paul revealed he had suffered from a crack cocaine dependency for many years. Paul was on a hunger strike to protest his mistreatment by York University over his "Substance D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Hammond (footballer)
Paul Hammond is an English former professional association football goalkeeper who played professionally in England, the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. Playing career On 13 January 1971, Hammond signed as an apprentice with English First Division club Crystal Palace. He remained in the Palace youth team until first team keeper, John Jackson was injured in 1972. While Hammond then became the starting keeper, his inexperience was a contributing factor to Palace's slide to the second division, then third division. In the midst of Palace's free fall through the English leagues, the team loaned Hammond to the Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993), Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League for off-season training. The Rowdies were created in 1974 and began play in 1975. The new owners hired Eddie Firmani, an assistant with Palace, as the team's first head coach. Firmani brought over three Palace players, Stewart Jump, Mark Lindsay and Hammond f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sven Habermann
Sven Habermann (born November 3, 1961 in West Berlin, West Germany) is a former Canadian national soccer team goalkeeper, who was a member of the team that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Two years later he was on the Canadian roster at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico but did not see action. Habermann played for the NASL Toronto Blizzard in 1983 and 1984. Habermann played in the Canadian Soccer League for the Calgary Kickers. He was named to the league's All-Star team as Calgary won the league play-off championship over the Hamilton Steelers. Habermann was a member of the 1989 champion Vancouver 86ers team that, beginning from the previous season, set a North American professional sports record by going 46 consecutive games without defeat. He was named to the league's all-star team as Calgary won the league play-off championship. Habermann appeared on an episode of ''Dragon's Den'' pitching a prototype pepper-spray delivery and self-de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Falzon
Charlie Falzon is a Canadian retired soccer player who spent time in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned nine caps with the Canadian national soccer team between 1983 and 1989. Charlie is currently an advanced care paramedic working foToronto EMS Professional A midfielder, Falzon played the last 3 seasons of the NASL before the league's demise - the 1982 with the Montreal Manic and 1983 and '84 with the Toronto Blizzard. In September 1985, Falzon signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Spirit of the original Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1986, he moved to the St. Louis Steamers. In December 1987, the Steamers traded Falzon to the Tacoma Stars in exchange for Godfrey Ingram and cash. Falzon also played for the North York Rockets and Toronto Blizzard in the Canadian Soccer League. National team Falzon earned nine caps with the Canadian national soccer team. He played three times in 1983 and another three gamed in 1984. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
