Les Wilson Part Four: Canada in the World Cup

Les Wilson Part Four: Canada in the World Cup

by Charlie Bamforth

The nickname ‘Reverend’ bestowed upon Les Wilson at Wolves was not on account of any religious fervor. Rather it was because he believed – and very much still does believe – in things being done right. In the dark days leading up to the death of the original Vancouver Whitecaps there were plenty of occasions when Les had cause for concern.

“I have always believed in things being squeaky clean – no matter how well intentioned or innocent they are.

“One of my great friends is Mick Hoban. I coached him at St Chad’s School in Wolverhampton when I had just passed my English FA Professional Coaching certificates.  He went on to play for Aston Villa, Atlanta, Denver and the Portland Timbers and was capped by the USA.

“Later he joined Blue Ribbon Sports, which eventually became Nike, as the company’s first ever employee in professional global soccer. Mick worked alongside the former Wolves scout Tony Penman, the chap who discovered England international John Richards, my former colleague at the Wolves. Vancouver Whitecaps became the second club to cut a deal with Nike for equipment.

“At the end of the 1978/79 NASL season Nike offered an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii for the Whitecaps players and staff. It was all totally legitimate and more than well deserved for the Caps but I really didn’t feel comfortable about going to Hawaii and refused to accept the very kind offer. I didn’t want anyone to say that it was because of my relationship with Mick that I got a free trip.

“One of the Whitecaps founders and Directors was Wendy McDonald, twice named Business Woman of the Year in Canada. She got to hear that I wouldn’t make the trip and said ‘that’s very honorable, Les. Look, I’ve got a home in Hawaii. You can pay for your own flights, but the house and the car are yours to use.’ My family took her up on her very kind offer several months later.

“Honesty and integrity are everything to me in professional soccer and in all walks of life. I was very uncomfortable with what was happening round me at the Whitecaps club. I think I have a pretty good idea about people and I certainly was uneasy about some of those who were now about me within the Whitecaps. Unsurprisingly – and for the only time in my life – I was fired, without cause.

Waiters and Wilson celebrate Canada success

“Just before that happened in 1983, however, I took a call from the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) in Ottawa, telling me that they would like to interview me for the position of Canadian national teams Managers.

“For the only time in my life I excused myself from the training, leaving Alan Errington, my very capable assistant, in charge as I took the 6AM flight east.

“I was back in Vancouver before midnight the same day and at training as normal next morning. Everything was kept under wraps and I was invited for a second interview at the Holiday Inn in Vancouver with the CSA Vice President Dr. Stambrook, the CSA Executive Director Eric King and Bill Thomson, the CSA Technical Director. When I got home that night Dr Stambrook called me to tell me that the job was mine. When could I start?

“Meanwhile, the new management team at the Whitecaps was keen to show me the door, although I had 16 months left on my contract. However, I knew the President of Canadian Soccer, Mr. Bill Stirling, whose son was a lawyer. I was advised by legal council that after ten years of loyal service I was due the pay for that period of time – and this was duly deposited in the bank. Six months later the club folded. The President of the Whitecaps, Herb Capozzi, and Wendy McDonald got in touch and apologized for how I had been treated. I regard them as a class act: not many would do this.”

However great days were ahead with Les at the helm of Canada’s diverse national teams programs, alongside Tony Waiters as the Team Coach, Tony having resigned from the Whitecaps just prior to Les being terminated.

“I was Canada’s National Team’s Manager during the nation’s greatest achievements in the world of soccer. I had the great honor and privilege as a Canada-developed professional soccer player to manage and lead various Canadian National Teams to nine prestigious FIFA World Championship Final events across the globe from 1983 to 2001.

“It started with the men’s side that went to the 1984 Olympic Games held in the United States.  We finished second in our group, drawing with Iraq at Harvard, at which stadium we beat Cameroon after losing by the only goal to the division winners Yugoslavia in Annapolis. That took us to the Quarter Finals where we met Brazil at Stanford Stadium in California in front of more than 36,000 spectators. It was 1-1 after extra time and then we lost on penalties. Brazil finished as silver medalists.”

Two years later Canada made the FIFA World Cup Finals in Mexico.

Canada finished without a point in their group, but there was no disgrace in losing out to France by the only goal of the game, the Soviet Union and Hungary. France finished the World Cup competition in third place.

“I have always believed in the seven P’s: Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. We were certainly well prepared for that competition. Tony Waiters and I took the team to Central America and also to Whistler and Colorado Springs to acclimatize to altitude.

“The Canadian government put us in touch with the Cortez Brothers who owned a chain of hotels, including a 5-star one in the village of Irapuato. Tony and I went down to see the brothers and asked where the training facilities were. They told us that they were 75 minutes away on the bus. Upon seeing our dismay they said ‘we build you a field’. It would cost us $4,000. When we next went back just prior to the Finals it was complete – and pristine. It lay fifty yards from this wonderful hotel.

“FIFA were responsible for paying for accommodation, meals and buses and duly deposited $45,000 with the CSA. It was my responsibility to take this money down to Mexico: stuffed into a money belt around my middle. Brian Mulroney was the Canadian Prime Minister and a colleague of mine worked in the Canadian Consulate in Mexico City and through these good offices it was arranged to send someone on to the plane when it landed to escort me off and through immigration before everyone else!

“What a wonderful experience the World Cup was – and what a team we made: Tony Waiters, myself and Bob Bearpark, who was truly excellent. All of the Canadian players were simply wonderful to work with and we had a brilliant overall staff.”

Les enjoyed success with the Under-17 and Under-20 men’s teams and also in leading the Women’s side in various world competition including the inaugural FIFA Women’s Invitation Tournament in China in 1988 (the idea was to see if a women’s world cup was feasible) and again at the Women’s FIFA World Cup in the USA in 1999.

The Canadian Women’s team were crowned Concacaf Champions in 1998. More highlights came with the senior men’s side winning the Gold medal at the inaugural FIFA 1989 Francophone Games in Morocco and an impressive “Double” championship win at the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA – Canada becoming Concacaf Gold Cup and also Concacaf Confederation Champions.

The Gold Cup represents the soccer championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean – and that year Colombia and South Korea were invited in for good measure. The Canadians beat Colombia 2-0 in the Final at the Coliseum in Los Angeles – ironically the home stadium for the Los Angeles Wolves that Les was a member of in 1967, when the Wolves become North American Champions in a competition featuring eleven world class imported professional teams from around the globe.

“But all of these achievements with Canada constituted a team effort. None of it could have been achieved without a wonderful coaching staff.  I have always believed that ‘Team Work – Works Magic’. I especially want to register my appreciation of, and respect for, the various CSA National Coaches and staff whose dedication meant that from 1983 to 2000 we qualified for 12 FIFA World Cup Finals across the globe as well as becoming champions at various Concacaf Finals with the Under-17’s, Under-20’s and the Women’s sides.

“In addition to Canada becoming Concacaf Olympic Champions in 1983 and Concacaf World Cup Champions in 1985, the Canadian Under-20 World Cup team, under the coaching of Bob Bearpark, Tony Taylor (the ex-Crystal Palace Scot) and Alan Errington (who had been the Whitecaps reserve team coach), would go on to qualify for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in Russia in 1985.

“In 1986 Tony Waiters resigned from the CSA in order to focus on his new soccer company.  Immediately Bob Bearpark and I went into recruitment mode, appointing Bruce Twamley (ex-Ipswich and a Canada international) along with Chris Bennett (another Canada international, who had played for the Whitecaps, Seattle Sounders, Memphis Rouges and indoor team Cleveland Force to run and operate the Canadian National Training Centre at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, as well as coaching various Canadian National Teams.

“Bob Bearpark and I recruited several Canadian coaches, including ex Welsh international Brian Hughes, the Scot Tony Taylor who had played for Crystal Palace and Bert Goldberger (holder of the German Football Association’s highest coaching certificate) to coach Canada’s Under-17’s.

“This team went to two FIFA Under-17 World Cup Finals, one in Scotland in 1989 and then another in Japan in 1993. Neil Turnbull (the Women’s National Coach) led the Canadian Women’s World Cup Teams to two FIFA World Cup Finals, one in 1988 in China and the second in the USA in 1998. Through the English FA and the influence of my old friend David Burnside, Charles Hughes made a number of visits to Vancouver to conduct several joint English FA certification/ CSA certification coaching courses.

“The likes of Chris Bennett, Alan Errington, Bert Goldberger, Tony Taylor, Neil Turnbull (who is related to Michael Carrick of Manchester United by marriage), Bruce Twamley and myself attended these courses held at the Whitecaps former training ground (The Norwegian Seamen’s Centre) and also at the University of British Columbia.  We all wanted to learn to be able to teach the global game the correct way to the Canadian players (male and female). Most importantly, we all desperately wanted Canada to be able to compete and win at all levels on the global scale.

There was Canadian success at many levels

“From 1986 to 2000 games were constantly arranged at all levels against teams in the Pacific Northwest. Interstate-5 was in constant use as numerous games were arranged during this era between teams in Seattle, Bellingham, Vancouver (Washington), Tacoma and Portland for the Men’s and Women’s teams.  Even in the winter months, games could go on in Cascadia due to the mild winters.

“It made sense to move the Canadian National Training Centre to the lower mainland of Vancouver because of the mild West Coast marine climate.  Soccer could be played all year round in Vancouver unlike the rest of Canada where the winters are very harsh from say November to late March.

“Twamley and Bennett produced a conveyor belt of players for Canada’s Under-17 Men’s team, Canada Under-20 team, Canada’s World Cup team and also the Vancouver 86ers team. My former teammate when I was fifteen years of age at the New Westminster Royals and also a Vancouver Whitecaps scout, Metro Gerela also looked after the Canadian Women’s National Teams players at the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centre at Simon Fraser University at this period of time. We were firing on all cylinders.

“These various Canadian National teams went on to qualify in the Concacaf Confederation (made up of close to forty countries) for an amazing ten FIFA World Cup Finals.   Later, Bruce Twamley and Chris Bennett were appointed coaches of the Canadian Under-20 World Cup Team.  These two dedicated coaches (and, very importantly, former experienced professional players) went into Mexico in 1997 and won the Concacaf Gold Medal at the Under-20 level.  Winning in Mexico was unprecedented and has not been repeated.

“Canada, as Concacaf Champions, qualified for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup Finals in Malaysia where Canada finished ninth in the world. In 1989 the impossible happened as the Canadian Men’s National Team, managed and coached by Bruce Twamley, Kevin Muldoon and myself, went into Morocco and, against all odds, were victorious in winning the first ever FIFA Francophone Soccer Championship.

“Much of the thanks went to the brilliant goalkeeping of Craig Forrest (the former Ipswich, Chelsea and West Ham player) along with our excellent Canadian captain Enzo Concina, who went on to have a good career as a player in the Italian Leagues. [ In the 2011-2012 Italian League season Napoli ended in fifth place in Serie A, however they managed to defeat unbeaten champions Juventus in the Stadio Olimpico to win the Coppa Italia Cup. Enzo Concina was the Assistant Coach of this victorious Napoli Team.]”

Enzo Concina learned his soccer as a young boy in Toronto and is a great colleague of Les Wilson’s to this very day. He is one of so many that Les has delighted in counting friend and colleague in the world of football for over fifty years.

Also See:

Les Wilson Part 3 – a Cascadian comes home

Les Wilson Part 2 – Cascadian Soccer Pioneer – Meeting legends at Wolves

Les Wilson Part 1 – The Cascadian who played in the EPL