Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer (born 27 January 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a forward. In a short, injury-plagued career, he played in the Football League for Brentford, Cambridge United and in the North American Soccer League for Toronto Blizzard and Edmonton Drillers. Sweetzer won three caps for Canada and later became a manager and coach. As a player, he was described as "an aggressive, all-action, bustling striker, with little finesse about his game".[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1975 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1978 | Brentford | 72 | (40) |
| 1978–1980 | Cambridge United | 9 | (3) |
| 1980–1981 | Toronto Blizzard | 41 | (9) |
| 1981–1982 | Brentford | 9 | (1) |
| 1982 | Edmonton Drillers | 12 | (2) |
| Total | 143 | (55) | |
| International career | |||
| 1981 | Canada | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1990–1991 | Staines Town | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editBrentford (1975–1978)
editA forward, Sweetzer began his career in the youth system at Queens Park Rangers, before transferring to Fourth Division club Brentford in July 1975.[3] After signing a professional contract in September 1975, he was named as the substitute for a league fixture versus Huddersfield Town late in the month.[3] Aged 18, Sweetzer made his professional debut when he replaced Dave Simmons during the match and scored the first senior goal of his career with a late header in the 2–1 defeat.[4][5] He went on to establish himself in the team and finished the 1975–76 season with 31 appearances and seven goals.[6]
Sweetzer began the 1976–77 season with niggling injuries,[3] but after returning to fitness he showed prolific form, scoring 23 goals in 28 appearances to pull the Bees away from what would have been an almost-certain re-election scenario.[6][7] He was voted the club's Supporters' Player of the Year.[8] During the 1977–78 season, Sweetzer was part of a prolific forward line that also included Steve Phillips and Andrew McCulloch and despite being affected by injuries, he scored 14 goals in 20 appearances.[6][9] With promotion to the Third Division almost assured, he was transferred out of the club in April 1978.[3] In just shy of three seasons at Griffin Park, Sweetzer scored 44 goals in 79 appearances.[6]
Later career (1978–1982)
editSweetzer transferred to high-flying Third Division club Cambridge United for a £30,000 fee in April 1978, a move which reunited him with manager John Docherty, who had signed him at Brentford.[3] Sweetzer celebrated promotion to the Second Division with the club at the end of the 1977–78 season, but the remainder of his spell would be plagued by injuries and he left the club in 1980.[3] He returned to his native Canada to play for North American Soccer League club Toronto Blizzard in 1980 and 1981, before closing out his career in 1982 with a short comeback at Brentford and a spell with North American Soccer League club Edmonton Drillers.[3][10]
International career
editManagerial and coaching career
editSweetzer served as manager at Isthmian League Premier Division club Staines Town between November 1990 and June 1991.[11] He is currently a youth coach at Toronto High Park.[12]
Personal life
editSweetzer's brothers Billy and Jimmy also played professional football.[2]
Honours
editBrentford
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1977–78[6]
Individual
Career statistics
editThis section needs expansion with: * Cambridge United cup appearances. You can help by adding to it. (January 2018) |
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 1975–76[6] | Fourth Division | 27 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 |
| 1976–77[6] | 27 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 23 | ||
| 1977–78[6] | 18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 14 | ||
| Total | 72 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 79 | 44 | ||
| Cambridge United | Total | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| Toronto Blizzard | 1980[10] | North American Soccer League | 22 | 5 | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||
| 1981[10] | 19 | 4 | — | — | 19 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 9 | — | — | 41 | 9 | ||||
| Brentford | 1981–82[13] | Third Division | 9 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Brentford total | 81 | 41 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 88 | 45 | ||
| Edmonton Drillers | 1982[10] | North American Soccer League | 12 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 143 | 55 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 150 | 59 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Gordon Sweetzer". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
- ^ a b c "Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 276.
- ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 393. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 118.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 323–325. ISBN 978-1906796709.
- ^ "Brentford results for the 1976-1977 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 295.
- ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ a b c d "NASL-Gordon Sweetzer". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "Staines Town Info". www.stainestownfootballclub.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "GotSoccer Team Detail". home.gotsoccer.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 423.
External links
edit- Gordon Sweetzer at canadasoccer.com