Jimmy Douglas (Canadian soccer)

Jimmy Douglas (born 6 October 1948 in Falkirk, Scotland) is a former Scottish-Canadian soccer midfielder and head coach. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and earned fourteen caps for the Canadian national soccer team.

Jimmy Douglas
Personal information
Full name James Douglas
Date of birth (1948-10-06) 6 October 1948 (age 76)
Place of birth Falkirk, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1966– St. Catharines Heidelberg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1973 St. Catharines Heidelberg
1974 Toronto Metros 11 (0)
1975 St. Catharines Heidelberg
1976 Hamilton Croatia
1977 Toronto First Portuguese
1978 St. Catharines Roma Wolves
International career
1972–1976 Canada 13 (1)
Managerial career
St. Catharines Roma Wolves
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Born in Scotland, Douglas moved to Canada in 1964 when he was sixteen. He almost immediately began playing for St. Catharines Heidelberg in the National Soccer League and by 1972 was in the first team.[1] In 1974, he played in the North American Soccer League with the Toronto Metros before returning to St. Catharines Heidelberg for one season and Hamilton Croatia also for one season.[2] In 1977, he played with league rivals Toronto First Portuguese.[3]

He signed with St. Catharines Roma for the 1978 season, and was named the team's captain.[4] He later became coach of St. Catharines Roma Wolves, serving as general manager in at least 2002 and 2003.

In 2002, he was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame.[5]

International career

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Douglas was one of Canada's most talented midfield players. He played 13 'A' internationals including with the World Cup teams of 1972 and 1976 which failed to qualify for their respective finals. Douglas played another ten games with the Canadian Olympic soccer team. He was captain of the Canadian team during the final rounds of the 1976 Olympics, attracting international attention when he scored Canada's goal in the dying minutes of the game against the Soviet Union. He also scored Canada's goal in a 1–3 loss to North Korea, which eliminated the Canadians. Douglas also was a member of the Canadian squad at the 1975 Pan American Games.[6][7]

International goals

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Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 29 August 1972 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, United States   United States 2–2 2–2 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification

In April 2001 Douglas was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Kernaghan, Jim (24 November 1972). "Canada soccer team threatened". Toronto Star. p. 22.
  2. ^ Waring, Ed (7 June 1976). "Olympic soccer team downs Portuguese 1-0". The Globe and Mail. p. S5.
  3. ^ "McBean's goal rescues 1-1 tie for Hamilton". The Globe and Mail. 2 June 1977. p. 42.
  4. ^ "Cyclones play Roma". Sudbury Star. 27 May 1978. p. 7.
  5. ^ Wallace, Jim (4 October 2002). "Douglas's roots firmly planted in Garden City: Passion for soccer earns him spot in Hall of Fame". St. Catharines Standard. p. C1.
  6. ^ Pan-American Games 1975 (Mexico) - Match Details
  7. ^ "Jimmy Douglas". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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