How I paved the way for Beckham
GradwellCorporateDesign | history
Ahead of the game... again
Mr Beckham might be playing for LA Galaxy...
but LA Galaxy might not have been there but for...
As seen on BBC TV
David Beckham may be getting the celebrity treatment in Los Angeles after his
multi-million dollar deal to play for LA Galaxy. But Becks may owe some thanks
to a local man who played a part in helping soccer take off in America in the
1960s. According to Geoff Gradwell, teams like LA Galaxy would not have existed
if it had not been for him and other young expats in America in the late 1960s.
Geoff moved to Torrance, Los Angeles, with his parents in 1967 along with many
other men from the UK at that time
working in the decimated UK Aircraft Industry. As the British ex-pat community
grew, so interest in football or soccer as it's known in the US, began to take
off.
In 1964, a group of them formed the American Youth Soccer Organisation (AYSO)
with just nine teams. The AYSO grew and now provides soccer development for
children all over the USA with more than 50,000 teams and 650,000 players.
Geoff, said: "Some of the men who worked in the area were having a barbecue and
a few drinks in the garage one time, when they thought it would be a good idea
to start a couple of football teams for their youngsters to play in. "The
general idea was, hell why not let the Yanks play too, let's get a few teams
together and so the AYSO was formed." Geoff was enlisted to play for one of the
original AYSO teams, The Panthers in 1967. “I suppose my best memory was playing in the cup final where we as underdogs beat
the League Champions, [Accrington Stanley (who?) beat Manchester United], we
won 3–2, I scored a hat-trick with the winner coming in extra time”. Geoff was also the leagues highest goalscorer.
"I guess I was a mix of Colin Bell, George Best and Rodney Marsh with a bit of
Roy Keane to boot and Beckham too!" said Geoff. "From those early days of
helping to instigate soccer in LA, creating the interest in the generations
whose sons, daughters, grandson and granddaughters are now supporting LA Galaxy
and Mr Beckham, in some small way, you could say I paved the way for him!"
Geoff went on to captain the South Bay-Sierra Madre All Stars in 1968, led the
California State Side in 1969, playing at the famous Pasadena Rose Bowl and was
earmarked for the US Olympic team of 1972. He returned to the UK partly because
of the threat of conscription to the Vietnam War. He was spotted in the US by a
professional scout from premier side
Everton and offered trials as a professional before deciding ‘to get a proper job’!
