Jeff Bourne facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jeffrey Albert Bourne | ||
| Date of birth | 19 June 1948 | ||
| Place of birth | Linton, Derbyshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 31 July 2014 (aged 66) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| –1971 | Burton Albion | ||
| 1971–1977 | Derby County | 73 | (14) |
| 1976 | → Dallas Tornado (loan) | 22 | (15) |
| 1977–1978 | Crystal Palace | 32 | (10) |
| 1978 | Dallas Tornado | 30 | (21) |
| 1979 | Atlanta Chiefs | 29 | (18) |
| 1979–1980 | Sheffield United | 26 | (11) |
| 1980 | Atlanta Chiefs | 19 | (5) |
| 1980–1981 | Seattle Sounders | 32 | (8) |
| 1980–1981 | Seattle Sounders (indoor) | 17 | (21) |
| 1981–1984 | Wichita Wings (indoor) | 113 | (109) |
| 1982 | → Oklahoma City Slickers (loan) | (20) | |
| 1983 | → Dallas Americans (loan) | (17) | |
|
|||
Jeffrey Albert Bourne (born June 19, 1948 – died July 31, 2014) was an English footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a player who focused on scoring goals. Born in Linton, Derbyshire, England, he started his career in England. Later, he moved to the United States. There, he played for several teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He also played in the second-tier American Soccer League. In 1983, he was the top scorer in the American Soccer League.
Contents
Playing Football in England
Jeffrey Bourne started his football journey with a non-league team called Burton Albion. In February 1971, he joined Derby County. For a while, he mostly played with the reserve team. He didn't get much time with the main team until January 1974.
Success with Derby County
During the 1973–1974 season, Bourne scored nine goals. Derby County finished third in the league that year. The next season, he was back with the reserves. However, he still played for the first team sometimes. In 1975, he was part of the team that won the First Division. He played in 17 games and scored 2 goals during that winning season.
Moving to Crystal Palace
In 1976, Derby County loaned Bourne to the Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League (NASL). It became clear that Bourne would not be a regular player for Derby County. So, in March 1977, Derby County sold him to Crystal Palace F.C. for £30,000.
When Bourne joined Crystal Palace, the team was struggling. They had dropped from the top division to the third division in just two seasons. Crystal Palace used the money from selling another player to buy Bourne. He made a big difference right away. He scored nine goals in fifteen games. This helped Crystal Palace get promoted back to the Second Division. Even with his help, Crystal Palace decided to send him to the Dallas Tornado in the spring of 1978.
Playing Football in the United States
Jeffrey Bourne first played in the United States in 1976. He was on loan from Derby County to the Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He scored fifteen goals in twenty-two games. This earned him a spot on the second-team All Star list.
Joining Dallas and Atlanta
In 1978, Dallas bought his contract from Crystal Palace. The next year, in 1979, the Tornado traded Bourne to the Atlanta Chiefs. He scored eighteen goals in twenty-nine games for the Chiefs in 1979. But his goal count dropped in 1980, with five goals in twenty games. Because of this, the Chiefs sent Bourne to the Seattle Sounders. He finished that season with two goals in eight games.
Indoor Soccer Success
During the winter of 1980, Bourne became one of the best players in the NASL indoor season. He scored twenty-one goals in seventeen games. Bourne played his last NASL season with Seattle in 1981.
In the fall of 1981, he joined the Wichita Wings in the Major Indoor Soccer League. In the 1981–1982 season, he scored twenty goals. In 1982, he was loaned from the Wings to the Oklahoma City Slickers. This team was part of the American Soccer League. The Slickers made it to the championship series but lost.
Later Career and Injury
Bourne then went back to the Wings for the 1982-1983 indoor season. The Slickers tried to get him for the 1983 ASL season, but the Wings asked for too much money. So, Bourne signed with the Dallas Americans instead. He was the top scorer in the league that year with seventeen goals. He returned to the Wings and was the league's second-leading scorer. However, he suffered a serious injury in April 1984 that ended his season.
His Passing
Jeffrey Bourne passed away on July 31, 2014. He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease just nine weeks before. This is a serious illness that affects the nerves and muscles.
