Tony Waiters facts for kids
Waiters in December 1964, about to shake hands with Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Keith Waiters | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1937 | ||
| Place of birth | Southport, England | ||
| Date of death | 5 November 2020 (aged 83) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1957–1958 | Bishop Auckland | ||
| 1958–1959 | Macclesfield Town | 11 | (0) |
| 1959–1967 | Blackpool | 257 | (0) |
| 1970–1972 | Burnley | 38 | (0) |
| Total | 306 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 1964 | England | 5 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1972–1977 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 1977–1979 | Vancouver Whitecaps | ||
| 1981–1986 | Canada | ||
| 1990–1991 | Canada | ||
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Tony Waiters (born February 1, 1937 – died November 5, 2020) was an English football player and coach. He was a goalkeeper during his playing days. He became famous for his coaching work in Canada.
He led the Vancouver Whitecaps to win a major championship called the NASL title. He also coached the Canadian national team to their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 1986.
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Playing Career Highlights
Tony Waiters started his football journey as an amateur player. He played for a team called Bishop Auckland in the Northern League. In 1958, he moved to Macclesfield Town.
While studying at Loughborough College, he played for the England Amateur team in May 1959. Interestingly, he used to play as a centre-half in school. He only started playing as a goalkeeper when he was in the RAF (Royal Air Force).
Becoming a Professional Player
In 1959, Blackpool manager Ron Suart noticed Tony's talent. Tony then signed with Blackpool and became a professional player. He played over 250 games for Blackpool.
In 1964, he played five games for the England national team. This was when Alf Ramsey, the England manager, was looking for a backup goalkeeper for Gordon Banks before the 1966 World Cup. Tony was in the first group of 40 players chosen, but he wasn't picked for the final 22-man squad.
Tony stopped playing in 1967 when Blackpool's team moved down a division. This is called being "relegated" from the First Division.
Return to Playing
After retiring, Tony started coaching. He worked for the Football Association as a regional coach. He also helped with Liverpool's youth teams before moving to Burnley.
In 1970, Burnley's goalkeeper, Peter Mellor, got injured. This led to Tony coming out of retirement to play again. He played about 40 more games before finally retiring from playing in 1972.
Coaching Successes
Tony Waiters began his coaching career with the England national youth team. He led them to win a European Championship in Italy in 1973.
Leading Club Teams
He then became the manager of Plymouth Argyle. In 1975, he guided them to win the Third Division championship. This meant they were promoted to a higher league.
Later, in 1977, he took over the Vancouver Whitecaps team. In 1979, he led them to a big win against the New York Cosmos. This helped them win Soccer Bowl '79, which was the championship for the NASL league.
Coaching the Canadian National Team
Tony also coached the Canadian national team. Under his leadership, the team reached the quarterfinals of the 1984 Olympics.
In 1985, his team won the CONCACAF Championship. This win meant they qualified for the 1986 World Cup! This was the first time Canada had ever made it to the World Cup. At the World Cup, Canada played against France. They kept the score at 0-0 for most of the game, only losing 1-0 late on. The team lost their other two games and didn't score any goals in the tournament. Tony managed the Canadian team again for a short time in 1990.
Other Roles and Legacy
Tony Waiters also wrote books about soccer skills and how to coach. In 2001, he was recognized for his contributions to soccer. He was added to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame as a "builder." In 2019, he was also inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame.
World of Soccer and Byte Size Coaching
In the 1980s, Tony started his own company called World of Soccer. Through this company, he created coaching books and soccer equipment.
After 2000, he developed "Total Player Development." This became the foundation for Byte Size Coaching. This website offers simple and helpful coaching advice for parents, coaches, and volunteers. Many clubs in Canada, America, the UK, Australia, and Singapore use Byte Size Coaching. It helps community clubs teach all their coaches.
Tony continued to coach children and young adults. He helped them reach their soccer dreams and shaped future players. He was the first Director of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) Goalkeeping Institute. He stepped down in 2006 but remained a National Staff Coach for the NSCAA and U.S. Soccer.
His Passing
Tony Waiters passed away on November 5, 2020, in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He was 83 years old. He died due to problems from pneumonia.
See also
In Spanish: Tony Waiters para niños
