A long time ago there was this league in the States called North American Soccer League.  My father’s best friend during the war was Welsh, and he introduced my dad to the manager of the newly formed Atlanta Chiefs, another Welshman, Phil Woosnam. (Actually, he was the player-coach.) Phil got us some tickets to the matches and Dad was instantly hooked.  But I wasn’t until we started having the entire Chiefs team over to our house for barbecues and a swim, with Big Lou (Dad) the convivial host.  I especially enjoyed the 4^th of July barbecues.

I should have been a Villa fan because it was the first English team I saw play, albeit they played against the Chiefs in Atlanta.  Even though it was Phil’s old team, I never felt anything for them – but awe.

I’ve been promoting football in American ever since.  It’s been a real uphill struggle, but we’re making progress.  I saw almost every match that was held in LA for the 1984 Olympics and the World Cup in 1994.  When I started having children and they started AYSO games, I did my best to explain that this country was catching up to the rest of the world and that football was the game of our future.

My son and I picked Newcastle after his first trip to England, and we now bleed black and white.  Later, I took him to see the Toon for his 16^th birthday – something we’ll both never forget (it was also the Sunderland derby…).  We even saw the movie Goal in a theatre in Newcastle.  (It’s about a kid from LA… you know the rest.)

Now my daughter (the youngest) is catching the fever. Another trip to St. James? Of course, Howay The Lads!

 

Don Sylvester

Agoura Hills, California