Soccer Bowl ‘77 Commemorative Book 40th Anniversary

By Adrian Webster

It's the 40th Anniversary of when the Seattle Sounders played the New York Cosmos in Soccer Bowl '77. A game that went down in history.

The teams were comprised of world class and beloved players. Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Mike England, Shep Messing, Carlos Alberto, and touted as one of the best players of all times, Pele. Adrian Webster marked Pele in  Pele's final game. Adrian remembers his time with the team in stories of the games and memories of the players who helped lead the team to their Soccer Bowl run. The history of these players helped shape the Sounders into the champions they are today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books To Go Now
• Release date: May 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781393043911

Book preview

Excerpt from The Commemorative Book

I stood in the tunnel with my heart pounding and my stomach tied in knots. The chanting of the fans could be heard rocking the seats around us. All the other familiar sights and sounds faded. I was game ready. Focused. I had to be. My career was summed up in this moment. This was the Championship play-off game and I would come up against three World Cup winners, Pele, Carlos Alberto and Beckenbauer. Pele! The soccer player that still to this day is said to possibly be the best player of all time. Yes me, the boy from Colchester.

Copyright

Soccer Bowl ’77 Commemorative Book

Books to Go Now Publication

Copyright © Adrian Webster 2017

Books to Go Now

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First eBook Edition June 2017

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DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to my former Sounders teammates and to the memory of Walt Daggatt the founder of the Sounders, Jack Daley who moved the club forward, John Best who laid down a strong team foundation,

Jimmy Gabriel, Bobby Howe and Harry Redknapp who helped shape the structure to include a pathway for the young American players coming through and to Steve Buttle, Micky Cave and Paul Crossley who left us with some wonderful memories.

INTRODUCTION

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By ADRIAN WEBSTER

My first book Eternal Blue Forever Green came about after my former team mate and Sounders great Alan Hudson asked me to contribute a couple of pieces for a book he was writing.

This book is the result of a series of events that happened to me in a period of about six months.

September 2015 waiting for the results of my colonoscopy.

Saturday 26th September 2015 I had just received an email from Jenni Conner to say Congrats you are now an author. Within the space of 30 minutes I got a letter from the hospital to confirm that I have bowel cancer. Talk about a roller coaster ride.

Tuesday 20th October 2015 the day of my surgery. (Not pleasant )

Monday 14th December 2015 I start my rehab.

Tuesday 5th January 2016 I started back to work at the college. (First hurdle )

Friday 27th May 2016 I officially retire from work although I am not 65 until November.

Monday 30th May 2016 I accept the position as Manager of Brightlingsea Regent U21 team.  ( Retirement short lived )

Friday 3rd June 2016 I lay in bed struggling to nod off, it didn't help that my wife Jo was snoring for England. We had not long been home after going out for a meal with the family.

Prior to going out I had been going through some old emails one of which was from Adrian Hanauer the Sounders Majority Owner who I had written to in regards to my book Eternal Blue Forever Green and in it he says I was his mothers favourite player. I don't know whether it was this that started me thinking but as I lay in bed it kept running through my mind that if I had to rewrite the book I was sure I could do a much better job. I then started to think about the 77 Soccer Bowl team I had played in and that next year would be the 40th Anniversary of that wonderful game in Portland against the New York Cosmos and the Great Pele!

I knew I had to share these thoughts with Jenni so the next day I phoned her to get her reaction and to see that if she liked the idea maybe we could put something together.

Hence Remembering Soccer Bowl 77

40th Anniversary

IN THE BEGINNING

Adrian2

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I was twelve years old when I signed schoolboy forms for my hometown club Colchester United. At sixteen I signed as an apprentice professional and on my 18th birthday, I signed my first pro contract. I was at the club for three and a half seasons before I decided to leave.

It was May 1972 my former team-mate and club captain Bobby Cram was appointed player-coach of the Vancouver Spartans in Canada and he asked me to go over to play. We actually flew into Seattle before driving up to BC.

We played in the BC Premier League, it was a semi-professional league and I went on to play two seasons for them before I got the big break I was hoping for.

While playing for the Spartans, it was announced that Vancouver had been awarded a new franchise in the NASL and I was invited to train with a select group of players that they were interested in signing for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Unfortunately and to my disappointment, they were only going to be part-time their first season. However, my disappointment soon turned to joy when playing for the Spartans in the final of the BC Premier League Cup, which we won and on the day I had a really good game. Unbeknown to me John Best, the new Head Coach