Footballer and coach

Born: April 3, 1943;

Died: March 9, 2017

BILL Thomson, who has died aged 73, was a Govan born and bred footballer who exerted a strong influence on the development of the game in Canada where he emigrated in 1967.

Good enough as a player to have represented Scotland at under-age level, it was in the sphere of coaching that he truly made his mark. He was Canada Soccer’s first full-time technical director and director of coaching and manager of the national team at the Pan American Games in Mexico City in 1975 and the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976. In 1979 he was coach to the Canadian team at the World Student Games, again in Mexico City.

He also played an important role in the expansion of the professional game in his adopted country as coach to two teams, the Ottawa Pioneers and The Intrepid, leading to his being awarded Coach of the Year accolade in 1987. During this period he was also instrumental in creating the High Performance National Coaching Certification Programme for all the National Sports Federations. The inaugural chairman of Canada’s National Coaching Institute, he became its full-time director based at the University of Victoria from 1990 to 2008.

William George Thomson was born in Govan and brought up at 79 Elderpark Street, in a close knit family with elder brother John, now in Massachusetts. Father John was a motor mechanic while mother Cecelia, a strong character, ran a harmonious household.

The young Bill's love of football began in the local streets where he played with other boys from the neighbourhood including his contemporaries Alex Ferguson and his brother Martin.

He attended Greenfield Primary School before going to Govan High School where he excelled on the football pitch and academically. Playing in defence, he was selected for trials for the Scottish schoolboys team and in 1960 played for Scotland in an under age match. In his final year at school he received the prize for General Excellence having distinguished himself at science, English and maths.

Govan and particularly The Boys’ Brigade were very influential in his upbringing and, like Alex Ferguson, he credited the organisation with instilling in him worthwhile values that lasted a lifetime and kept him on the straight and narrow.

An enthusiastic member of the 168th Glasgow company attached to Govan Congregational Church, he immersed himself in their activities, taking part in football, singing in the choir, playing the drums in the pipe band, swimming and being introduced to the Scottish countryside on camping trips.

Their captain or ‘skipper’ was Mr A Collins who was an important mentor to Bill and dispensed much useful advice. After leaving school, Bill joined Rolls Royce to do an engineering apprenticeship but his heart was not in it. He spoke to Skipper Collins who suggested to him to do what he loved and the money would follow later. He therefore gave up his apprenticeship and enrolled at the Scottish School of Physical Education at Jordanhill to enable him to pursue a career in sport, his real love. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there which he would later refer to as ‘my salad days.’ As well as participating with distinction in a broad range of sports he was a valued member of the football team.

After graduating, he taught for two years at Mainholm Academy, Ayr and played for junior team Ardeer Thistle. On Christmas Eve 1966 at Symington Parish Church he married Adrianne Watt whom he had met several years previously at a dance at the St Andrews Halls near the Mitchell Library and the couple went on to enjoy a happy and fulfilling 50 years together.

In 1967 they emigrated to Canada where Bill secured a post in Toronto at a leading boys’ school, Upper Canada College, teaching PE and maths and coaching football and swimming. He also opened a soccer school on the campus which he ran successfully for several years and found time to complete a masters’ degree. After seven years at UCC during which daughters Justine and Meredith were born, he focused on full-time football coaching.

Other distinctions included his appointment as a FIFA soccer instructor and undertaking coaching programmes in Japan and the Caribbean; induction into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 and appointment as a life member of Canada Soccer in 2012.

A regular visitor to Scotland, he remained very attached to his roots here, maintaining family connections and friendships. He delighted in showing his daughters his favourite places, once memorably taking them on a cycling trip from Glasgow to Inveraray.

In Canada he was extremely highly regarded both for his coaching achievements and his personal qualities. A lifelong friend from Jordanhill days, Sir Richard Staite, better known to football fans as Dick Staite of Partick Thistle and Clyde, remembers him fondly.

"Many lives were immeasurably better through knowing Bill," he said. "Key to him was his sense of devilment and fun; he was an open, warm guy, as straight as they come, and held in much affection and respect.”

He is survived by his wife, daughters, brother and grandchildren Jackson, Mackenzie, Will and Rowan.

JACK DAVIDSON