I talked with a couple Earthquake players who said they did not like being in a commercial aircraft with Parviz....he was a well known player in Iran and they were fearful that someone might want to do harm to him while flying.
Happy 65th birthday to Terry Weekes, the central California goalkeeper who spent the 1976 and 1977 NASL seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes.
In the early days of ESPN on cable TV systems, around 1982 I guess it was, Bob Lee was their "soccer guy". He was almost always the person who did the reports of the NASL and every week had a soccer specific half hour in which he concentrated on the NASL. The Quakes had a good first half of the season in '82, with Hilaire in the midfield. I recall Bob Lee saying that San Jose had really turned their fortunes around, with Vince Hilaire being one of the catalysts and that they would almost assuredly make the playoffs....I guess it what people call "bad juju", as from that moment on, the team lost most of it's games and did not qualify for the playoffs.
Along with fellow Englishman Godfrey Ingram, Hilaire provided excitement. I recall from that 1982 season, English coach Peter Short hated American players and started naturalized American and Canadian citizens. Mike Stojanović, Tony Crescitelli and Gary Eterington. I think Jim McAlister and Mike Hunter started in the back but that was about it as far as American born players. Short was a strict disciplinarian and players didn’t take kindly to his tactics. He was killed two years later after getting robbed from a clothing store he was working at in LA. I remember distinctly that when they didn’t make the playoffs Etherington said, “I’m sick as a pig”…..
We're two weeks away from Quakes Hall of Fame Night, presented by @Audi! Dave Obenour, better known as Obie, will be inducted after working four different roles with the club from 1974-1980! Hear about how he got the job & helped build the club to what it is today! #VamosSJ pic.twitter.com/d4GrpTFFty— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) May 7, 2019
I hope they filmed a longer version. Obie knows where all the bodies are buried. Well deserved honor. He was, and is, beloved by the NASL Quakes players and was an integral part of the Club.
As far as the Earthquakes v. 1.0 go, he’s got the knowledge. But, I also think Obie has the integrity to keep it to himself.
I traveled with the Quakes for a few road trips in 1979, which was Obie's last year as trainer. I went to Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. It was Obie who helped me set up all the travel plans (mostly by getting me in touch with the team's travel agent). However, the first time I showed up at the airport, he saw me checking in by myself and before the team was checked in as a group. He (and Mark Belmont, his assistant that summer) came to me and told me to come over to the group and to put my luggage in their collection of luggage and supplies and to come with them, which, of course I did. On the road, there was very little that happened with the team in which Obie was not directly managing. He did everything (he and Mark). I was so fortunate that summer, being able to do what I did, which included riding the team buses in the cities where they played, staying in the hotels (that on my own dime of course) with the team, going to the locker rooms (with the exception of Giants Stadium @ Cosmos, but even there, I sat in the visiting owners box and had press access). I even sat on the team bench in Chicago (sort of by accident, but I was there nonetheless). Obie deserves every award and accolade that comes his way. The early Quakes would not have been what they were without him.
Yes, I remember Tony Simoes being introduced as "The Senator" during pregame introductions at each home game. If I recall, his elected position was more like being elected to the House of Representatives, but being given the moniker of "The Representative" is obviously far less colorful than being "The Senator". That said, Simoes was, as a player, in the top five (maybe top three) who ever wore a Quakes jersey.....IMO anyway.
Former English defender who played for West Brom, the Minnesota Kicks, Quakes and Team America , Alan Merrick posted it...