Ron Newman

Born in Fareham, Newman, after non-league football with Woking, played in the Football League with Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace and Gillingham. While at Gillingham he became the second player ever to be introduced as a substitute in English professional football. In 1967 Newman came to the United States to play for the Atlanta Chiefs in the National Professional Soccer League (where he was team MVP in 1967), before being traded to the Dallas Tornado during the 1968 season. In addition to playing for the Tornado, Newman also served as an assistant coach during the 1968 season. The next year, Newman became both the head coach, as well as a player, for the Tornado until 1974. At the end of that season, he retired from playing and became the team's dedicated head coach for the 1975 season. He took the Tornado to the NASL championship in 1971. In 1976, he coached the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the American Soccer League (ASL), taking them to the ASL championship, making Newman the only coach to win both an NASL and ASL title. He then returned to the NASL in 1977 to coach the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, where he stayed until 1979. That season, he was forced to don a players uniform and play part of one game after a union strike decimated his team. In July 1980, Newman became coach of the San Diego Sockers. While he had the best win/loss record as an outdoor soccer coach, and was named NASL coach of the year in 1971, 1977 and 1984, as well as ASL coach of the year in 1976,…