Arnie Oliver

Arnold “Lucky Arnie” Oliver (May 22, 1907 – October 16, 1993) was a U.S. soccer inside forward. He spent at least six seasons in the American Soccer League. He was a member of the U.S. team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

For the Trinidadian cricketer, see Arnold Oliver.
Arnie Oliver
Personal information
Full name Arnold Oliver
Date of birth (1907-05-22)May 22, 1907
Place of birth New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States
Date of death October 16, 1993(1993-10-16) (aged 86)
Place of death New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States
Position(s) Inside Forward
Youth career
Quisset Mill
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1925–1926 Shawsheen Indians 5 (0)
1926 New Bedford Defenders
1926–1927 New Bedford Whalers 1 (0)
1927 Hartford Americans 7 (4)
1927–1929 J&P Coats 58 (38)
1929 New Bedford Whalers 5 (0)
1929 Pawtucket Rangers 3 (1)
1930 Fall River Marksmen 5 (4)
1930 Providence Gold Bugs 13 (8)
1931 → Fall River F.C. 1 (0)
1931 Pawtucket Rangers 10 (6)
–1938 Santo Christo
Teams managed
1966–1969 UMass Dartmouth
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Oliver, the son of British immigrants, began his career with the New Bedford Quisset Mill, a cotton mill, club when he was fourteen. He then played with the Shawsheen Indians, a local amateur club which joined the professional American Soccer League in 1925. However, Oliver remained an amateur and when the Indians folded during the season, he moved to the Defenders Club, winning the 1926 National Amateur Cup title with them.[1][2] Following the Amateur Cup final, Oliver turned professional when he signed with the New Bedford Whalers. He played only one game with the Whalers and in 1927, he moved to the Hartford Americans. However, they were kicked out of the league after only ten games and Oliver moved to J&P Coats for the remainder of the season. He spent most of the 1928-1929 season with J&P Coats, where he was at one point in a three-way tie for the league's scoring lead, but finished the season with the New Bedford Whalers.[3] Oliver then moved to the Pawtucket Rangers for the fall 1929 season. In the fall of 1930, he began the season with the Marksmen before transferring to the Providence Gold Bugs. In the spring of 1931, he played with Fall River F.C. then with the Pawtucket Rangers in the fall of 1931.[4] Some sources state Oliver ended his career in the American Soccer League in 1931, others say 1935. However, all agree that he finished his career with the amateur Santo Christos in 1938.

National team

In 1930, Oliver was called into the U.S. national team for the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He did not enter any of the U.S. games at the tournament but played several exhibition games during the U.S. team's South American tour following the cup. However, none of those games are considered full internationals.

Coaching

Following his retirement from playing, Oliver coached extensively. In 1966, he became the first head coach of the UMass Dartmouth men’s soccer team. From the team’s founding in 1966 through the 1969 season, Oliver took the team to a 40-11-2 record.[5]

Oliver was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1968, the New England Soccer Hall of Fame in 1981[6] and the UMass Dartmouth Hall of Fame in 1997.[7]

References
  1. "U.S. Amateur Cup champions". Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  2. Morris, Ev (April 15, 1928). "U.S. Develops Own Soccer Stars". New York Daily News. p. 76.
  3. Morris, Ev (April 15, 1928). "U.S. Develops Own Soccer Stars". New York Daily News. p. 76.
  4. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921-1931 (Hardback). The Scarecrow Press. (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4).
  5. UMass soccer coaches
  6. 2006 New England Soccer Hall of Fame Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
  7. UMass Sports Hall of Fame
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