Gordon Sweetzer

Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer (born 27 January 1957) is a Canadian former professional footballer who played as a forward. In a short injury-plagued career, he played in the Football League for Brentford, Cambridge United and in the North American Soccer League for Toronto Blizzard and Edmonton Drillers. Sweetzer won three caps for Canada and later became a manager and coach. As a player, he was described as "an aggressive, all-action, bustling striker, with little finesse about his game".[3]

Gordon Sweetzer
Personal information
Full name Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer[1]
Date of birth (1957-01-27) 27 January 1957
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
0000–1975 Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1978 Brentford 72 (40)
1978–1980 Cambridge United 9 (3)
1980–1981 Toronto Blizzard 41 (9)
1981–1982 Brentford 9 (1)
1982 Edmonton Drillers 12 (2)
Total 143 (55)
National team
1981 Canada 4 (0)
Teams managed
1990–1991 Staines Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Brentford (1975–1978)

A forward, Sweetzer began his career in the youth system at Queens Park Rangers, before transferring to Fourth Division club Brentford in July 1975.[3] After signing a professional contract in September 1975, he was named as the substitute for a league fixture versus Huddersfield Town late in the month.[3] Aged 18, Sweetzer made his professional debut when he replaced Dave Simmons during the match and scored the first senior goal of his career with a late header in the 2–1 defeat.[4][5] He went on to establish himself in the team and finished the 1975–76 season with 31 appearances and seven goals.[6]

Sweetzer began the 1976–77 season with niggling injuries,[3] but after returning to fitness he showed prolific form, scoring 23 goals in 28 appearances to pull the Bees away from what would have been an almost-certain re-election scenario.[6][7] He was voted the club's Supporters' Player of the Year.[8] During the 1977–78 season, Sweetzer was part of a prolific forward line that also included Steve Phillips and Andrew McCulloch and despite being affected by injuries, he scored 14 goals in 20 appearances.[6][9] With promotion to the Third Division almost assured, he was transferred out of the club in April 1978.[3] In just shy of three seasons at Griffin Park, Sweetzer scored 44 goals in 79 appearances.[6]

Later career (1978–1982)

Sweetzer transferred to high-flying Third Division club Cambridge United for a £30,000 fee in April 1978, a move which reunited him with manager John Docherty, who had signed him at Brentford.[3] Sweetzer celebrated promotion to the Second Division with the club at the end of the 1977–78 season, but the remainder of his spell would be plagued by injuries and he left the club in 1980.[3] He returned to his native Canada to play for North American Soccer League club Toronto Blizzard in 1980 and 1981, before closing out his career in 1982 with a short comeback at Brentford and a spell with North American Soccer League club Edmonton Drillers.[3][10]

International career

Sweetzer won four caps for Canada in 1981.[2]

Managerial and coaching career

Sweetzer served as manager at Isthmian League Premier Division club Staines Town between November 1990 and June 1991.[11] He is currently a youth coach at Toronto High Park.[12]

Personal life

Sweetzer's brothers Billy and Jimmy also played professional football.[2]

Honours

Brentford

Individual

Career statistics
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1975–76[6] Fourth Division 27 5 4 2 0 0 31 7
1976–77[6] 27 23 1 0 0 0 28 23
1977–78[6] 18 12 0 0 2 2 20 14
Total 72 40 5 2 2 2 79 44
Cambridge United Total 9 3 0 0 0 0 9 3
Toronto Blizzard 1980[10] North American Soccer League 22 5 — — 22 5
1981[10] 19 4 — — 19 4
Total 41 9 — — 41 9
Brentford 1981–82[13] Third Division 9 1 — — 9 1
Brentford total 81 41 5 2 2 2 88 45
Edmonton Drillers 1982[10] North American Soccer League 12 2 — — 12 2
Career total 143 55 5 2 2 2 150 59

References
  1. "Gordon Sweetzer". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  2. "Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  3. Croxford et al. 2011, p. 276.
  4. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 393. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. Croxford et al. 2011, p. 118.
  6. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 323–325. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  7. "Brentford results for the 1976-1977 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  8. Croxford et al. 2011, p. 295.
  9. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  10. "NASL-Gordon Sweetzer". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  11. "Staines Town Info". www.stainestownfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  12. "GotSoccer Team Detail". home.gotsoccer.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  13. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 423. ISBN 978-1906796716.
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