Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer [1] | ||
Date of birth | 27 January 1957 | ||
Place of birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
–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) | |
International career | |||
1981 | Canada | 3 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1990–1991 | Staines Town | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Gordon Eric Peter Sweetzer (born 27 January 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player 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]
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]
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]
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]
Sweetzer's brothers Billy and Jimmy also played professional football. [2]
Brentford
Individual
This section needs expansionwith: * Cambridge United cup appearances. You can help by adding to it. (January 2018) |
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 |
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During the 1997–98 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. Just 11 wins in 46 matches saw the club relegated to the Third Division on the final day of the season.
During the 1971–72 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. The club led the division for much of the first half of the season and 10 wins in the final 14 matches secured automatic promotion with a 3rd-place finish.
During the 1972–73 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. The early-season departures of goalscorers John O'Mara and Bobby Ross and 15 consecutive away league defeats led to Brentford's relegation straight back to the Fourth Division.
During the 1973–74 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. A dreadful season, marred by infighting at boardroom level, resulted in a 19th-place finish, Brentford's lowest in the Football League since the 1925–26 season.
During the 1975–76 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. A poor middle third of the season led to an 18th-place finish, just three points above the re-election zone.
During the 1976–77 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. After a poor start to the season, Bill Dodgin Jr. appointed to replace inexperienced manager John Docherty. With re-election looking likely, Dodgin overhauled the playing squad and the Bees won 14 of the final 18 matches of the season to complete a remarkable turnaround and finish in mid-table.
During the 1977–78 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. 58 goals from Steve Phillips and Andrew McCulloch helped the club to a 4th-place finish and promotion to the Third Division. Phillips' 36 goals was the most in English league football by any player during the season.
During the 1981–82 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. After losing ground in January and February 1982, just one win from the final five matches of the season ended the Bees' hopes of promotion.
During the 1982–83 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. The high point of a mid-table season was a run to the fourth round of the League Cup, then the furthest the club had then progressed in the competition. The 107 goals scored during the season is a club record.