Ontario soccer’s past and present came together on November 13 to make sure the most outstanding players and builders in the province are given due recognition for their efforts in advancing a game which is now mainstream sport in Canada.
The late Jim Kernaghan, sports reporter for the Toronto Star and sport columnist with the Londin Free Press, once said of the sports he was familiar with the soccer people are the most loyal. The gathering at Whitby, Ontario on November 13, underlined Kernaghan’s comment that the soccer community of outstanding players and builders work together and play an important role in also establishing soccer in Canada a sport with the most players registered, more than hockey, and more than football, baseball and basketball combined.
The gathering was the inaugural annual Induction of the recently formed Soccer Hall of Fame – Ontario, and there were four award recipients Dick Howard, Bill Hoyle, Colin Jose and Whitby FC. Howard, Hoyle and Jose in the builder category and Whitby FC receiving the Organization of Distinction Award. Hoyle and Jose are honoured posthumously.
Hoyle was elected the 29th president of the provincial governing soccer body Ontario Soccer.
Bill Hoyle was a busy soccer referee in Ontario following his arrival in 1954, an immigrant from Lancaster, England. Hoyle served on the executive committee of the Ontario Soccer Referees Association, a representative of the Toronto branch. He was president for four terms during the formative years of the OSRA and was then appointed a vice-president in 1970. Hoyle was a national referee instructor for many years and was chairman of Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum from 2000 to 2008. In 1979 Hoyle was also elected the 29th president of the provincial governing soccer body Ontario Soccer, a heavyweight position in Canada’s largest province. Bill Hoyle passed away peacefully on February 20, 2018 age 92.
Colin Jose was primarily a historian in North American soccer .
Colin Jose was primarily a historian in North American soccer who was a journalist, author and statistician and was the founding member of the Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. He served on the executive committee of the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, was press officer for Canada Soccer from 1972 to 1982 and served as liaison officer on the FIFA press and publications committee. An immigrant who arrived in Canada from Falmouth, England in 1957, Jose was bestowed a Life Member of Canada Soccer and was inducted into the national Hall of Fame. Born on July 11, 1936, he passed away peacefully on September 14, 2024.
Howard was appointed a FIFA instructor conducting more than 100 courses in many countries and was eventually a member of the FTFA technical committee.
Dick Howard received his third Hall of Fame Award having been similarly recognized with the Canadian soccer Hall of Fame in 2002 and in the United States’ Soccer Wall of Fame bestowed upon him following an impressive playing career with Rochester Lancers.
Howard a goalkeeper, played briefly in professional soccer in England before arriving in Canada in the mid-sixties. He played for Rochester Lancers, then Detroit Cougars in the United States before signing a second time for Rochester and followed by Toronto Metros in the North American Soccer League in 1971.. Howard made five appearances for Canada. In earlier years prior to arriving in Canada Howard pursued further education and gained a physical education diploma, then on his arrival in North America obtained a degree in physical education from the New York State University at Brockport. This led to a career at Crescent School, a private school in Toronto and his appointment in 1972 as director of athletics and head of physical education. Dick Howard coached and was appointed technical director with the Canadian Soccer Association. He was then appointed a FIFA instructor conducting more than 100 courses in many countries and was eventually a member of the FTFA technical committee, a position held for 15 years.
Howard also excelled in the media as a television soccer analyst during the World Cup during 1990 to 2010 and other major soccer competitions and was also a writer with the Toronto Sun and the coast-to-coast Soccer News newspaper in Canada. He also authored books on soccer and additionally contributed to others including coaching manuals and video tapes for the Canadian Soccer Association, CONCACAF and FIFA.Add colour commentator for a host of games on several networks including CBC, CTV,TSN and FOX. Howard is said to be an icon in today’s soccer community.
Former president of Ontario Soccer Ron Smale has been appointed Chair of the Ontario Hall of Fame and in attendance at the gathering were John Misley, CEO of Ontario Soccer, Richard Scott and Dorothy Hickey for Canada Soccer and Peter Kovacs and Stan Adamson represented the Canadian Soccer League.
