Neil Megson (soccer)

Megson was born in Manchester, England. His father, Don, played for English clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers from 1959 to 1972. He then coached the Rovers for five years before moving to the United States to coach the Portland Timbers of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1977. Megson played with the Frampton Rangers Youth Academy before joining Bristol Rovers F.C. as an apprentice when he was fourteen. He was sixteen when his father moved their family to Portland. On arriving in Oregon, Megson attended Lake Oswego High School, becoming an outstanding prep player. He was named the Oregon Player of the Year his senior year. Megson's family returned to England, but he elected to remain in the U.S. After high school, he attended a local community college for a year.

In 1983, the Seattle Sounders of the NASL signed Megson. He saw time in fourteen games, but the Sounders folded at the end of the 1983 season and Megson moved to the Tulsa Roughnecks for the 1984 NASL season. The Roughnecks and the NASL folded at the end of the season. By the time the NASL had folded, Megson was firmly established as an indoor player with the Tacoma Stars of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). He had signed with the Stars as the team's first player in the summer of 1983 and had played his first season in Tacoma during the 1983–84 NASL off season. He remained with the Stars until the team folded at the end of the 1991–92 season. In 1988, he had played with the Calgary Kickers.[1] Following the collapse of the Stars, Megson played a single season with the Portland Pride of the Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1993. In 1994, a new Seattle Sounders team was formed, this time in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). Megson signed with the team as a free agent in March 1994 and spent most of his years with the team playing sweeper. In 1995, the Sounders won the A-League championship. In March 1996, Megson took on the duties of coach, as well as player, with the Sounders. In that role, he led the team to the 1996 A-League title. In August and then again in October of that year, he suffered several injuries which put him out of play for several months. Megson continued to play with the team through the 1998 season. In 1999, he became the team's dedicated coach.

Megson earned his first of two caps with the U.S. national team in a 1–1 tie with Chile on 1 June 1988. He came on for Bernie James who replaced Megson as head coach of the Sounders after Megson was fired. Megson's second cap came two days later in a 3–1 loss to Chile. He started the game, then came off for Chris Sullivan.[2]