Paul Kitson (footballer, born 1956)
Paul Kitson (31 May 1956 – 25 August 2005) was an English footballer who played and coached professionally with both indoor and outdoor soccer teams in Canada and the United States.
 Kitson circa 1984 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 31 May 1956 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Date of death | 25 August 2005 (aged 49) | ||
| Place of death | Toronto, Canada | ||
| Position(s) | Forward / Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Watford | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1979 | New York Apollo | ||
| 1980–1981 | → New York United | ||
| 1980–1981 | Chicago Horizon (indoor) | 39 | (33) |
| 1981–1983 | New York Arrows (indoor) | 81 | (72) |
| 1983–1986 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 129 | (94) |
| 1986–1987 | Los Angeles Lazers (indoor) | 19 | (7) |
| 1987–1988 | Cleveland Force (indoor) | 38 | (10) |
| 1990 | New Jersey Eagles | ||
| 1992–1993 | Denver Thunder (indoor) | 25 | (3) |
| 1993 | Arizona Sandsharks (indoor) | ||
| 1993–1994 | Detroit Rockers (indoor) | 8 | (1) |
| 1994 | Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) | 9 | (8) |
| 1996 | Detroit Neon (indoor) | ||
| 1996–1997 | Toronto Shooting Stars (indoor) | 11 | (17) |
| 1997–1999 | Montreal Impact (indoor) | 11 | (1) |
| 1999 | Maryland Mania | 10 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998 | Montreal Impact | ||
| 1999 | Maryland Mania (player-coach) | ||
| 2001 | Brampton Hitmen | ||
| 2000–2001 | Buffalo Blizzard | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Player
Kitson began his career with Watford in England before moving to the United States.
He played in Baltimore Blasts from 1983 to 1986, where he won two championships, before being traded to the LA Lazers. On 6 March 1987, the Los Angeles Lazers traded Kitson to the Cleveland Force for Chris Chueden.[1] He spent the next two seasons with the Force. In 1990, he played for the New Jersey Eagles in the American Professional Soccer League.[2]
Coach
Kitson began his coaching career with the Montreal Impact in 1997. Under his leadership the Impact it to the playoffs both seasons, but the team closed at the end of the 1998 season. On 14 May 1999, the Maryland Mania of the USL A-League hired Kitson.[3] In 2001, Kitson was appointed the head coach for Canadian Professional Soccer League expansion side the Brampton Hitmen. Throughout the season the Hitmen performed poorly without recording a single victory, which resulted in Kitson departing from his post on 25 July 2001.[4]
Death
Kitson died on August 25, 2005, after collapsing from coaching a youth team.[5]
References
- March 6, 1987 Transactions
- 1990 New Jersey Eagles
- Transactions Archived September 5, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- Glover, Robin (25 July 2001). "Final Score:.........Brampton Hitmen.........1.........Glen Shields Sun Devils........2..." Rocket Robin's Home Page.
- Free, Bill (27 August 2005). "Kitson, Blast star in '80s, dead at 49 in Toronto". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 14 August 2020.