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.

Paul Kitson
Kitson circa 1984
Personal information
Date of birth (1956-05-31)31 May 1956
Place of birth London, England
Date of death 25 August 2005(2005-08-25) (aged 49)
Place of death Toronto, Canada
Position(s) Forward / Midfielder
Youth career
Watford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–1979 New York Apollo
1980–1981New 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

  1. March 6, 1987 Transactions
  2. 1990 New Jersey Eagles
  3. Transactions Archived September 5, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Glover, Robin (25 July 2001). "Final Score:.........Brampton Hitmen.........1.........Glen Shields Sun Devils........2..." Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  5. Free, Bill (27 August 2005). "Kitson, Blast star in '80s, dead at 49 in Toronto". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 14 August 2020.


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