Peter Bridgwater
Peter Bridgwater (March 7, 1935 – June 21, 2005) was the first president of the San Jose Clash—later known as the San Jose Earthquakes—Major League Soccer franchise.[1]
A native of England, Bridgwater got his start in association football as a fundraiser and sponsor of Plymouth Argyle F.C.. In 1981, former Argyle manager Tony Waiters hired Birdgwater as assistant general manager of the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League.[2] Waiters departed following the 1982 season and Bridgwater replaced him as the team's president and general manager.[3] He was forced to resign in 1983 after it was discovered he had lied on his resume.[2]
In 1984, Bridgwater was named general manager of the NASL's San Jose Earthquakes. Bridgwater purchased the Earthquakes later,[1] but the NASL ceased operations in 1985. After the NASL went under, Bridgwater became a founder of the Western Soccer Alliance, which later became the USL First Division. Soccer America called him "one of the men most responsible for keeping professional outdoor soccer alive [in the U.S.] after the collapse of the North American Soccer League".[4] Bridgwater was also a venue director for the 1994 FIFA World Cup at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.[5] Two years after the World Cup, the MLS was launched; Bridgwater served as the Clash's first president.[1] He remained the general manager through the 1998 season, and played a role in having San Jose host matches for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Chapin, Dwight (June 24, 2005). "Peter Bridgwater – longtime soccer booster (page 1)". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ a b Stinson, Dan (December 12, 1983). "Giles, Bridgwater quit in Whitecaps' shakeup". The Sun. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ Stinson, Dan (October 5, 1982). "Bridgwater set for test as Waiters' replacement". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ "Peter Bridgwater passes at 70". Soccer America. United Soccer Leagues. June 23, 2005. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Harvey, Randy (July 2, 1994). "World Cup Usa '94 / The First Round: Spotlight: The Big Game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Chapin, Dwight (June 24, 2005). "Peter Bridgwater – longtime soccer booster (page 2)". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
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