Buzz Parsons

Les "Buzz" Parsons (born 16 December 1950) is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels as a midfielder. During his career in North America with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Parsons was affectionately known as "White Shoes", owing to the white boots he wore. After retiring as a player, Parsons later became a professional soccer coach.

Buzz Parsons
Personal information
Full name Leslie Parsons[1]
Date of birth (1950-12-16) 16 December 1950
Place of birth Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Huddersfield Town
Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1969–1970 Vancouver Spartans
1971 Vancouver Eintracht
1976–1982 Vancouver Whitecaps 106 (17)
1979–1980 → L.A. Aztecs (indoor) 6 (0)
1980–1981 → Vancouver Whitecaps (indoor) 8 (2)
1985 Victoria Riptides
Total 120 (19)
National team
1972–1980 Canada 22 (6)
Teams managed
Vancouver 86ers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Club career

Parsons played youth football in England with Huddersfield Town and Ipswich Town, but he never made a senior league appearance for either team.[3][4] Parsons returned to Canada to play with the Vancouver Spartans and Vancouver Eintracht, winning the Challenge Cup with Eintracht in 1971. He also played with Vancouver Italia (Columbus FC) in 1972–1974.

Parsons later played in the North American Soccer League for the Vancouver Whitecaps between 1976 and 1982, scoring 17 goals in 106 appearances.[5] Parsons started at right back in the 1979 NASL championship game that the Whitecaps won 2-1. Parsons also played indoor soccer during this period for the Los Angeles Aztecs and the Whitecaps.

International career

Between 1972 and 1980, Parsons represented Canada on 22 occasions, scoring 6 goals in the process. He also represented Canada at the 1971 Pan American Games.[2]

International goals
Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
120 August 1972King George V Park, St. John's, Canada United States1–03–21974 FIFA World Cup qualification
210 November 1973Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Haiti1–41–5Friendly match
310 October 1976Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada Mexico1–01–01978 FIFA World Cup qualification
412 October 1977Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico Suriname1–02–11978 FIFA World Cup qualification
516 October 1977Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico Guatemala1–02–11978 FIFA World Cup qualification
622 October 1977Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico Mexico1–01–31978 FIFA World Cup qualification

Coaching career

Parsons was manager of the Vancouver 86ers and then the Victoria Vistas of the Canadian Soccer League.

Personal life

Parsons was born in Burnaby, British Columbia.

In 2003 Parsons was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.[6]

Parsons now lives in Victoria, B.C., playing Over 50's soccer at Gorge Soccer Association

References
  1. "NASL Playoffs: The Second Season". The Los Angeles Times. August 26, 1980. p. 149. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Vancouver's Leslie Parsons attempts to take ball from Joey Clarke
  2. "Profile". Canada Soccer Association. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  3. "HUDDERSFIELD TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  4. "IPSWICH TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  5. "NASL career stats". NASL Jerseys. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  6. "Les "Buzz" Parsons". Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
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