| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1943-10-15)15 October 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 19 June 2011(2011-06-19) (aged 67)[1] | ||
| Place of death | North Carolina, United States | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Partick Thistle | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1967 | Hamilton Steelers /-Primos | ||
| 1968 | Detroit Cougars | 26 | (9) |
| 1969–1971 | Washington Darts | ||
| 1971 | Washington Darts (indoor) | 2 | (1) |
| 1971 | New York Hota | ||
| 1972 | New York Cosmos | 14 | (3) |
| 1972–1973 | Club América | ||
| 1973–1975 | New York Cosmos | 36 | (2) |
| 1976–1977 | Washington Diplomats | 33 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1968–1977 | Canada | 10 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1977 | Washington Diplomats (assistant) | ||
| Fairfax Spartans | |||
| 1987–1990 | Washington Stars | ||
| 1993–1994 | Richmond Kickers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Kerr Sr. (15 October 1943 – 19 June 2011) was a professional soccer player who played as amidfielder. Born in Scotland, he played for theCanada men's national team.
Kerr began his professional career withPartick Thistle in Scotland. When his mother moved to Canada, Kerr followed and emigrated to theToronto area before signing with theHamilton Steelers/Primos in theEastern Canada Professional Soccer League and later in theNational Soccer League (NSL).[2] He also played withHamilton Croatia in the NSL.[3] In 1968, he played in theNorth American Soccer League with theDetroit Cougars. In 1969, he joined theWashington Darts of the second divisionAmerican Soccer League where he was a First Team All Star.[4] The Darts moved up to the NASL in 1970 and Kerr remained with the team through the 1971 season. He was the league's 14th leading scorer with Washington in 1971 with 18 points in 24 games. He scored Washington only goal of theNASL's first-ever indoor tournament in 1971.[5] He also played for New York Hota of theGerman American Soccer League when it won the 1971National Challenge Cup. He also played forClub América of Mexico in the early 1970s. In 1972, Kerr became a member of theNew York Cosmos. In 1972, he was again the league's 14th top scorer with 10 points in 14 games with the Cosmos and was named league First Team All-Star at midfield.[6] He then played the 1976 and 1977 seasons with theWashington Diplomats, serving during the 1977 season as an assistant coach. However, on 17 July 1977, the Dips informed Kerr that the team planned to release him.[7]
Kerr played ten times for Canada, four times in World Cup qualifying in 1968, five times in W.C. qualifying in 1976 and once in a 1977 friendly. Canada failed to qualify for either World Cup.
Kerr coached theGeorgetown University freshman soccer team in 1970 and then coached theAmerican Eagles men's soccer team in 1971.[8] Kerr took the amateur Fairfax Spartans to the 1986National Amateur Cup. In 1987, the Spartans became known as F.C. Washington and later theWashington Stars as it entered theAmerican Soccer League. Kerr was hired as head coach of the Stars on 24 June 1987.[9] He coached the Stars until the team folded following the1990 American Professional Soccer League season. Kerr was head coach of theRichmond Kickers in 1993–94.[10]
He was theMajor League Soccer's Players Association executive director during the late 1990s.[11][12]
Kerr coached the varsity boys' team at Hilton Head High School inHilton Head Island, South Carolina in the mid-2000s. At the time of his death, Kerr was coaching for Triangle Futbol Club inRaleigh, North Carolina.
In 2008, Kerr was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame.[13] In 2015 Kerr was inducted as a builder into theCanadian Soccer Hall of Fame.[14] Kerr's sonJohn Kerr Jr. is a former American international.
