| Keith Bailey | |
| Fullname: | Keith Brian Bailey[1] |
| Birth Date: | 7 October 1961 |
| Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Position: | Forward/Midfielder |
| Youthyears2: | 1978–1979 |
| Youthclubs2: | Bradford City |
| Years1: | 1979 |
| Years2: | 1980–1981 |
| Years3: | 1981–1982 |
| Years4: | 1982 |
| Years5: | 1988 |
| Clubs1: | Bradford City |
| Clubs3: | Tampa Bay Rowdies (indoor) |
| Clubs4: | Rowdies II (reserve team) |
| Clubs5: | Steeton A.F.C. |
| Caps1: | 3 |
| Caps2: | 22 |
| Caps3: | 7 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
Keith Bailey (born 7 October 1961) is a Canadian retired professional soccer player.
Keith Bailey was born in Toronto, Ontario to English parents. When he was six months old his family returned to England, to a rural part of West Yorkshire.[1] It was there, more than a decade later, that scouts first took notice. In 1977 Bailey was chosen to play on several local and district select teams.[2] In 1978 at age 16 he signed with Fourth Division club, Bradford City A.F.C. and even made several first team appearances with them.[2]
Bailey's aunt and uncle, Ann and Norman Bailey, lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at that time. Through sheer persistence[1] they were able to persuade the North American Soccer League side Tampa Bay Rowdies to grant their nephew a tryout of sorts, while he was visiting them on holiday in May 1980. Impressed by what he saw, Rowdies’ coach Gordon Jago signed Bailey to a three-year contract in early June.[2] Two weeks later he collected an assist in his first ever league match, a start for Tampa Bay at Minnesota Kicks,[3] and scored a goal in his third NASL appearance, coming on as a substitute.[4]
His promising NASL start was abruptly cut short after breaking both his left tibia and fibula during a training ground collision on August 7. The compound fracture[5] and subsequent rehab forced him to miss the remainder of the 1980 season and playoffs as well as the entire 1980–81 indoor season.[6] [7] He came back to make fourteen appearances in 1981 and another seven in the 1981–82 indoor season. The Rowdies released him in March 1982.[8] He spent the summer of 1982 with Tampa Bay's reserve team, Rowdies II.[9] He later returned to West Yorkshire and played at Steeton A.F.C. before retiring.[10]
Finalist