Buzz Parsons Explained

Buzz Parsons
Fullname:Leslie Parsons[1]
Birth Date:16 December 1950
Birth Place:Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Position:Midfielder
Youthclubs1:Huddersfield Town
Youthclubs2:Ipswich Town
Collegeyears1:1975
Collegecaps1:20
Collegegoals1:21
Years1:1969–1970
Years2:1971
Years3:1976–1982
Caps3:106
Goals3:17
Years4:1979–1980
Clubs4:L.A. Aztecs (indoor)
Caps4:6
Goals4:0
Years5:1980–1981
Clubs5:Vancouver Whitecaps (indoor)
Caps5:8
Goals5:2
Years6:1985
Totalcaps:120
Totalgoals:19
Nationalyears1:1972–1980
Nationalteam1:Canada
Nationalcaps1:22
Nationalgoals1:6
Managerclubs1:Vancouver 86ers

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.

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.[2] [3] 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. He spent one year (1975) studying and playing at Simon Fraser University, netting 21 goals.[4]

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.[6]

International goals

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.

Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 20 August 1972King George V Park, St. John's, Canada 1–0 3–2 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 10 November 1973Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1–4 1–5 Friendly match
3 10 October 1976Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada 1–0 1–0 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 12 October 1977Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico 1–0 2–1 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 16 October 1977Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico 1–0 2–1 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 22 October 1977Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico 1–0 1–3 1978 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.[7]

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: NASL Playoffs: The Second Season. August 26, 1980. The Los Angeles Times. 149. Vancouver's Leslie Parsons attempts to take ball from Joey Clarke. 22 February 2017.
  2. Web site: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08. 6 August 2009. Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database.
  3. Web site: IPSWICH TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08. 6 August 2009. Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database.
  4. Web site: SFU ALL-TIME RECORDS - CAREER SCORING. 16 April 2021. sfu.ca.
  5. Web site: NASL career stats. 6 August 2009. NASL Jerseys.
  6. Web site: Profile. 17 April 2020. Canada Soccer Association.
  7. Web site: Les "Buzz" Parsons . 6 August 2009 . Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090809201811/http://www.thesoccerhalloffame.ca/OSN.nsf/c1bfa845a2dec3bf85256b0b005d4116/8f95c9b99663b4dc85256c7d0055af30?OpenDocument . 9 August 2009 .