In memory of Derek Wisdom, Canada Soccer Hall of Fame honoured member

Derek Wisdom, affectionately known as New Brunswick’s father of soccer, has passed away at age 90. An honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame and a Canada Soccer Life Member, Wisdom helped establish Soccer New Brunswick in 1965, served as the organisation’s secretary-treasurer, and later served on multiple occasions as the President of Soccer New Brunswick.

Wisdom also served as Chairman of Canada Soccer’s Referees Committee and was a member of the Concacaf Referees Committee. A former Wales international youth player, he served as a referee, a referee assessor and a referee instructor in Canada. He was awarded the Soccer NB Referee of the Year in 1985.

In New Brunswick, he also served as the President of the Saint John Youth Soccer Association starting in 1975 and was the Referee-in-Chief for the new Atlantic Soccer League, which in 1980 became just the second Canadian league to cross three or more provinces.  He then served as Vice-President on the Organising Committee for the 1985 Canada Games in Saint John and was the Vice Chairman and worked as the Venue Operations lead for the Saint John site at the FIFA U-16 World Tournament Canada 1987.

As the Soccer New Brunswick President, Wisdom also served on the Canada Soccer Board of Directors. He was Soccer NB President from 1990-91, 2001 to 2006, and 2012. He was awarded the Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award in 1988 and became a Canada Soccer Life Member in 1998. He was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

At the time, Canada Soccer President Dr. Fred Stambrook said, “Derek has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the game not only in New Brunswick and the Atlantic Provinces, but also across Canada as Chairman of the Canada Soccer Referees Committee.”

From his career as a builder in sport, Wisdom has been honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame, the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, and the Saint John Sports Hall of Fame. Alongside established Soccer New Brunswick, he co-authored “Soccer for Schools in Colleges” in 1969 with John Bell (the first President of Soccer NB).

Born on 6 April 1934 in Porth, Wales, Wisdom moved to Saint John, New Brunswick in 1963 where he continued his work as a teacher after time in England, Australia and Ghana. He worked as a principal at Glen Falls Elementary and later Princess Elizabeth School in Saint John. He was married to his wife Shirley for 65 years and they raised both their daughter Terry and son Craig.

As noted in his obituary, “Derek’s devotion to soccer reshaped the sport in New Brunswick. As the founder and President, among many other positions, of the New Brunswick Soccer Association, he was instrumental in developing the sport at all levels within the province.”