Soccer superstar, champion team inducted in Delta

Soccer superstar Brian Budd and 2001 national champions North Delta U-16 Selects have been inducted into the Delta Sports Hall of Fame. Both athlete (represented by his sister Barbara) and team (represented by coach Gary Wilson) were celebrated this week in Delta, BC along with pioneer True Haviland Oliver (Olympic trapshooter), coach Colleen Moffat (softball), builder Frank Tarling (gridiron football), and sponsors Shato Holdings Limited.



Mr. Budd grew up in Delta from the time he was seven and graduated from Delta Secondary School. He then attended the University of British Columbia. He played professional soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Ayr United, Colorado Caribou, Toronto Blizzard and Houston Hurricane. He also represented Canada in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 1976 and 1977. He scored two goals in seven games.



Mr. Budd passed away last year on 11 June 2008.



North Delta won the 2001 BMO National Championships boys U-16 club title. Coached by Gary Wilson, the team won its national gold medal after a 3:1 victory of Alberta’s Sherwood Parkdale Rangers. After two goals in the opening 20 minutes (Nathan Li in the 5th minute and Jason Taylor in the 17th minute), North Delta held a 2-1 lead through 45 minutes. The team then added a third goal in the 86th minute (Chris Powell) to win the championship.



Along with Li, Taylor and Powell, the North Delta club featured Chris Johansson, Patrick Cuthbert, Kyle Dehart, Ryan Ormerod, Jordan Craig, Duncan Nicol, Tyler Gingras, Nigel Marples, Aaron Charles, John Demuynck, Wylie Charles, Nikolas Bunting, Casey Wilson, David Colleran and Cameron Wilson.