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05 Jun 2026
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Ireland
Bill Simpson
Bio
William Simpson... he was 16 years old when his family moved from Paisley to Toronto on 13 August 1911... married to wife Theresa... he suffered a heart attack in 1961... he was 79 years old when he passed away in Toronto, ON on 21 June 1974... said to be under “his stubborn insistence” that Canada entered FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the first time in 1957... in his office, he kept a sign that read “keep your temper, nobody else wants it”... was celebrated with a Testimonial Dinner on 12 September 1969 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto (more than 400 persons attended the event), with the main gift a trip and tickets to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico...
served as the 23rd President of the Canadian Soccer Football Association (1965-69)... honoured as a Canada Soccer Life Member... posthumously honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame (one of the first 11 non-players honoured as part of The Soccer Hall of Fame’s inaugural Class of 2000)... honoured by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame... honoured as an Ontario Soccer Life Member...
said Simpson in 1964, “they can call me what they like, but I wouldn’t be in soccer today if they wanted a yes-man. I don’t resent criticism. As far as I am concerned, I am going to enforce the rules regardless of the consequences”... wrote Simpson in 1966, “the National Association must be made administratively and financially strong, self supporting, and independent of outside control”... wrote Eric King in 1969, “Bill Simpson has been a dedicated servant to amateur sport in Canada for almost 40 years”... wrote George Gross in 1974, Simpson “was a man whom you might have had disagreements with, but you always respected his fairness. While some of those who didn`t know him well enough considered him a stern disciplinarian, the ones who knew him were well aware of his humor and kindness“...
Honours
Individual Awards
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2000Canada Soccer Hall of Fame Honoured Builder / Bâtisseur honoré
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1972Canada Soccer Life Member Life Member / membre à vie (†)
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1971Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member (Builder - Soccer)
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?yearOntario Soccer Life Member. Life Member
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