Greg Ion
Encyclopedia
Gregory "Greg" Stewart Ion (born 12 March 1963 in Vancouver
) is a retired Canadian
soccer
midfielder
.
, Ion graduated from Burnaby North Secondary School
. In 1981, the Portland Timbers
selected him in the first round of the North American Soccer League
draft. However, he lost the entire 1981 season with a knee injury. He came back in 1982 and played nine games, but the team folded at the end of the season. He then signed with the Montreal Manic
, but that team collapsed at the end of the 1983 season. On November 10, 1983, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers purchased his contract from the Manic. The Strikers sent Ion to the Tulsa Roughnecks
during the 1984 pre-season. When the NASL collapsed at the end of the season, Ion moved to the Los Angeles Lazers
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He remained with the Lazers until March 26, 1987 when the team traded him to the Minnesota Strikers
in exchange for Thompson Usiyan
. He finished the season with the Strikers. On October 2, 1987, the Strikers traded him to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for draft picks and cash. On November 6, 1987, the Sockers waived Ion during the pre-season as part of a salary reduction move. The Chicago Sting
quickly signed him and he spent the 1987-1988 season in Chicago. The Sting, facing financial collapse, released Ion and ten other players on June 2, 1988. Ion then moved to the Kansas City Comets
for two seasons. In 1990, he moved to the Tacoma Stars for two seasons.
During the 1986 and 1989, Ion played for the Vancouver 86ers of the Canadian Soccer League. He is inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as member of the record setting 1989 team.
that participated in their only FIFA World Cup
to date in 1986
.
and is Program Director of their ESP youth program. He currently runs his own marketing company.http://www.wweek.com/html2/leada013101.html He has also been Administrative Director of Club Development with youth soccer club Washington Premier Football Club, in Tacoma, Washington
. He is a USSF A licensed coach.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
) is a retired Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Professional
The son of Gordie IonGordie Ion
Gordie Ion is a retired Canadian association football player and since December 2009 of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.-Career:He played club football for Vancouver North Shore United and Vancouver Firefighters.-International career:...
, Ion graduated from Burnaby North Secondary School
Burnaby North Secondary School
Burnaby North Secondary School is the largest secondary school in British Columbia, Canada, as well as the largest in Western Canada. It encompasses two buildings at 751 Hammarskjold Drive in Burnaby. Over 2,400 students from grades 8 to 12 attend the school. A statue of a Viking, the mascot of the...
. In 1981, the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (NASL)
The Portland Timbers were a team in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL, Portland Timbers of the USL and the current team which began play as part of Major League Soccer in 2011.-History:In January...
selected him in the first round of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
draft. However, he lost the entire 1981 season with a knee injury. He came back in 1982 and played nine games, but the team folded at the end of the season. He then signed with the Montreal Manic
Montreal Manic
Montreal Manic were a soccer team based out of Montreal that played in the NASL. They played from 1981 to 1983. Their home field was Olympic Stadium...
, but that team collapsed at the end of the 1983 season. On November 10, 1983, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers purchased his contract from the Manic. The Strikers sent Ion to the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
during the 1984 pre-season. When the NASL collapsed at the end of the season, Ion moved to the Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers were a soccer team based out of Los Angeles that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989.-History:Major Indoor Soccer League awarded a Los Angeles franchise to Jerry Buss on June 24, 1982. Buss had purchased the Philadelphia Fever and wanted to move it to...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He remained with the Lazers until March 26, 1987 when the team traded him to the Minnesota Strikers
Minnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers was an American professional soccer team located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The team played one season in the North American Soccer League and 4 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
in exchange for Thompson Usiyan
Thompson Usiyan
Thompson Usiyan is a retired Nigerian football player. He holds the NCAA Division I career scoring record and played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and Continental Indoor Soccer League. He was a member of the Nigerian Olympic soccer which...
. He finished the season with the Strikers. On October 2, 1987, the Strikers traded him to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for draft picks and cash. On November 6, 1987, the Sockers waived Ion during the pre-season as part of a salary reduction move. The Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
quickly signed him and he spent the 1987-1988 season in Chicago. The Sting, facing financial collapse, released Ion and ten other players on June 2, 1988. Ion then moved to the Kansas City Comets
Kansas City Comets
The Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979–1991, when they folded...
for two seasons. In 1990, he moved to the Tacoma Stars for two seasons.
During the 1986 and 1989, Ion played for the Vancouver 86ers of the Canadian Soccer League. He is inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as member of the record setting 1989 team.
National team
Ion was part of the Canadian teamCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
that participated in their only FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
to date in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
.
Post-playing career
Ion was soccer marketer for AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
and is Program Director of their ESP youth program. He currently runs his own marketing company.http://www.wweek.com/html2/leada013101.html He has also been Administrative Director of Club Development with youth soccer club Washington Premier Football Club, in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. He is a USSF A licensed coach.