George Gross
Encyclopedia
George Gross, O.Ont
(born January 23, 1923 in Bratislava
, Czechoslovakia
, died March 21, 2008 in Etobicoke, Ontario
, Canada) was a Canadian sport journalist at the Toronto Sun
, who was involved in Canadian Soccer in the early years of his life in Canada, both as a player and a journalist.
In 1957, Gross covered Canada's FIFA World Cup
qualifying matches in Mexico, and practiced with the national team. One year later he was in Sweden for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
finals and interviewed the 17-year-old Pelé
. Between 1953 and 1974 he published the Soccer and Sports News and in 1961 he was one of the founders of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.
In 1985, Gross was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
, winning the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
. In 1994, he received the Olympic Order
, and he was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2003, he was presented with the Order of Ontario
. In 2005, Gross was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and on April 2006, Gross was inducted as a builder into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
.
In 2004, the Toronto Sun began its annual George Gross/Toronto Sun Sportsperson of the Year award.
Shortly after his death in 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association
created the George Gross Memorial Trophy
, awarded to the most valuable player of the annual Canadian Championship
.
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born January 23, 1923 in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, died March 21, 2008 in Etobicoke, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada) was a Canadian sport journalist at the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
, who was involved in Canadian Soccer in the early years of his life in Canada, both as a player and a journalist.
In 1957, Gross covered Canada's 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...
qualifying matches in Mexico, and practiced with the national team. One year later he was in Sweden for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
finals and interviewed the 17-year-old Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
. Between 1953 and 1974 he published the Soccer and Sports News and in 1961 he was one of the founders of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.
In 1985, Gross was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
, winning the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an award given "in recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey". Recipients are selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and gain automatic entrance into the Hockey...
. In 1994, he received the Olympic Order
Olympic Order
The Olympic Order is the highest award of the Olympic Movement, created by the International Olympic Committee in May 1975 as a successor to the Olympic Certificate previously awarded. The Olympic Order originally had three grades , although the bronze grade was retired in 1984...
, and he was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2003, he was presented with the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
. In 2005, Gross was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and on April 2006, Gross was inducted as a builder into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
The Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario, was founded in 1997. It was incorporated by the Ontario Soccer Association. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of top Canadian Footballers and Builders who have played and developed the game in Canada...
.
In 2004, the Toronto Sun began its annual George Gross/Toronto Sun Sportsperson of the Year award.
Shortly after his death in 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association
Canadian Soccer Association
The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
created the George Gross Memorial Trophy
George Gross Memorial Trophy
The George Gross Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player of the Canadian Soccer Championship. It is named after the late George Gross, a highly-respected sports journalist who covered soccer for the Toronto Telegram and Toronto Sun....
, awarded to the most valuable player of the annual Canadian Championship
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
.