Keith Weller
Encyclopedia
Keith Weller was an English
footballer
. He is considered to be one of Leicester City
's greatest ever players. Following seven operations for cancer
, he died in the United States
in 2004 aged 58.
, Millwall
, Chelsea
and Leicester City
. He served his apprenticeship with Spurs before signing for Millwall in June 1967, making his debut against Blackburn Rovers
on 19 August 1967. Playing just behind or alongside Derek Possee
, Weller showed great skill on the ball, and possessed blistering pace which quickly established him as a fan favourite. Weller signed for Chelsea in 1970 for £100,000.
Weller signed for Leicester City in 1971, and played there for eight seasons. He won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
with Chelsea in 1971
and won four caps
for England
, scoring one goal.
of the North American Soccer League
. In 1980 after eighteen games, the Tea Men traded Weller to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in exchange for Arnie Mausser
. On February 4, 1983, the Strikers loaned Weller to the Tulsa Roughnecks
during the NASL indoor season. He was back with the Strikers in April 1983 and played out the season with them. At the end of the season, the Strikers moved to Minnesota
, but Weller remained in Florida.
On April 2, 1984, he became a player-coach with the Fort Lauderdale Sun
of the second division United Soccer League
(USL). He returned to coach the team, now known as the South Florida Sun, during the 1985 season. However, the league collapsed six games into the season. In April 1986, he was hired to the independent Houston Dynamo
. In the fall of 1986, Weller became an assistant coach with the Dallas Sidekicks
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
. He spent two seasons with the Sidekicks before becoming an assistant coach with the San Diego Sockers in October 1988. In December 1989, the Tacoma Stars hired Weller to replace the recently fired Alan Hinton
as head coach. When new owners took over the team in 1992, they released Weller and brought Hinton back in as coach. Weller did not coach again at the professional level until hire by the Sacramento Knights
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
in January 1994. He remained with the Knights through the 1997 season.
Following his retirement from coaching, he settled in Seattle, Washington
where he owned a coffee shop and served as a news station broadcast van driver.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
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...
. He is considered to be one of Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
's greatest ever players. Following seven operations for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, he died in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2004 aged 58.
England
A midfielder/striker who played during the 1960s and 1970s, Weller's clubs included Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. He served his apprenticeship with Spurs before signing for Millwall in June 1967, making his debut against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 19 August 1967. Playing just behind or alongside Derek Possee
Derek Possee
Derek Possee is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. In a professional career which lasted from 1963 and 1979, Possee made over 400 league appearances, scoring over 100 league goals.-Career:...
, Weller showed great skill on the ball, and possessed blistering pace which quickly established him as a fan favourite. Weller signed for Chelsea in 1970 for £100,000.
Weller signed for Leicester City in 1971, and played there for eight seasons. He won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
with Chelsea in 1971
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1970-71
The season 1970-71 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Chelsea in a replay against Real Madrid. Defending champions Manchester City were eliminated by Chelsea in the semi-finals, only the second ever tie in the competition between two clubs from the same country.-...
and won four caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, scoring one goal.
United States
In 1978, Weller signed with the New England Tea MenNew England Tea Men
The New England Tea Men were a soccer team based out of Foxboro, MA that played in the NASL from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was Schaefer Stadium....
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:...
. In 1980 after eighteen games, the Tea Men traded Weller to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in exchange for Arnie Mausser
Arnie Mausser
Arnold "Arnie" Mausser is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played with 8 different NASL teams from 1975-1984. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
. On February 4, 1983, the Strikers loaned Weller 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 NASL indoor season. He was back with the Strikers in April 1983 and played out the season with them. At the end of the season, the Strikers moved to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, but Weller remained in Florida.
On April 2, 1984, he became a player-coach with the Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1983, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun, but in 1985, changed its name to the South Florida Sun.-Origins:...
of the second division United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
(USL). He returned to coach the team, now known as the South Florida Sun, during the 1985 season. However, the league collapsed six games into the season. In April 1986, he was hired to the independent Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
. In the fall of 1986, Weller became an assistant coach with the Dallas Sidekicks
Dallas Sidekicks
The Dallas Sidekicks were one of the longest operating professional soccer teams, either indoor or outdoor, in the United States, based in Dallas, Texas, and operating from 1984 until suspending operations following the 2004 season. The team was founded as a member of the original Major Indoor...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
. He spent two seasons with the Sidekicks before becoming an assistant coach with the San Diego Sockers in October 1988. In December 1989, the Tacoma Stars hired Weller to replace the recently fired Alan Hinton
Alan Hinton
Alan Thomas Hinton is an English former footballer who most notably played for Derby County and Nottingham Forest in the 1960s...
as head coach. When new owners took over the team in 1992, they released Weller and brought Hinton back in as coach. Weller did not coach again at the professional level until hire by the Sacramento Knights
Sacramento Knights
Sacramento Knights were an indoor soccer team that played from 1993 to 2001 in ARCO Arena and were owned by the NBA's Sacramento Kings. The team played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1993 to 1997. The team then moved to the World Indoor Soccer League in 1998 after the CISL folded...
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
in January 1994. He remained with the Knights through the 1997 season.
Following his retirement from coaching, he settled in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
where he owned a coffee shop and served as a news station broadcast van driver.