Peter Wilt
Encyclopedia
Peter Wilt is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire
in Major League Soccer
, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular. Wilt is most known for his work with the Chicago Fire, where he gained a reputation for being a fan-friendly businessman in the soccer world.
He is also known as the Patron Saint of The Highbury, a sports bar in Milwaukee where he is known to appear frequently, where he invented Schlabst, Milwaukee's Black and Tan. A mixture of bottled Schlitz beer and canned Pabst, poured into a pint glass. He also regularly spends time at Club Lago, an Italian retaurant in Chicago and has been known to regard it as his second office. Wilt was known for answering questions from fans through the BigSoccer
Internet message boards, and now maintains his own blog on Chicago soccer issues.
In 2005, Wilt left the Fire after Anschutz Entertainment Group
, the team's owner, replaced him with John Guppy. In 2006, he became the chief executive officer of Milwaukee Professional Soccer (a group bidding to bring an MLS franchise to Milwaukee), but left the position to become CEO of the Chicago Red Stars
Chicago's Women's Professional Soccer
team that started play in 2009. After one season, Wilt left the Red Stars for a front office position with the Milwaukee Wave
. After one season with the Wave, Wilt founded the now defunct expansion MISL side Chicago Riot
.
Chicago Fire (soccer)
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular. Wilt is most known for his work with the Chicago Fire, where he gained a reputation for being a fan-friendly businessman in the soccer world.
He is also known as the Patron Saint of The Highbury, a sports bar in Milwaukee where he is known to appear frequently, where he invented Schlabst, Milwaukee's Black and Tan. A mixture of bottled Schlitz beer and canned Pabst, poured into a pint glass. He also regularly spends time at Club Lago, an Italian retaurant in Chicago and has been known to regard it as his second office. Wilt was known for answering questions from fans through the BigSoccer
Bigsoccer
BigSoccer.com is one of the most popular football -related websites in the United States. The site has more than 150,000 registered users, and had over 1.2 million unique visitors during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. BigSoccer is the de-facto home of American soccer, read by not only fans, but also...
Internet message boards, and now maintains his own blog on Chicago soccer issues.
In 2005, Wilt left the Fire after Anschutz Entertainment Group
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
, the team's owner, replaced him with John Guppy. In 2006, he became the chief executive officer of Milwaukee Professional Soccer (a group bidding to bring an MLS franchise to Milwaukee), but left the position to become CEO of the Chicago Red Stars
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a American professional soccer club that is based in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, Illinois that participates in the Women's Premier Soccer League. From 2009-2010, the Red Stars played their home games at Toyota Park in the Womens Professional Soccer...
Chicago's Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
team that started play in 2009. After one season, Wilt left the Red Stars for a front office position with the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
. After one season with the Wave, Wilt founded the now defunct expansion MISL side Chicago Riot
Chicago Riot
The Chicago Riot was an indoor soccer team that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They were based in Villa Park, Illinois, near Chicago, and they played their home games at the Odeum Expo Center.-Namesake:...
.