Alan Mayer
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alan Mayer | ||
Date of birth | July 3, 1952 | ||
Place of birth |
Islip, New York , U.S. | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1970–1973 | James Madison Dukes | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1974 | Southend United | 9 | (1) |
1974–1975 | Baltimore Comets | 27 | (0) |
1976 | San Diego Jaws | 23 | (0) |
1977 | Las Vegas Quicksilvers | 22 | (0) |
1978–1979 | San Diego Sockers | 51 | (0) |
1979–1980 | Pittsburgh Spirit (indoor) | 17 | (0) |
1980 | California Surf | 17 | (0) |
1980–1981 | New Jersey Rockets (indoor) | 27 | (0) |
1981 | California Surf | 26 | (0) |
1981–1982 | New Jersey Rockets (indoor) | 27 | (0) |
1982–1983 | San Diego Sockers (indoor) | 43 | (0) |
1984–1985 | Las Vegas Americans (indoor) | 30 | (0) |
1985–1989 |
Kansas City Comets (indoor) | 112 | (0) |
Total | 422 | (0) | |
International career | |||
1976–1977 |
United States | 6 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1984–1985 | Las Vegas Americans | ||
Kansas City Wizards (assistant) | |||
2010– |
Kansas City Comets (assistant/goalkeeper) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alan Mayer (born July 3, 1952) is an American retired
In 2019 he was inducted into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame[1] and Islip High School Hall of Fame. In 2021 he was inducted into Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame.
Youth
Attended Islip High School in New York where Mayer was named All-Suffolk County in three sports (Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis). He, along with his brother, Bill, were New York State Tennis Doubles Champions. Inducted into the Suffolk County Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2021 was inducted into the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame. After graduating from Islip High School, Mayer attended James Madison University (JMU) where he played collegiate soccer and tennis for four seasons. He was the JMU soccer team MVP all four years while setting school records for career and season shutouts and also being named the first All-American player from JMU. Mayer was the JMU's tennis team MVP for three years as he played #1 singles and #1 doubles and was named JMU Athlete of the Year twice. He was selected to the James Madison University first Hall of Fame class in 1988. In 2000, he was voted JMU's Top Athlete of the Century.In 2021 was inducted into the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame.
Professional
After graduating in 1974, he was drafted first by the Baltimore Comets of the North American Soccer League (NASL). In the 1974 off-season, while playing in England for Southend United, then in the Football League Third Division, Mayer earned the distinction of scoring a goal from the goalkeeper position. In 1976, the Comets moved to San Diego and renamed their franchise, the Jaws. The team moved again in 1977 after only one season in San Diego, this time to Las Vegas, becoming the Quicksilvers. That year, Mayer earned NASL Second Team All Star honors. In 1978, the team moved again, back to San Diego where they took the name Sockers. Mayer remained with the team through all these moves and was named the 1978 NASL American Player of the Year.[2]
Beginning in 1979, Mayer alternated between indoor and outdoor soccer for several years. While on contract with the Sockers for the outdoor season, he joined the
He returned to the Rockets for the 1981–1982 season before moving back to the San Diego Sockers which, while still officially part of the NASL, was playing in the MISL during the indoor season. While the Sockers had been a poor outdoor team, they quickly became the dominant U.S. indoor franchise, winning the MISL 1982-1983 championship. Mayer was named the MISL MVP and was the MISL All Star team goalkeeper that year as well. Mayer had a short tenure as player/head coach of the MISL's Las Vegas Americans in 1984–85, but was relieved of his coaching duties just ten games into the season (after going 4–6) and was replaced by Don Popovic. Mayer remained with the Americans strictly as a goalie and went 17-12 while splitting time with Keith Van Eron.
After the Americans' franchise folded the following summer, Mayer signed with the
National team
He earned 6 caps, gaining 2 shutouts, with the United States men's national soccer team from 1976 and 1977. During that period, he and Arnie Mausser traded duties as the starting goalkeeper on the national team.
During his career, he was known for wearing a padded helmet, not common in soccer at the time.[4]
Coach
After retiring from playing, Mayer was an assistant coach to the
Mayer was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Soccer Category with the Class of 2002.
References
- ^ "Hall of Famers". indoorsoccerhall.com. September 1, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- San Diego, CA: MLIM Holdings. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ "Soundercentral.com". www.soundercentral.com.