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Keith Bailey (soccer)

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Keith Bailey
Personal information
Full name Keith Brian Bailey[1]
Date of birth (1961-10-07) October 7, 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Position(s) Forward/Midfielder
1978–1979 Bradford City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979 Bradford City 3
1980–1981 Tampa Bay Rowdies 22 (1)
1981–1982 Tampa Bay Rowdies (indoor) 7 (0)
1982 Rowdies II (reserve team)
1988 Steeton A.F.C.
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Keith Bailey (born 7 October 1961) is a Canadian retired professional soccer player.

Early life and youth years

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Keith Bailey was born in Toronto, Ontario to English parents. When he was six months old his family returned to England, to a rural part of West Yorkshire.[1] It was there, more than a decade later, that scouts first took notice. In 1977 Bailey was chosen to play on several local and district select teams.[2] In 1978 at age 16 he signed with Fourth Division club, Bradford City A.F.C. and even made several first team appearances with them.[2]

NASL career

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Bailey's aunt and uncle, Ann and Norman Bailey, lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at that time. Through sheer persistence[1] they were able to persuade the North American Soccer League side Tampa Bay Rowdies to grant their nephew a tryout of sorts, while he was visiting them on holiday in May 1980. Impressed by what he saw, Rowdies’ coach Gordon Jago signed Bailey to a three-year contract in early June.[2] Two weeks later he collected an assist in his first ever league match, a start for Tampa Bay at Minnesota Kicks,[3] and scored a goal in his third NASL appearance, coming on as a substitute.[4]

His promising NASL start was abruptly cut short after breaking both his left tibia and fibula during a training ground collision on August 7. The compound fracture[5] and subsequent rehab forced him to miss the remainder of the 1980 season and playoffs as well as the entire 1980–81 indoor season.[6][7] He came back to make fourteen appearances in 1981 and another seven in the 1981–82 indoor season. The Rowdies released him in March 1982.[8] He spent the summer of 1982 with Tampa Bay's reserve team, Rowdies II.[9] He later returned to West Yorkshire and played at Steeton A.F.C. before retiring.[10]

Honors

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References

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  1. ^ a b c McEwen, Tom (June 27, 1980). "Small And Frail Keith Bailey A Heavyweight For Rowdies". The Tampa Tribune. p. 1C. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Henderson, Jim (June 10, 1980). "On Vacation, Keith Bailey Ears Spot On Rowdies". The Tampa Tribune. p. 6-C. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  3. ^ Scheiber, Dave (June 18, 1980). "Kicks Bully Rowdies in 4-1 humiliation". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Mudry, Richard (June 26, 1980). "Youth heartens Rowdies, stabs Sockers". The Tampa Times. p. 1C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Bailey Suffers Broken Leg". The Tampa Times. August 8, 1980. p. 3-C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Mudry, Richard (March 4, 1981). "Keith Bailey back at play". The Tampa Times. p. 4-C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Henderson, Jim (April 21, 1981). "For Keith Bailey, The Long Wait Is Finally Over". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5-C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Henderson, Jim (March 30, 1982). "Bailey, Roe Officially Free Agents". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5-C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "Rowdies II Reserves Go For Third Straight Win". The Tampa Tribune. June 9, 1982. p. 6-C. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "Steeton prepare for centenary celebrations". thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. February 18, 2005. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
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