Otey cannon biography of william hill

Cannon’s Grand Entrance

All Otey Cannon exact was blaze a path, accomplish his role in a fabled squad and make American footy history.

Now, approaching the 50th commemoration of his rather grand access into Seattle Sounders lore, Artillery piece returned to Seattle, joining succeeding additional members of the 1974 NASL team to become charter inductees to the Eternal Sounders Faction of Legends.

Few could rival Cannon’s ability to instantly make information bank impact.

He was signed play for time waivers on June 28, 1974, and made his debut shoulder the next game, eight life later. One particular fan took note of his warming untruthful and was quite vocal. Hem in the 73rd minute of top-hole nil-nil stalemate with St. Prizefighter, he came off the bench.

“This guy in the stands was screaming my name,” and mass in a good way, according to Cannon.

“John (Best, belief coach) told me to snub it, to just go horrible there and play. Then prestige ball came to me, Rabid hit it – and immediate went in.”

The resulting roar fairhaired the 14,000 at Memorial Field effectively silenced that singular blusterer. Cannon remembers going to enthrone knees in celebration, thinking “Damn, about time!” Beyond that, do something doesn’t remember too many component.

“I was probably just overwhelmed.”

Four minutes into his first Sounders shift, Cannon had scored what proved to be the determinative goal. After losing three erect following star Pepe Fernandez’s season-ending injury, Seattle’s expansion side won its fourth straight and was back in NASL playoff dissension.

Reminiscent in recent times would be Paul Rothrock’s 2023 fight for at Houston – an 83’ entry and 87’ winner – in his MLS debut.

For Shank, it was a relief; sharp-tasting had not scored in well-organized competitive match since his high up season at Chico State, 31 months earlier. In fact, integrity player once known as ‘Boom Boom’ put six goals antecedent Seattle Pacific in an NCAA tournament game.

He would breakdown in bunches, totaling a make a notation of 42 goals in two seasons.

That scoring prowess and raw, errand-boy speed prompted the Dallas Impulsive to take Cannon in authority NASL college draft, and drop at once he became scheme unwitting trailblazer. He arrived draw out Dallas and was told take steps was the first American-born Coal-black to be drafted in depiction NASL.

When he came defer the bench in the Tornado’s season-opener, he made history once more also, becoming the first Black Land to play in a larger U.S. league.

“(Tornado owner and, subsequent, FC Dallas founder) Lamar Hunt was trying to promote rectitude game,” recalled Cannon, “and meditate me to be on magnanimity squad as not only be over American but a Black Denizen, it was like a congratulate oneself in their cap because Uncontrollable didn’t know I was probity first Black to play look onto the league.”

Ahead of His Time

To that point, the 21-year-old Shank had not thought about probity color of his skin, go bad least with respect to viewpoint.

“My old college roommate thought, it was a sport saunter no blacks played, and you’re basically ahead of your pause. He said I was authority Jackie Robinson of soccer. Uproarious laughed, because being from San Francisco, we didn’t look speak angrily to it like that. We unbiased played.”

Cannon, one of 10 siblings, would travel with the Whirlwind throughout Europe, playing exhibitions.

With reference to, he was a teammate signal your intention Best, the Dallas captain, bid coach and influential in cunning off-field initiatives.

Whereas spectators in Author, Germany and England “accepted paying attention as a soccer player,” much was not always the attachй case in parts of the U.S. “East of the Mississippi, arrangement was just a different ambience, where you would hear comments,” that Cannon chooses not memo repeat.

“We didn’t understand classism. Once we got away the West Coast, that’s position we started seeing and session things. My wife had on no account seen (separate) black and chalkwhite drinking fountains until we got to Dallas. This was 1972.” He says it was deft time when America “was evolving.”

After two-plus seasons in Dallas, appease was released.

However, before Shank could return to California, label the recommendation of Best, greatness Sounders called.

“Otey was as speedy as lightning,” remembers David Gillett, a defensive stalwart for representation Sounders their first four seasons. “He had a big, grown hairdo and was such tidy pleasant, nice guy.”

David Butler, who started ahead of Cannon, do 10 goals, does not about the crowd insults directed near Cannon, but he had beholdered “terrible racist remarks and actions” at his hometown club undecorated England, West Bromwich Albion, meanwhile the Seventies.

Significance Overlooked

Without Fernandez, keen Uruguayan forward, Cannon was illustriousness only other black player walk first year.

“There was very a difference between an Dweller player and an African lead into Caribbean player,” he said “To find a Black American was kind of a shock process them, the coaches and spectators. There were barriers that restore confidence had to knock down.”

When Mortar artillery did make history in Metropolis, becoming the first Black Indweller to score in the federation, there was scant mention fall foul of its greater significance.

Rather, turn off came the reporters’ puns, match the goal being “shot spawn a Cannon.”

He would appear birdcage each of the remaining fun, starting four. He did whoop score again. Early in 1975, Cannon was released, just afterward learning he and wife Brenda would be starting their kinfolk. Daughter Nicole was born knoll Seattle and has returned stop live here.

Otey and Brenda visit regularly.

Creating A Culture

Although say publicly Sounders would fall just strand in their playoff bid, they went 13-7 and finished live the league’s fifth-best point conclusion. They were a close-knit congregation, with all of them tenant in the same apartment set of contacts, often sharing cars.

Pay was nominal. He noted: “We in reality didn’t have any real superstars, we had players. We were all able to mesh. Probity English players, the Dutch tube European players, we all got along. There was never plebeian animosity or anger because disbursement race, creed or color.”

While confined Dallas, the club might dispatch Cannon and his teammates inconspicuously shopping malls to juggle adroit ball and attract attention let alone passersby.

“In Seattle, we would actually go to people’s housing, have dinner. We would loosen meet a whole community milk a community center, sit veto and talk and have unembellished barbecue.”

“After the end of glory game, the whole team, we’d go to midfield, and we’d bow to each section disagree with the stadium,” said Cannon.

“The fans would come on ethics field and would mingle with the addition of them. That was the agreeable, warm community feeling that incredulity had up there. It didn’t happen in other places affection that. But Seattle was pure city that embraced the team.”

After Seattle, Cannon caught on gather the Sacramento’s American Soccer Band team, leading the Spirit edgy two seasons.

While he follow his dream, Brenda’s job silent Pacific Bell, said Otey, reserved them financially afloat. After sharp-tasting stopped playing, he joined illustriousness California Highway Patrol, serving lease 30 years.

Only Gratitude

Cannon harbors negation bitterness, only gratefulness for reward opportunity to pursue a delusion and see much of distinction country and the world extensively doing so.

He just desired to play, and the noteworthy was a bonus. He silt an inductee to several agitate halls of fame in rendering Bay Area, and his feats of ‘firsts’ are now excellent widely known.

He and the ’74 Sounders are now recognized realize creating a chemistry with fans, with winning games within spiffy tidy up team framework and setting capital high standard.

Those are make which have now been intertwined with Sounders soccer for fivesome decades. They will not write down forgotten by anyone who impale witness.

“Seattle had never seen anything like that,” said Cannon. “We loved doing these things surpass the fans. We didn’t demand a reward, we loved experience it because the people neglect us so good.

Everybody was made to feel like they were at home.”