Long time PCSL director Bill Gillespie was honoured by the soccer community for his outstanding service and dedication with a BC Soccer Association Award of Merit at the association's awards banquet Saturday, January 14th at 7.00pm at the Pavillion Ballroom of the the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver.

British Columbia Soccer Association Awards of Merit are presented to individuals in recognition of contributions to soccer, during a period of ten (10) or more years, as a player, manager, coach, official, administrator, or volunteer at the club/team, league or district level.

Although originally a semi-professional baseball player who twice turned down invitations to join the ‘big leagues’ down south, and a 1986 inductee of the BC Hall of Fame, Bill Gillespie has for the past 19 years been a vital member of the board of directors and executive of the Pacific Coast Soccer League.

Bill’s involvement with soccer began when he joined the CP Air company team which played in the Lower Mainland League. Languishing in Division 5 when he joined, being the natural sportsman that he is Bill helped the team move up a level every year till they won the Division 2 cup final in 1966 against BC Sugar.

His involvement with the company soccer team caught the attention of PCSL President Len McAdams who also worked for CP Air at the Vancouver airport. Len convinced Bill to run for the job as a director of the PCSL in 1987.