Gogie Stewart

Gordon "Gogie" Stewart (born 2 January 1929 in Vancouver - died Coquitlam 12 May 2003) was a star Canadian soccer player of the 1950s.

Beginning his senior soccer career with North Shore United while still in high school, Stewart played the 1953 season for the famous English club Everton's second team. Prior to this he had won the national Challenge Cup in 1950 playing for hometown club Vancouver City. Stewart won two more national titles with the Westminster Royals in 1955 and 1960, one with Vancouver Columbus in 1964, and a final one with Vancouver Firemen in 1965. He appeared in seven other finals including in 1948 with Vancouver St. Andrews and 1952 and 1959 playing for the Royals.

Stewart played all four of Canada's World Cup qualifiers in 1957, scoring once in each of two victories over the Americans. Canada however, losing two of two to Mexico, failed to reach the finals in their first attempt.

A forward, Stewart was also a national team member in 1956 as Canada hosted Moscow Locomotive and in 1960 when the Maple Leafs toured the Soviet Union. He was also a 16 time B.C. All-Star. Stewart excelled in several sports including lacrosse, basketball, as well as boxing, where he was a Golden Gloves winner in 1944 and '45.

His senior lacrosse career spanned between 1949 and 1961 - playing in 152 regular season games and 59 playoff games at the Senior 'A' level in British Columbia. He won two Mann Cup championships, in 1949 and 1956, and as well played in the 1951 and 1960 finals. While playing junior lacrosse, he won back-to-back Minto Cup championships in 1948 and 1949. Stewart played four seasons (1949-1952) with Vancouver, then signed with Nanaimo in 1954. After six seasons there, he signed with New Westminster for his final Senior 'A' season in 1961. In 1967, he was a referee in the Prince George Lacrosse Association and helped lay the foundations for the revival of the sport in that city.

Stewart was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sources

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