Socker Coach Ron Newman Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame

Socker Coach Ron Newman has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and will be inducted during ceremonies at the hall June 13 in Oneonta, N.Y.

The hall was established in 1950 and has inducted 194 members.

Newman’s citation was only a matter of time:

His Socker teams have won 10 indoor championships in the past 11 seasons. He has an all-time winning percentage of .616 (633-390-27) and is the only professional coach in North America to achieve the 500-victory plateau.

Perhaps overlooked in Newman’s past are his efforts in establishing youth soccer programs. He did so while playing in Atlanta in the late 1960s, then in Dallas and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“After all the hard work over the years, this is really a special honor,” Newman said. “I’m quite proud of what I’ve achieved in the game. Not only in terms of my won-lost record, but in the time I’ve spent with the youth of this country.”

Newman, 58, and a native of Portsmouth, England, came to the United States after a 13-year career as a striker in the British leagues in 1967 and began playing with the Atlanta Chiefs of the National Professional Soccer League. He began his coaching career a year later as a player-coach with the Chiefs.

Newman remained somewhat surprised by the announcement.

“For a time, I thought you had to be dead to go in there,” he said. “I didn’t realize you could go in there while you were still alive. I guess you just have to have a long history.”

The Sockers received a proclamation Tuesday for winning their 10th championship. The proclamation was issued by Deputy Mayor Ron Roberts.

“We’re going to be proclamated by the city,” Newman said before hand. “I understand it’s painless.”