Former Canada Soccer president Jim Fleming dies at 87

Jim Fleming, who hired coaches Tony Waiters, Holger Osieck and Even Pellerud during his two stints as Canada Soccer president, has died at the age of 87.

Canada Soccer said Fleming died Thursday in Edmonton.

Fleming, a member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame, served as president from 1982 to 1986 and then again from 1998 to 2002.

During his first term as president, he oversaw the hiring of Waiters as national men’s coach in 1982. The Canadian men went on to qualify for the 1984 Olympics and won the CONCACAF Championship in 1985 to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

“I am very happy for the players and coach Tony Waiters in reaching (the FIFA World Cup in) Mexico. All of them overcame trials and tribulations in magnificent fashion in the qualifying rounds,” Fleming said in 1985. “In short, I am a very proud Canadian.”

Fleming was also in charge during the amalgamation of the Canadian Youth Soccer Association into Canada Soccer in 1982 and the inauguration of Canada Soccer’s first women’s national championship that same year.

During his second tenure as Canada Soccer president, Fleming oversaw the 1998 hiring of Osieck, who led the Canadian men to the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and qualified Canada for the FIFA Confederations Cup Korea/Japan 2001.

A year later, Even Pellerud was hired as Canada’s women’s coach. Pellerud gave a debut to a 16-year-old Christine Sinclair and led Canada to fourth place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003.

Fleming also served on the CONCACAF executive committee from 1986 to 1998, including eight years as senior vice-president from 1990 to 1998. In 2002, he was honored by the CONCACAF Hall of Fame and received the FIFA Order of Merit.

He was honored as an Alberta Soccer Life Member in 1987 and was a recipient of Canada Soccer’s Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award in 1997. Before serving as Canada Soccer president, he headed Alberta Soccer from 1975 to 1980.

Born Feb. 28, 1935 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fleming moved to Canada with his wife Kathleen in 1968 and went on to work for the Alberta government for more than 30 years.

Fleming is survived by his children Sean, Anne, Paul and Angela. Kathleen, his wife of 60 years, died in 2016.