Garry Ayre

Football player infobox
Playername=Garry Ayre


dateofbirth=October 2 or October 12, 1953
cityofbirth=Vancouver
countryofbirth=Canada
position=Defender
youthclubs=Hull City
Oxford United
youthyears=1970
1970
years=?-1976
1977, 1978
1978
1979-80
1979-80
1981
clubs=New Westminster Blues (amateur)
Vancouver Whitecaps
New York Cosmos
Portland Timbers
Wichita Wings ("indoor")
Baltimore Blast ("indoor")
caps(goals)=? (?)
38 (1)
05 (0)
18 (0)
25 (?)
10 (?)
nationalteam=Canada
Canadian Olympic (amateur)
nationalyears=1973-1977
1975, 1976
nationalcaps(goals)=15 (0)
10 (0)
pcupdate=May 7 2008
ntupdate=May 7 2008

Garry Ayre (born on October 2 or October 12, 1953 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a former Canadian national team and NASL player.

A member of Canada's 1976 Olympic team, at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Ayre played against the Soviet Union and North Korea. He was also a member of Canada's national team at the Pan American Games in Mexico in 1975. He was with amateur side New Westminster Blues in 1976. In 1977 Garry turned professional with the Vancouver Whitecaps played 23 games in that first season and 15 in 1978 before being transferred to the New York Cosmos. With the Whitecaps, Ayre was used in a special midfield role to shadow the opposition's key offensive player.

With the Cosmos, Ayre played in Soccer Bowl '78 as a substitute as well as a tour of Europe with in the fall of 1978, where the team played against Red Star Belgrade, AEK Athens, Atlético Madrid, Galatasaray and Chelsea. Later they toured South America and played against the Argentina U-23 team which included the young Maradona. In 1979 he moved on to the Portland Timbers where he played 18 games the following season. He was with the national team for World Cup qualifying play in 1976 and 1977, but a serious knee injury kept him off the 1980 roster.

In 1973 Ayre won a Gold Medal playing for the British Columbia Under 23 team at the Canada Summer Games, and in 1975 at the Western Canada Summer Games. In 1979 he signed with the Wichita Wings of the Major Indoor Soccer League and played 25 games indoors during the 1979-80 season. In 1981 he returned to the indoor game with Baltimore Blast but only played ten games before a knee injury ended his career.

Garry's son Keegan Ayre played for Berwick Rangers F.C. in Scotland in 2007-08, on loan from Hibernian F.C.. He has since been released by Hibs.

External links / sources

* [http://www.thesoccerhalloffame.ca/OSN.nsf/c1bfa845a2dec3bf85256b0b005d4116/b312dd9ee8c98cc285256fc0006afb52?OpenDocument Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame inductee page]
* [http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/nationals/profile.asp?playerid=688&sub=3 Canadian Soccer Association profile]