He played in more than 200 professional matches and won the 1979 Soccer Bowl with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yet for Victoria's Bob Bolitho, who played youth soccer with Gorge and won a senior amateur national title with the London Boxing Club, playing for his country was among the biggest thrills of his career.

The versatile defender-midfielder joined the national team in 1974 and spurned offers to turn pro out of a desire to play in the 1976 Olympics. Bolitho played well in a pair of Canadian losses at the Summer Games, and earned offers from five North American Soccer League pro teams. He would call the Olympics the "greatest thrill of my life."

He starred from 1977 to 1980 with the Whitecaps and played for three other NASL teams before ending his pro career.

Showing uncanny anticipation and ball-handling skills, Bolitho earned 37 caps in seven years for Canada and helped prove this country belonged on the world soccer stage.

SPONSORED BY VANCOUVER ISLAND SOCCER LEAGUE

After 85 seasons of soccer on Vancouver Island, the London Boxing Club brought the first national men's soccer title to Victoria.

With the fight club branching out to other sports in the 1960s, Boxers soccer teams enjoyed some success early on. Led by such young stars as George Pakos, Brian Robinson and Bob Bolitho, the top-level LBC side was a powerhouse by the mid-1970s and captured an Island Premier Division crown in 1974-75.They also won the Jackson Cup that season to make the B.C. playoffs and beat North Shore Paul's 4-1 to capture Victoria's first-ever Province Cup.

The Boxers weren't done, however. After downing Winnipeg in a qualifier, they travelled to Calgary for the Dominion Challenge Cup tournament, where they dispatched Edmonton Italia in the semifinals and St. John's Laurentians in the championship match.

The Canadian win was the first for an Island team in 48 years and helped put Victoria on the national club soccer map.

SPONSORED BY BRIAN ZELLEY ACCOUNTING