Peter Mellor, who enjoyed a highly successful playing career in England as a goalkeeper for Burnley, Fulham, Hereford United and Portsmouth, has spent the last thirty years in the United States helping the sport develop as a coach, an administrator and a mentor. I was fortunate to meet Peter this past February at a Super Y ODP Event and I can't say enough good things about the man. His enthusiasm and love for the game is contagious while his knowledge and experience is expressed so genuinely when speaking to him. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on a variety of topics within US Soccer and I look forward to having another "football talk" with him soon.
Soccer Banter: When and why did you first come to the United States?
Peter Mellor: I first came to the United States in 1980 to play a few games with a touring team of professionals and TV Commentators from England. We played against the Rowdies and the Strikers in Florida. I liked the Tampa Bay area and purchased property at that time. In 1981 I came back to North America to play for the Edmonton Drillers in the NASL. After the season with the Drillers, I moved to Tampa. In 1981, England was bleak with no great family opportunities while most people believed the United States was the land of milk and honey. I have been here since, happily married to Valerie for 41 years and raised two kids. Valerie and I are both US Citizens……and very proud of it!
SB: What is your current role with soccer in America?
PM: I am the National Technical Director for the United Soccer Leagues (USL) and based in the leagues offices in Tampa Florida. My focus is on the technical development of our leagues from Super Y, Super 20s, PDL (u23s), W (women’s) and USL Pro leagues. The league covers the entire pyramid of player development from youth to pro. I am also a staff instructor for US Soccer and the NSCAA in their National coaching education programs. I truly enjoy mentoring young coaches.
Soccer Banter: When and why did you first come to the United States?
Peter Mellor: I first came to the United States in 1980 to play a few games with a touring team of professionals and TV Commentators from England. We played against the Rowdies and the Strikers in Florida. I liked the Tampa Bay area and purchased property at that time. In 1981 I came back to North America to play for the Edmonton Drillers in the NASL. After the season with the Drillers, I moved to Tampa. In 1981, England was bleak with no great family opportunities while most people believed the United States was the land of milk and honey. I have been here since, happily married to Valerie for 41 years and raised two kids. Valerie and I are both US Citizens……and very proud of it!
SB: What is your current role with soccer in America?
PM: I am the National Technical Director for the United Soccer Leagues (USL) and based in the leagues offices in Tampa Florida. My focus is on the technical development of our leagues from Super Y, Super 20s, PDL (u23s), W (women’s) and USL Pro leagues. The league covers the entire pyramid of player development from youth to pro. I am also a staff instructor for US Soccer and the NSCAA in their National coaching education programs. I truly enjoy mentoring young coaches.
SB: Since you have been in the United States, what changes have you seen in the game?
PM: It is night and day, when I first came here some 30 years ago it was mom and pop coaching teams and organizing everything. Now there are many Ex-professional players coaching at the younger ages and professional coaches that are putting time and money into developing themselves and the game. Over the years the US Soccer organization has improved in all areas of its operation. It is now in line with other top national soccer federations around the world.
The development and success of our own MLS program has helped tremendously. We now have a better tactical awareness of the game. The media and television coverage this past few years has been enlightening. Before a 0-0 game was seen as boring but now the American soccer public is starting to appreciate what can go in to an entertaining game like that!
Another change is on the player development side. When MLS first started in 1996 US Soccer developed players for the league whether it was current national team players or through the U17 residency program operated in Bradenton Florida. Today with the MLS academies starting to emerge, the MLS clubs are now developing players for the United States National Team. Juan Agudelo of the Red Bulls in New York being a great example of this. This change is similar to how it works in the real soccer nations in the rest of the world.
SB: What are the strengths of US Soccer?
PM: We are getting there. We (the USA) are in an evolutionary process and must be patient. We have continued to develop in the process. It is only 21 years since 1990 when Bob Gansler coached what was predominantly a college team to the World Cup in Italy! Bruce Arena identified and developed a large group of players, first at UVA, then at DC United and finally during his two world cup appearances with the National Team. Bob Bradley has also increased the US Soccer players pool by giving experience to a lot of players. The results over the past ten years have started to earn us respect at the highest levels of international competition. I have an analogy of what our strengths are and why we will win a Men’s world cup one day, it is this. We are like an active volcano that one day is going to erupt. Inside the volcano is all the different organizations, coaches, players/administrators (Molt and Lava) But unfortunately I cannot give a date when the volcano will erupt….But it will.
PM: It is night and day, when I first came here some 30 years ago it was mom and pop coaching teams and organizing everything. Now there are many Ex-professional players coaching at the younger ages and professional coaches that are putting time and money into developing themselves and the game. Over the years the US Soccer organization has improved in all areas of its operation. It is now in line with other top national soccer federations around the world.
The development and success of our own MLS program has helped tremendously. We now have a better tactical awareness of the game. The media and television coverage this past few years has been enlightening. Before a 0-0 game was seen as boring but now the American soccer public is starting to appreciate what can go in to an entertaining game like that!
Another change is on the player development side. When MLS first started in 1996 US Soccer developed players for the league whether it was current national team players or through the U17 residency program operated in Bradenton Florida. Today with the MLS academies starting to emerge, the MLS clubs are now developing players for the United States National Team. Juan Agudelo of the Red Bulls in New York being a great example of this. This change is similar to how it works in the real soccer nations in the rest of the world.
SB: What are the strengths of US Soccer?
PM: We are getting there. We (the USA) are in an evolutionary process and must be patient. We have continued to develop in the process. It is only 21 years since 1990 when Bob Gansler coached what was predominantly a college team to the World Cup in Italy! Bruce Arena identified and developed a large group of players, first at UVA, then at DC United and finally during his two world cup appearances with the National Team. Bob Bradley has also increased the US Soccer players pool by giving experience to a lot of players. The results over the past ten years have started to earn us respect at the highest levels of international competition. I have an analogy of what our strengths are and why we will win a Men’s world cup one day, it is this. We are like an active volcano that one day is going to erupt. Inside the volcano is all the different organizations, coaches, players/administrators (Molt and Lava) But unfortunately I cannot give a date when the volcano will erupt….But it will.
SB: If you could change one thing about US Soccer, what would it be?
PM: I am disappointed with the youth programs at the club levels. There are too many leagues, too many tournaments and too many games. There is not enough time spent on the field training. We need to be perfecting individual techniques and developing better individual and collective tactical awareness and execution. Every year a new youth league forms with someone saying this is the right way to do things, or a bunch of new tournaments emerge.
If all of the major organizations could come together on an annual basis to see how they could work together to compliment, and respect each other’s program/organization, I believe that we could expedite our youth players development evolution process. US Soccer cannot mandate but possibly give more guidance from the top. I just attended the US Soccer youth player development summit where US soccer was unveiling its new youth player development curriculum. This was a great stride in our governing body setting standards for the youth to follow. This was the first get together of top youth developers/coaches from all of the top youth programs in the country for many, many years….something that should be done on an annual basis. I also believe that more respect and support needs to be given from some parents and youth boards to allow professional paid coaches to do their job. It seems that parents are always second-guessing the person that has the professional experience to do the job.
SB: The English media is still very dismissive of US Soccer and MLS, what are your thoughts on this?
PM: I think it is very unfair, each summer these teams come over and play MLS teams and we win more than our fair share. I think at the youth level we are still not given the respect we deserve. Sometimes we are only given credit for having a “typical” fighting American spirit but I think recent results show we are more than just fighters. Following the last Argentina-USA game many people said that Argentina put on a clinic but at the end of the day the score was 1-1 and nobody gave the US any credit for the way that the team defended (except for me)!
SB: Pick‘em section...and why
Shilton or Clemence – Two very different styles of goalkeepers but I would pick Shilton
Keller or Friedel – different type of goalkeepers but picking as a coach I would choose Keller. Friedel is a great shot stopper but Keller is so good tactically. I would be happy with either one in net…..who would not??
Dempsey or McBride – I love them both, Dempsey is more of a creator while McBride was a target forward. As a former Fulham player, I would want them both in my team…..no questions asked!
PM: I am disappointed with the youth programs at the club levels. There are too many leagues, too many tournaments and too many games. There is not enough time spent on the field training. We need to be perfecting individual techniques and developing better individual and collective tactical awareness and execution. Every year a new youth league forms with someone saying this is the right way to do things, or a bunch of new tournaments emerge.
If all of the major organizations could come together on an annual basis to see how they could work together to compliment, and respect each other’s program/organization, I believe that we could expedite our youth players development evolution process. US Soccer cannot mandate but possibly give more guidance from the top. I just attended the US Soccer youth player development summit where US soccer was unveiling its new youth player development curriculum. This was a great stride in our governing body setting standards for the youth to follow. This was the first get together of top youth developers/coaches from all of the top youth programs in the country for many, many years….something that should be done on an annual basis. I also believe that more respect and support needs to be given from some parents and youth boards to allow professional paid coaches to do their job. It seems that parents are always second-guessing the person that has the professional experience to do the job.
SB: The English media is still very dismissive of US Soccer and MLS, what are your thoughts on this?
PM: I think it is very unfair, each summer these teams come over and play MLS teams and we win more than our fair share. I think at the youth level we are still not given the respect we deserve. Sometimes we are only given credit for having a “typical” fighting American spirit but I think recent results show we are more than just fighters. Following the last Argentina-USA game many people said that Argentina put on a clinic but at the end of the day the score was 1-1 and nobody gave the US any credit for the way that the team defended (except for me)!
SB: Pick‘em section...and why
Shilton or Clemence – Two very different styles of goalkeepers but I would pick Shilton
Keller or Friedel – different type of goalkeepers but picking as a coach I would choose Keller. Friedel is a great shot stopper but Keller is so good tactically. I would be happy with either one in net…..who would not??
Dempsey or McBride – I love them both, Dempsey is more of a creator while McBride was a target forward. As a former Fulham player, I would want them both in my team…..no questions asked!
SB: What is your greatest memory as a player? What is your greatest memory as a coach?
PM: My greatest memory was playing in the FA Cup Final in 1975 for Fulham against West Ham at Wembley. At the time, that was the greatest honor in a player’s club career. With the Champions League now that might not be the case anymore but for me walking out at Wembley in 75’ in the same team as the 1966 England world cup legend Bobby Moore was my greatest playing achievement.
As a coach, it was as an assistant at the 2000 Olympics with the US National Team and finishing in fourth place. I have a picture of the team in my USL office. There were some great US players on that team; Friedel, Donovan, Beasley, John O’Brien, Jeff Agoos, Frankie Hejduk, Tim Howard and many more.
PM: My greatest memory was playing in the FA Cup Final in 1975 for Fulham against West Ham at Wembley. At the time, that was the greatest honor in a player’s club career. With the Champions League now that might not be the case anymore but for me walking out at Wembley in 75’ in the same team as the 1966 England world cup legend Bobby Moore was my greatest playing achievement.
As a coach, it was as an assistant at the 2000 Olympics with the US National Team and finishing in fourth place. I have a picture of the team in my USL office. There were some great US players on that team; Friedel, Donovan, Beasley, John O’Brien, Jeff Agoos, Frankie Hejduk, Tim Howard and many more.
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