VANCOUVER (Wednesday, February 21, 2001) - English soccer product Darren Tilley, a native of Keynsham, England, and resident of Cambridge, Ont., has signed a one-year contract to return to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American A-League of men's soccer.
The signing of the fan favourite and prolific goal-scorer makes Tilley the sixth core member of last year's Vancouver A-League franchise to return for 2001.
"Our top priority has been to retain the core of our franchise and bring back the players who came through for us last year," said Bobby Lenarduzzi of North Vancouver, the Director of Soccer Operations and General Manager of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver Breakers women's club. "We're so pleased to have Darren as part of that core since he was such a powerful impact player for us last season. We know many of our fans will be delighted to have the chance to watch him perform in a Vancouver uniform again this season."
Lenarduzzi said Tilley's signing was important given the kind of competition the Whitecaps expect to face in the 2001 campaign, one that begins on the road against the Seattle Sounders, Saturday, May 5th.
"We're expecting the coming season to feature some of the best competition Vancouver soccer fans have seen in years and we want to be able to put our best foot forward," said Lenarduzzi. "(Head coach) Dale Mitchell and I are both very excited to have Darren on board as part of our attack again this season."
Tilley's stock soared in A-League circles last year after a banner season in which he won the ScotiaBank Most Valuable Player of the Year award. He joined Vancouver in mid-season but wound up becoming the team's leading scorer with 12 goals.
"We're committed to showcasing great soccer entertainment in a way that's good for families and for soccer in British Columbia and the signing of Darren Tilley to wear the colours of the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2001 reflects that commitment," said David Stadnyk of Vancouver, the Governor of the Whitecaps and Chair of Starlight Sports & Entertainment. "Our Season Ticket Partners let us know in our pre-season planning that Darren should be a priority for us and we listened and made sure he was."
Season tickets are available for as little as $99.00 plus GST and include 18 game dates, three of which are double headers featuring the Whitecaps and Breakers, who will represent Vancouver in the North American W-League. Tickets are available at (604) 669-4709.
Darren Tilley has been one of the A-League's most dominant players and ranks second in A-League all-time scoring, with 158 points in regular season and playoffs combined. He trails all-time scoring leader Mark Baena of the San Diego Flash by only nine points and gained 27 points on Baena since he joined Vancouver on July 18, 2000 as a free agent, netting nearly a goal a game to lead the team's charge into the A-League playoffs. A two-time A-League All-Star, Tilley was the league's top scorer in the 1998 season with the Rochester Raging Rhinos (playoffs included).
Tilley began his career with York City of the English 3rd Division, where he scored 24 goals in 20 games. His career has taken him around the globe, with stops in the CSL with the Kitchener Kickers in 1991, and several years playing professionally in Hong Kong and China before he returned to Canada to join the A-League's Toronto Lynx in 1997.
Darren Tilley (6'3" 188 lbs; 191cm, 85kg) was born in Keynsham, England on March 15, 1967. He and wife Monique own a house in Cambridge, Ontario, and have a son, Calum.
Darren Tilley's A-League Career (includes playoffs)
GP Min G A Pts GWG C E
1997 Toronto 18 1637 6 4 16 - 5 0
Montreal 14 999 10 2 22 - 1 0
1998 Rochester 32 2359 28 10 66 - 5 0
1999 Rochester 35 2826 8 7 23 - 4 1
2000 Rochester 3 131 0 0 0 - 0 0
Montreal 7 564 0 0 0 - 0 0
Vancouver 16 1329 12 7 31 1 2 0
Total 123 9845 64 30 158 - 17 1
A-League Top Scorers (1997-2000)
Regular Season
1 Mark Baena 95 7888 73 16 162
2 Darren Tilley 101 7998 51 23 125
3 Steve Patterson 103 8437 51 22 124
Playoffs
1 Darren Tilley 22 1847 13 7 33
2 Dan Stebbins 12 961 9 2 18
3 Domenic Mobilio 13 737 8 0 16
Combined
1 Mark Baena 103 8359 75 17 167
2 Darren Tilley 123 9845 64 30 158
3 Steve Patterson 106 8707 51 25 127
