Iain Fraser (soccer)

Iain Fraser (born April 3, 1964) is a former professional soccer player. Although born in Jedburgh, Scotland, he grew up in Burlington, Ontario and therefore featured for the Canadian national soccer team in the 1990s as a defender. He was capped 28 times in his career for Canada. Fraser is known as one of the first players drafted by Major League Soccer upon its creation, as well as for his role in a court case against the league.

Fraser attended Hartwick College in New York on a soccer scholarship. Graduating in 1986, Fraser played on three Division I NCAA tournament teams at Hartwick, playing in the Final Four in both 1984 and 1985. He was inducted into the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.

Professional career

The sporadic nature of professional soccer in the 1980s and 1990s in North America forced Fraser to become something of a journeyman, playing in numerous indoor and outdoor leagues.

After graduating, Fraser was drafted in the second round by the Kansas City Comets of the original Major Indoor Soccer League. He would play for the indoor club for five years before joining the Baltimore Blast for the 1991/92 season. After the MISL folded, Fraser joined the Kansas City Attack of the indoor National Professional Soccer League. He stayed with Kansas City for three years despite interest from the rival Continental Indoor Soccer League.

Due to the founding of the Canadian Soccer League in 1987, Fraser played indoor and outdoor soccer simultaneously, notably for Montreal Supra. This was common for many Canadian soccer players.

In 1993, Fraser returned to outdoor soccer for two seasons with the Colorado Foxes of the American Professional Soccer League. He returned to indoor in 1994 with Kansas City once again.

Major League Soccer

Fraser was the fifth player selected overall in the inaugural Major League Soccer draft. Fraser spent only one season in the MLS, playing for the New England Revolution in 1996. Although he missed the first few games due to injury, once he hit the field Fraser played every minute of every game after that. That year, the New England Revolution also featured midfielder Geoff Aunger and Mark Watson, both his teammates from the Canadian national team.

Fraser is also known for his involvement in a 1997 antitrust lawsuit brought against Major League Soccer. The case alleged that the league's single entity structure, whereby all players are contracted to the league (and not to individual teams) was an in fact an illegal monopoly. He was the first plaintiff listed in the lawsuit, leading the case to be known as "Fraser et al vs Major League Soccer et al". It is widely accepted that he was released due to this involvement and rumoured that the case scuppered any hope of rejoining MLS after having been cut in 1997.

Player, Manager, Executive

He then joined the Sacramento Knights of the World Indoor Soccer League, where he was employed simultaneously as a player, Head Coach, and Director of Operations. Fraser is one of the few professionals to win honours both on-field and off-field in the same seasons, as he was both named defender of the year and coach of the year in 1999 and 2001. He stayed with the Knights until the WISL folded.

Fraser is now the Technical Director for the California Rush Youth Soccer Club. He is married, has three children and makes his home in California, holding dual Canadian and American citizenship.

Persondata
NAME = Fraser, Iain
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = soccer player
DATE OF BIRTH = April 3, 1964
PLACE OF BIRTH = Jedburgh, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =