View source for Greg Ion

{{short description|Canadian retired soccer midfielder (born 1963)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= Greg Ion
| fullname = Gregory Stewart Ion
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|3|12}}
| birth_place = [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 =   
| youthclubs1 =   
|  years1 =   1981–1982 
| years2 =  1983 
| years3 =  1984 
| years4 =  1984–1987 
| years5 =  1987 
| years6 =  1987 
| years7 =  1987–1988 
| years8 =  1988–1990 
| years9 =  1989 
| years10 =  1990–1992
|  clubs1 =   [[Portland Timbers (NASL)|Portland Timbers]] 
| clubs2 =  [[Montreal Manic]] 
| clubs3 =  [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] 
| clubs4 =  [[Los Angeles Lazers]] ''(indoor)''  
| clubs5 =  [[Minnesota Strikers]] ''(indoor)''  
| clubs6 =  [[Vancouver 86ers]] 
| clubs7 =  [[Chicago Sting]] ''(indoor)''  
| clubs8 =  [[Kansas City Comets (1979–91)|Kansas City Comets]] ''(indoor)''  
| clubs9 =  [[Vancouver 86ers]] 
| clubs10 =  [[Tacoma Stars (MISL)|Tacoma Stars]] ''(indoor)''
| caps1 =      9   
| caps2 =   11   
| caps3 =   21   
| caps4 =  133  
| caps5 =   10   
| caps6 =   
| caps7 =   51  
| caps8 =   99  
| caps9 =   
| caps10 =   92  
| goals1 =  0  
| goals2 =  0  
| goals3 =  4  
| goals4 =  43  
| goals5 =  2  
| goals6 =  
| goals7 =  14  
| goals8 =  48  
| goals9 =  
| goals10 =  31 
| nationalyears1 =   1983–1988
| nationalteam1 =   [[Canada men's national soccer team|Canada]]
| nationalcaps1 =    6  
| nationalgoals1 =   0 
}}
'''Gregory Stewart Ion''' (born March 12, 1963, in [[Vancouver]]) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] retired [[association football|soccer]] [[midfielder]].

==Professional==
The son of [[Gordie Ion]], Ion graduated from [[Burnaby North Secondary School]].  In 1981, the [[Portland Timbers (NASL)|Portland Timbers]] selected him in the first round of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] draft.<ref>[http://www.timbersfanpage.com/alltimeinfo.htm Portland Timbers Drafts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206054323/http://www.timbersfanpage.com/alltimeinfo.htm |date=2012-02-06 }}</ref>  However, he lost the entire 1981 season with a knee injury.  He came back in 1982 and played nine games, but the team folded at the end of the season.  He then signed with the [[Montreal Manic]], but that team collapsed at the end of the 1983 season.  On November 10, 1983, the [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83)|Fort Lauderdale Strikers]] purchased his contract from the Manic.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19831110&id=Ga4RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0ekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4035,3008735 November 10, 1983 Transactions]</ref>  The Strikers sent Ion to the [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] during the 1984 pre-season.  When the NASL collapsed at the end of the season, Ion moved to the [[Los Angeles Lazers]] of the [[MISL I|Major Indoor Soccer League]].  He remained with the Lazers until March 26, 1987, when the team traded him to the [[Minnesota Strikers]] in exchange for [[Thompson Usiyan]].  He finished the season with the Strikers.  On October 2, 1987, the Strikers traded him to the [[San Diego Sockers (NASL)|San Diego Sockers]] in exchange for draft picks and cash.<ref>"Sockers obtain Strikers' Ion"  ''San Diego Union'' Saturday, October 3, 1987</ref>  On November 6, 1987, the Sockers waived Ion during the pre-season as part of a salary reduction move.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/06/sports/transactions-154287.html?pagewanted=1 November 6, 1987 Transactions]</ref>  The [[Chicago Sting]] quickly signed him and he spent the 1987–1988 season in Chicago.  The Sting, facing financial collapse, released Ion and ten other players on June 2, 1988.  Ion then moved to the [[Kansas City Comets (1979–91)|Kansas City Comets]] for two seasons.  In 1990, he moved to the [[Tacoma Stars (MISL)|Tacoma Stars]] for two seasons.

During the 1986 and 1989, Ion played for the [[Vancouver 86ers]] of the [[Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)|Canadian Soccer League]]. He is inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as member of the record setting 1989 team.<ref>{{cite web |title=1989 Vancouver 86ers |url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/1989-vancouver-86ers/ |website=BC Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=13 September 2024}}</ref>

==National team==
Ion was part of the [[Canada men's national soccer team|Canadian team]] that participated in the [[FIFA World Cup]] in [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986]].

==Post-playing career==
Ion was soccer marketer for [[Adidas]] and is Program Director of their ESP youth program.  He currently runs his own marketing company.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001256/http://www.wweek.com/html2/leada013101.html]  He has also been Administrative Director of Club Development with youth soccer club [[Washington Premier Football Club]], in [[Tacoma, Washington]].  He is a USSF A licensed coach.

Greg has three daughters Kelsey, Claire and Katelynn.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Canada Soccer|1575}}

{{Canada Squad 1986 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ion, Greg}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:American soccer coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Canada men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:Canadian soccer coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players]]
[[Category:Canadian men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Chicago Sting (MISL) players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Kansas City Comets (1979–1991) players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lazers players]]
[[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players]]
[[Category:Montreal Manic players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Tacoma, Washington]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Vancouver]]
[[Category:Portland Timbers (1975–1982) players]]
[[Category:Tacoma Stars players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984) players]]
[[Category:Vancouver Whitecaps (1986–2010) players]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]