GARY IRELAND

Liverpool born, (see story) Australian resident of California, Gary has been at the forefront of the global soccer industry for more than 25 years as a highly respected technical trainer, clinician, guest speaker, philanthropist, thought leader, author, consultant, strategic advisor and as an investor in player development. 

 

He has held numerous advisory positions in start up technology companies and was recognized by 'Advance', the global business network spanning 40 countries with 1 million Australians abroad, as being one of the ‘Advance 50’ current and emerging leaders" honored at the Silicon Valley Summit in 2012 for contributions to the commercialization of Australian innovation dedicated to assisting Australian innovators, entrepreneurs and start-ups to commercialize and globalize. Along with Carine Ireland, Gary funded and designed Pass2me (sponsor of San Diego Surf Cup) as well as the worlds first football social media and global football networking platform Soccerbook.com. 

 

Gary holds an MBA in Football Industries from the University of Liverpool with a dissertation on “Creating and Exploiting Revenue Streams at The Academy-Liverpool Football Club: Comparing and Contrasting Youth Academies of Liverpool FC, Inter Milan & Chicago Fire”. 

 

He was commended by FIFA for his efforts on behalf of youth soccer and had received testimonials from some of the worlds most respected people in the game (See here). Gary's work has taken him around the globe after settling in Australia and New Zealand with is father and brothers before setting out to establish himself as a player and coach. 

 

Gary and his brother Simon Ireland were recruited to leading college Boca Raton after being recommended by USA star Roy Wegerle, becoming the first players in New Zealand to play US college soccer (See story).. Gary trained and played with 1st team squads at: 

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• Christchurch United

• Brisbane Lions

• Twin Towns

• Gold Coast

• Nice

• Sparta Prague

• Chelsea

• QPR

• Walton & Hersham 

• Played briefly for Kingstonian

• St George Budapest (trained under coaching icon Frank Arok)

• Christchurch United

• Mount Gravatt/Queensland

• Queensland State Team vs Fiji and was selected to play for Queensland in the Super 6 Series vs. Manchester City, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest Premier League clubs after being recognized as the brightest talent in the state of Queensland. receiving the highest player match performance ratings in the top men's state league. (See story). 

• Recruited by San Francisco Bay Blackhawks 

• US Open Cup Champions San Jose Oaks.


 

He was technical coach/trainer at Liverpool FC Academy and the first ever ‘foreign’ coach at Liverpool FC Academy and the first Australian or New Zealander to coach at a Premier League club Academy. 

 

He is a former assistant to Wiel Coerver and Michel Mommertz at Al Wasl in UAE, one of only 5 assistants who worked alongside Wiel Coerver. (Learn More about Gary's work with Wiel and Michel here). Gary became a south after master demonstrator and After Hubert Vogelsinger learned of Gary's role as assistant to Wiel Coerver he made Gary the lead demonstrator for his globally renowned Vogelsinger Soccer Camps in 1989 and 2005. 
(Learn more). Gary was the first to introduce the work of Wiel Coerver in Australia presenting the first event Wiel Coerver demonstration as guest of New South Wales Soccer Federation Director of Coaching David Lee, the Queensland Soccer Association and New Zealand Football Federation. (Learn more)

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Gary has presented numerous coach education and player development clinics including multiple player and coaching clinics with with former Manager of Liverpool FC Academy Assistant Director/Manager John Owens on his globally renowned 'Principles of Play/Decision Making' (Learn More about Garys work with John) as well as women's coaching legend, Australian National Team coach Tom Sermanni on multiple occasions. Gary produced and featured in several webinars with John Owens and Tom Sermanni, Australian coaching icon Ron Smith and legendary UNC and USA women's coach Anson Dorrance (Learn more).

 

 

During the Czech Republic's successful EUROS '96, Gary was Assistant Scout to the Technical Director of Czech Football Association Prof. Zdenek Sivek (current Chairman of Editorial Board of 'Fotball A Trenink', (official magazine of Union of Czech Football Coaches & Vice President of Union of European Football Coaches AEFCA). Gary is a frequent guest of leading Hungarian club Puskas Academy training boys and girls Academy players and providing coach education. (Learn more here & here)
 

Gary has hired and trained coaches from numerous professional clubs and federations worldwide and has operated his own football employment service for over 25 years. 

 

• Coaches from Wimbledon, MTK Budapest, Puskas Academy, Olympic Lyonnais, Corinthians, Celtic, Spartak Moscow, Czech FA, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC.
 have worked for and with Gary

• Contributed frequently to Norcal Premier Youth Soccer League Coach Education bringing Liverpool FC Academy Manager to present, and appeared as demonstrator with former FC Porto and Red Bull Salzburg manager Pepijn Linders and demonstrated/led sessions for ACF Fiorentina and hosted Ajax Amsterdam Academy Director

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He co-owns Silicon Valley based (SBC) Soccerbook Consulting, advising global investors in technical, commercial and financial aspects of the football industry. SBC provides strategic advice on product and service marketing and distribution, raising capital, creation of for and non profit/charity entities and player recruiting and development strategies for clubs, leagues and products. He co-owns San Francisco Bay Area player training/experience and tour company Dynamic Soccer and Southern California player training/experience and tour company Eclipse Academy.

 Gary founded, operated and consulted for various youth clubs and trained/advised/represented numerous players to US colleges, National and Professional teams. (See testimonials). 

 

He has been a scout for over 30 years and with Carine Ireland he created one of the most robust player evaluation platforms which has been integrated into Invictus scouting and player assessments. (Learn more)

 

Gary was instrumental training and placing players to over 50 US College and continues to prepare players to compete and study in US colleges. His companies have sponsored San Diego Surf Cup, the largest and most prestigious US youth soccer tournament and has owned/operated several college recruiting combines. (read about Gary's US college soccer expertise)



 

Gary has arranged games against: 

Liverpool (girls); Manchester Utd. (girls); Everton (girls); Chelsea (boys & girls Academy); Tottenham Hotspurs (boys & girls Academy); QPR (girls); Blackburn Rovers (girls); Crystal Palace (girls); Manchester City (girls); Wolves (girls); Leeds Utd. (girls); MTK Budapest (boys); F.C Blsany (boys); Slavia Prague (boys); Admira Wacker (boys) & US Open Cup Champions San Jose Oaks vs Austrian Bundesliga team Admira Wacker (Mens)

, Australia Womens National Team, North Carolina Womens Soccer team, New Zealand Women's national team

 

He has arranged numerous player training experiences and trials for players at: 

Chmel Blsany (MensTeam & Boys Academy), Slavia Prague (Men 1st Team), Sparta Prague (Men 1st Team)(Men/Boys Academy); Admira Wacker (Boys Academy); Linz (Men/Boys Academy); Melbourne Victory (Women 1st Team); St George Budapest (Men 1st Team); Gold Coast Rep (Men 1st Team); Liverpool FC (Women 1st Team), Tottenham Hotspurs FC (Girls Academy); Chelsea F.C (Girls & Boys Academy & Men Reserves); Southampton (Boys Academy & Reserves); Everton (Women 1st Team & U21); Arsenal (Women U21); Liverpool (Women U21); Tottenham Hotspurs (Women 1st Team & U21); Orlando Pride (Women); Manchester Utd (Girls Academy); Crystal Palace (Men 1st Team); Wimbledon (Men/Boys Academy), Glasgow Rangers (Men 1st Team); Queens Park Rangers (Men 1st Team); Hearts (Men 1st Team); Dunfermline (Men 1st Team); F.C Barcelona (Boys Academy); Nice (Men 1st Team); Kingstonian (Men 1st Team);  Walton & Hersham (Men 1st Team); Marine FC (Men 1st Team); Brisbane Lions, MTK Budapest (Mens 1st Team); Israel, Mexico, USA youth national teams

 

He has helped players study abroad (Read here) 

and has created and managed bespoke tours including setting up games for: North Carolina Women v New Zealand Women's National Team; North Carolina Women v Australian Women's National Team (AIS); North; Carolina Women v Queensland Women's State Team (QIS); Czech Women's National Team; New Zealand U17 National Boys team v Tottenham Hotspurs FC Academy (boys); Admira Wacker v San Jose Oaks (men's); New Zealand U17 National Boys team v Chelsea FC Academy (boys), (See link). 

 

Conceptualized promoted and partnered with J-League team Hiroshima San Frecce, Japanese Travel Bureau (JTB) and FIFA for Japanese youth players to attend Gary's World Soccer summer camp and English language lessons in the USA during the 1994 World Cup. (Learn More)



Gary has contributed significantly to the growth of men;s and women's football in the USA, creating and operated highly regarded California girls youth soccer club PSV Union FC with his wife Carine Ireland-Wong for 22 years, and providing over US$2.5mil. in financial aid for local in-need youth players since 1996. He created, funded and coached/managed WPSL Women's professional club “Union FC” with Carine Ireland making the Final of the national club tournament in Las Vegas after the first few months of operation, and he secured funding from Molson Beer Company to enable 1994 San Jose Oaks win the US Open Cup Final.

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He was founding partner of Soccer Innovation Partners with Carine Ireland and women's soccer legend Anson Dorrance, a soccer think tank and investment vehicle specializing in global women's soccer development, exploring international professional player combines, small sided game formats, and is in ongoing soccer facility investment and development exploration in North Carolina and California,

 



Gary established The Soccer Fund, a charity organization she established with Carine Wong-Ireland to collaborate with football charity and health organizations throughout the world, using football as a vehicle to promote health awareness and social development and education and has dedicated extensive time to supporting various global charity organizations. As former USA Head of Soccer and US Strategic Advisory Committee member for former Chelsea FC and current Liverpool FC Global charity partner Right To Play, he raised substantial donor funding, presented a health awareness educational event through a football clinic at UCLA with Chelsea FC players Malouda and Essien, produced and funded in game marketing assets including the first ever Right to Play banner, provided half-time competition, pre-game mascots, flag bearers and ball persons and provided VIP seating for major donors for the Chelsea FC v Club America at Stanford Stadium. (Read about Gary's involvement with Right to Play here). 

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• Co-founded Academy Soccer (California) backed by Blackman & Flynn (investors in Wolfgang Puck) 

• Became one of first sponsors of FIFA 1994 San Francisco Bay Area Organizing Committee

• Managed/coordinated for ISL/FIFA the in-stadium advertising boarding at the Stanford Stadium 1994 FIFA World Cup venue and the Brazil Venue Training Site (VTS) at Santa Clara

• Staffed a Nestle-Milo sponsored activation youth soccer camp in Indonesia

• Awarded the ‘Key To The City’ of Palo Alto by the Palo Alto Mayor Gary Fazzino for promoting the FIFA Womens World Cup including activation event and providing the World Cup Mascot "Nutmeg”

• Hired the San Francisco 49er's Cheerleading team for the Austrian Bundesliga season kick off

• HRM Crown Prince of Brunei requested Gary provide 3 of his international players to play at DPMM

• Supported legendary Craig Johnston, maker of the Predator boot, on his USA SupaSkills pilot project

• Provided activation (half time show) for USA vs USSR and arranged for England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore to present the ‘Player of the Match’ Award

• Pele visited Gary at his academy in Silicon Valley to film a preview for his Studio Pele TV show before the 1994 FIFA World Cup 1/4 Final Brazil vs USA

 

Gary is a prolific writer conducting numerous articles and interviews on player development with some of the games leading figures. (Learn More) and is a regular guest presenter and speaker at youth football clubs on college recruiting, player development symposiums, such as Puskas Academy for Hungarian professional Football Academies and 'Carpathian Basin Academy System Coaching & Technical Directors in 2022 and at Puskas Suzuki Cup in 2024 and as guest speaker at the University of Liverpool Football Industries MBA (FIMBA). He has created and presented at numerous workshops for players, parents and coaches at leading US youth soccer clubs and produced/presented frequent webinars of player technical development and investment strategies in the global game.

 (Learn more about Gary's webinars here)

 

Gary has extensive experience in football film, adverts and documentary promotion and production and keeps a personal football film blog as a hobby (Visit page here). 

 

• Facilitated broadcast rights and acquisition of video rights of best selling Coerver 1-2-3 coaching videos from Philips Lighting Company to SBSTV 

• Assisted host Les Murray editing content for The World Game (most popular Australian soccer show)

• Presented the first 'ZIDANE: A 21st CENTURY PORTRAIT' viewing for a youth football club in the USA

• Invited Eusebio, Michael Caine, Bobby Moore and Pele to California to celebrate the “Escape to Victory” film in 1990 after his long time friend Jack Kendrick (Sylvester Stallone's double in Escape to Victory) introduced them. He owns one of the few "Escape to Victory" film posters given to him from MTK Budapest on a visit in 2005

• Gary managed Bobby Moore's week of appearances including arranging for him to present the player of the match award for the USA v USSR game

• Assisted legendary Australian footballing icon Craig Johnston sourcing documentary writer/director

• Appeared with Pele on Studio Pele 1994 World Cup television series 

• Appeared with Martin Tyler as guest of Australian football icons Les Murray and Johnny Warren providing a preview for the Czech Republic v Germany EURO 1996 Final

• Featured Dusan Purac coaching video featuring Boban, Savicevic and Pancev. (See video)

• Produced/Directed a weekly Cable TV Soccer Show in Palo Alto, California

• Produced many promotional videos for multiple clients

 

Favorite Players: Platini, Zidane, Savicevic, Stojkovic, Schuster, Maldini, Hoddle, Gerrard, Van Basten, Bergkamp, Waddle, Keegan, Keane, Elkjaer, M. Laudrup, Ronaldo Nazario, Scholes, Ronaldinho, Akers. Favorite Teams: Brazil ’82; France ’84-'85; Denmark ’86; Liverpool ’80-’86; Juventus ‘86; AC Milan ’94; AC Milan ’88-’90

Learn more about Gary here

Email garyjamesireland@gmail.com
Call (650) 387 4128
Connect on Linkedin