Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bobby Moffat and Neil Cohen inducted into Walk of Fame at Pizza Hut Park

By Pegasus News wire

Neil Cohen and Bobby Moffat, two former Dallas Tornado players, are this year’s inductees to the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame at Pizza Hut Park. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 11 prior to FC Dallas’ final regular season home game against Toronto FC (7:30 pm CT).

Neil Cohen was the youngest player in the NASL when he joined in 1974 at age 18.

Cohen and Moffat will be joined by representatives from Texans Credit Union, FC Dallas, and the Hunt Sports Group at the Walk of Fame between fields #6 and #7, on the north side of Pizza Hut Park. The induction ceremony will begin at 6 p.m., and the honorees will also be recognized at halftime of the FCD game.

Cohen, born in Dallas and a graduate of Bryan Adams High School, was one of the youngest American players selected to play in the North American Soccer League when he joined the Dallas Tornado as an 18-year old in 1974. He went on to play eight seasons in the NASL, including five with the Tornado. He also played six seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League, retiring after his final season with the Dallas Sidekicks in 1985. Cohen also played on three levels of the U.S. Soccer system, earning one cap on the U.S. Men’s National team in 1977.

If you grew up playing soccer in Dallas in the 90's, you no doubt attended a Bobby Moffat soccer camp at some point.

Moffat started his professional career with Portsmouth FC in England in 1961, and joined the Dallas Tornado in 1971. That year, he scored the winning goal in the third and decisive game of the NASL Championship series versus Atlanta, giving the Tornado its first NASL Championship trophy. He went on to play nine seasons with the Tornado, and has become a seminal figure in the development of youth soccer in North Texas, his camps helping thousands of young players develop their skills.

Previous year’s inductees to the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame were: Kenny Cooper Sr. and Schellas Hyndman (2007); Ron Newman and Jeff Agoos (Class of 2006); and the inaugural class of 2005, which included Lamar Hunt, Gordon Jago, Bill Kinder, Carla Overbeck, Kyle Rote Jr. and Tatu, along with four great moments in Texas soccer history.

Source: FC Dallas Communications

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