Russell Raymond
The majority of Glengarry soccer players never earn the opportunity to hoist the championship trophy. Russell Raymond savored this act of celebration on 18 occasions, 11 as a coach and seven as a player.
Attending Greenfield Senior matches in the early 1960’s, one could not miss the unique dress and playing style of Russell Raymond. Russell was small in stature, always wore long trousers and sported dark rim, paint flecked eye glasses which led to an indifferent appearance that often deceived opponents.
This wiry midfielder was renowned for his ability to volley high balls, often off the head of opposing forwards, control the long kicks and distribute skillfully to forward players. “We didn’t believe in that dangerous kick rule in those days,” Russell would say in later years with a hoarse chuckle, “when I went for the ball, it was mine and if the other player, or my own, got in the road they got kicked in the head.”
The long pants, although quirky in nature and in defiance of the international football rules, certainly never hindered Russell’s play. A fan of the era reports only seeing that midfielder in shorts on one occasion, an Ottawa tournament in the early 1960’s where failure to wear shorts meant not participating.
usell wore the Greenfield red-and-white from 1959 to 1965 and won three championships, in 1961, 1963 and 1965 after which some internal team dissensions led Russell to leave Greenfield for McCrimmon, where he played on four more championship teams; 1966, 1968, 1969, and 1970. He then assumed the role of coach and directed the club to yet another championship in 1971.
In 1973 the Greenfield franchise, which was abandoned in 1968, was reborn. The team consisted of a few veteran holdovers, several boys from the South that Russell recruited on one of his weekly jaunts to Dalhousie and a handful of players from a failed Alexandria entry. Players came and went as Rusty recruited on late night scouting trips to the “ocean”, but a solid nucleus prevailed and a team identity and spirit was fostered by the coach during late night meetings.
The wily coach led the Greenfield Men to 10 championships in 13 years, from 1975 to 1988. In 1983, and in his final year 1990, Russell was named coach-of-the-year!
In the 1970’s, the senior girls and minor teams became established in the GSL under the Greenfield banner. In 1978, the men, women and bantams won championships and Greenfield held a club awards banquet in the Greenfield Hall. It was a celebration of Russell’s work, and the supporting cast of the community’s soccer program. Russell was more than a Greenfield soccer supporter, he was also a league supporter. From 1970 to 1978, Russell proved this by accepting what many perceived to be one of the toughest league executive responsibilities, that of referee-in-chief. During the era no one wanted to officiate let alone take on of the ultimate responsibility for officials. As a result, Rusty often had to take controversial games that no one else wanted.
In addition, Russell held a position as Greenfield’s representative from 1978-1980. Russell was born in Greenfield in 1929, the son of Louis and Augustine (Gordon). He was the middle child in family of five and attended the Greenfield Public School, and entered secondary school at the Alexandria High School, being transported to town via train morning and night. Beyond the soccer field and throughout his life Russell has pursued his passion for outdoors and to this day enjoys hunting and fishing with some of his buddies. The 70-year-old takes great pride in his ability to navigate the northern woods and outwalk his younger hunting friends. In addition, Russell played, coached and refereed broomball in the 1970’s in Lochiel and Greenfield. The coach, competitor and pioneer passed away in 2011.
