Iain Fraser (soccer)


Iain Fraser is a former Canadian professional soccer player.
Fraser is known as one of the first players drafted by Major League Soccer upon its creation, as well as the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit Fraser v. Major League Soccer against the league. 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.

Club career

Early years

Although born in Jedburgh, Scotland, he grew up in Burlington, Ontario. 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.

Indoor soccer

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 in 1994. He stayed with Kansas City for three years despite interest from the rival Continental Indoor Soccer League.

Outdoor soccer

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.

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 was in fact an illegal monopoly. He was the first plaintiff listed in the lawsuit, leading the case to be known as Fraser vs Major League Soccer.

Sacramento Knights and retirement

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 President and the Technical Director for the California Rush Youth Soccer Club which is based in Sacramento, California.

International career

He made his debut for Canada in a June 1994 friendly match against Morocco. He earned a total of 30 caps, scoring no goals. He has represented Canada in 10 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
His final international was a November 1997 World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica, a game after which Randy Samuel, Alex Bunbury, Paul Dolan, Frank Yallop and Colin Miller also said farewell to the national team.

Personal life

He is married to Dineen, has three children and makes his home in California, holding dual Canadian and American citizenship.