Ade Coker

{{Infobox football biography

| image =

| caption =

| name= Ade Coker

| fullname = Adewunmi Olarewaju Coker

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|05|19|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria

| height =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1971–1975

| years2 = 1974

| years3 = 1974–1975

| years4 = 1975–1976

| years5 = 1976–1978

| years6 = 1978–1979

| years7 = 1979–1980

| years8 = 1980

| years9 = 1980–1981

| years10 = 1982–1984

| years11 = 1984–1987

| years12 = 1987–1988

| clubs1 = West Ham United

| clubs2 = → Boston Minutemen (loan)

| clubs3 = → Lincoln City (loan)

| clubs4 = Boston Minutemen

| clubs5 = Minnesota Kicks

| clubs6 = San Diego Sockers

| clubs7 = New York Arrows (indoor)

| clubs8 = Rochester Lancers

| clubs9 = Baltimore Blast (indoor)

| clubs10 = San Diego Sockers

| clubs11 = San Diego Sockers (MISL)

| clubs12 = St. Louis Steamers (indoor)

| caps1 = 10

| caps2 = 19

| caps3 = 6

| caps4 = 29

| caps5 = 28

| caps6 = 13

| caps7 = 15

| caps8 = 6

| caps9 = 35

| caps10 = 62

| caps11 = 74

| caps12 = 68

| goals1 = 3

| goals2 = 7

| goals3 = 1

| goals4 = 14

| goals5 = 11

| goals6 = 7

| goals7 = 7

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 14

| goals10 = 33

| goals11 = 48

| goals12 = 21

| nationalyears1 = 1984

| nationalteam1 = United States

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 3

}}

Ade Coker (born 19 May 1954) is a former soccer player who played as a striker. Coker began with English club West Ham United then moved to the North American Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League. Born in Nigeria, he earned five caps for the United States national team.

Professional career

Coker was born in Nigeria, but moved to England at the age of 11.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} He was playing schoolboy football when he was spotted by West Ham scout Wally St Pier. In 1971, he signed with the English First Division club West Ham United when he was 17. His first start with the Hammers came on 30 October 1971, against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park following a late injury to Geoff Hurst. He scored on his debut, a 3–0 victory, but despite this auspicious first game, he made only eleven first team appearances over three seasons.Belton, Brian (2006). The Black Hammers p.23-24 Pennant Books. {{ISBN|0-9550394-5-2}} He spent the 1974 off-season with the Boston Minutemen of the North American Soccer League (NASL), earning Second Team All Star honors.{{cite web

|url = http://national.soccerhall.org/history/NASL%20All-League%20Teams.htm

|title = NASL All-League Teams

|publisher = National Soccer Hall of Fame

|accessdate = 2008-06-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150811214750/http://national.soccerhall.org/history/NASL%20All-League%20Teams.htm

|archive-date = 2015-08-11

|url-status=dead

}} Returning to England, in December 1974 he joined Lincoln City on loan, making his debut in the 2–0 home victory over Stockport County on 20 December 1974. He remained with the Imps for a month before returning to West Ham.

Coker then moved permanently to America, rejoining the Boston Minutemen. Halfway through the 1976 season, Minutemen owner John Sterge began selling his players in order to forestall bankruptcy. Coker was sent to the Minnesota Kicks. After the Kick's playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Coker's shoes were stolen off his feet by a jubilant fan.{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Michael |title=Toronto? Yes, Toronto |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/137003979 |access-date=5 April 2022 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |date=28 August 1976 |page=7D |language=en}} Three games into the 1978 season, Minnesota traded Coker to the San Diego Sockers. At the end of the 1979 season, the Sockers sent Coker to the Rochester Lancers for the 1980 season. Coker spent the 1980–1981 Major Indoor Soccer League club Baltimore Blast. In 1982 Coker was back with San Diego as the Sockers began to transition towards indoor soccer. When the NASL collapsed following the 1984 season, the Sockers moved to MISL and became the league's dominant team. Coker remained with the Sockers until 1987. He spent one more season (1987–1988) in MISL with the St. Louis Steamers.

U.S. national team

Coker earned 5 caps with the U.S. national team.{{cite web

|url=http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_A-E.htm#C

|title=U.S. Men's National Team Player Registry

|publisher=National Soccer Hall of Fame

|accessdate=2008-06-10

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731185439/http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_A-E.htm

|archivedate=2009-07-31

}} He earned his first cap in a September 9, 1984, scoreless draw with the Netherlands Antilles. A month later, he scored twice in a 4–0 victory over the Netherlands Antilles after coming on for Chance Fry. He scored again two matches later, a 1–0 victory over Colombia.{{cite web

|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E3D71639F930A25753C1A962948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fS%2fSoccer

|title=U.S. Captures Title in Soccer

|work=The New York Times

|date=13 October 1984

|accessdate=2008-06-10}} He played his fifth and last match for the U.S. in a 2–1 loss to Mexico on October 17, 1984.{{cite web

|url = http://national.soccerhall.org/history/MNTAlltime_1980-89.htm

|title = Men's National Team International Results and Lineups:1980-1989

|publisher = National Soccer Hall of Fame

|accessdate = 2008-06-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160309025736/http://national.soccerhall.org/history/mntalltime_1980-89.htm

|archive-date = 2016-03-09

|url-status=dead

}}

Post-Career

In 2008, Coker alongside his West Ham teammates, Clive Charles and Clyde Best, were the subjects of the book 'East End Heroes, Stateside Kings'.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.blake.co.uk/e-store/product.php?productid=5553&cat=0&page=1

|title=East End Heroes, Stateside Kings

|author=Brian Belton

|date=7 January 2008

|publisher=John Blake Publishing Ltd

|accessdate=2008-06-10

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172519/http://www.blake.co.uk/e-store/product.php?productid=5553&cat=0&page=1

|archive-date=3 March 2016

|url-status=dead

|df=dmy-all

}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929071213/http://www.jimmunro.co.uk/4751/16518.html?%2Asession%2Aid%2Akey%2A=%2Asession%2Aid%2Aval%2A Reminiscence of Coker at West Ham]
[http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=139&united=Ade_Coker West Ham stats]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110719221056/http://www.redimps.com/archive3/index.mv?cat=players&drop=playerdetsdrop&play=coke01 Lincoln City F.C. Official Archive Profile]
[http://nasljerseys.com/Players/C/Coker.Ade.htm NASL/MISL stats]

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Lagos

Category:American men's soccer players

Category:Baltimore Blast (1980–1992) players

Category:Boston Minutemen players

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:English men's footballers

Category:English emigrants to the United States

Category:Lincoln City F.C. players

Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players

Category:Minnesota Kicks players