Bruce Bates

{{Infobox football biography

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|6|13}}

| birth_place = British Columbia, Canada

| height = {{height|m=1.79|precision=0}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1980

| youthclubs1 = Richmond Olympic

| years1 = 1981

| years2 = 1982

| years3 = 1983

| years4 = 1983

| years5 = 1985

| clubs1 = Calgary Boomers

| clubs2 = Tampa Bay Rowdies

| clubs3 = Tampa Bay Rowdies (indoor)

| clubs4 = Calgary Mustangs

| clubs5 = New Westminster Q.P.R. (PRSL)

| caps1 = 10

| caps2 = 9

| caps3 = 4

| caps4 =

| caps5 =

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 1

| goals4 =

| goals5 =

}}

Bruce Bates (born June 13, 1960) is a Canadian soccer player.

Career

A native of the Vancouver area, Bates played amateur soccer locally for Richmond Olympic and briefly spent time as a reserve player for the Vancouver Whitecaps.{{cite news |last=Konotopetz |first=Gyle |title=Boomers player profiles|date=April 16, 1981|newspaper=Calgary Herald|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/482789853/?terms=Bruce%2BBates

|page=F4|access-date=December 27, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Konotopetz |first= Gyle |title=Boomer nightmare |date=April 6, 1981|newspaper=Calgary Herald |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/482735507/?terms=Bruce%2BBates |page=D3|access-date=December 27, 2018}} At age 20, he joined the Calgary Boomers, on the NASL side.{{cite news |title= Bates impresses Boomers’ brass |date=March 23, 1981|newspaper=Calgary Herald |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/482681983/?terms=Bruce%2BBates|page=D4|access-date=December 27, 2018}} He appeared in ten matches that year, but the Boomers folded after one season. In 1982, he joined Calgary teammates Jürgen Stars and Tom Boric on the Tampa Bay Rowdies roster.{{cite news |last=Henderson |first=Jim |title=Bates’ Soccer Career Rescued By Rowdies|date=April 13, 1982|newspaper=Tampa Tribune |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/335546401/?terms=Bruce%2BBates |page=1-C|access-date=December 26, 2018}} He also played for the Rowdies during their run to the 1983 Indoor Grand Prix title.{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Mark |title= Rowdies to unveil new players against Strikers|date=February 11, 1983|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/320290450/?terms=Rowdies%2BBates |page=3C|access-date=December 26, 2018}}

Before the 1983 outdoor season began, he and Peter Gruber were dealt to Calgary Mustangs of the Canadian Professional Soccer League, where he was later named team captain.{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Mark |title=Rowdies take on two newcomers, cut four veterans|date=April 5, 1983|newspaper=St. Petersburg |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/332254217/?terms=Bruce%2BBates |page=3C|access-date=December 26, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Konotopetz |first=Gyle |title=Mustang coach quits in a huff|date=July 19, 1983|newspaper=Calgary Herald|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/483428104/?terms=Bruce%2BBates

|page=C1|access-date=December 26, 2018}} The CPSL folded after only one season.

In 1985, he played in the semi-pro Pacific Rim Soccer League{{cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |title=Lower Mainland soccer shaping up semi so-so |date=March 1, 1985|newspaper=Vancouver Sun |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/493853317/?terms=Queens%2BPark%2BRangers|page=C4|access-date=December 25, 2018}} for the New Westminster Queens Park Rangers along with other NASL alumni, Garry Ayre, Peter Stanley, and Carl Shearer.{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Kevin |title=Rangers rattle Dynamos |date=May 27, 1985|newspaper=Nanaimo Daily News |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/325474164/?terms=Bruce%2BBates|page=9|access-date=December 25, 2018}} He and the Rangers won the season title with a 16-4-4 record,{{cite news |title=Pacific Rim League final standings |date=September 18, 1985|newspaper=Vancouver Sun |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/495364553/?terms=Pacific%2BRim%2Bsoccer|page=D7|access-date=December 25, 2018}} but fell, 3–0, to Vancouver Columbus in the PSRL President's Cup finals.{{cite news |title=Columbus win title |date=September 30, 1985|newspaper=Nanaimo Daily News |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/325581035/?terms=Vancouver%2BColumbus|page=8|access-date=December 25, 2018}}