Board of Directors
AL DAWSON
PRESIDENT
Al Dawson grew up in East Baltimore County, learned to play there in various recreational
leagues and then attended Sparrows Point High School and played varsity soccer there. Afterwards,
except for a few years when he served his Country in the US Air Force, he has been actively involved
in soccer for seven decades. Al helped form the youth soccer program at St. Clare in Essex along
with Father Steven Gerard which became one of the largest in Baltimore County fielding at its prime
thirty-four teams of various ages and both male and female. When Father Gerard was transferred to
St. Clement in Lansdowne, Al crossed the river to help form that program as well. Since the 1970’s,
Al has fielded a men’s unlimited club who played in the Baltimore Beltway League and then in the
Maryland Majors. His team started in the third division but soon rose in the ranks from third to
second and then to the first division.
In the early 1990’s, Al was elected president of the Maryland Major Soccer League
and in a five-year period helped rejuvenate the league. The league again offered a third division and
the second and first divisions became one of the most competitive leagues on the East Coast. He
almost formed a women’s division but was never able to attract enough teams to get it off the ground.
Due to work, Al had to give up his presidency but was still around to advise.
Since the Old Timers was reformed in the early nineteen eighties, Al has been a member. In
the early two thousands, he became actively involved becoming the editor of our newsletter and then
a board member. When some younger guys came on board, Al stepped down, but when Fran
McGrath put out the call for help in keeping the organization going, Al as well as Jerry Cirri stepped
up and is currently serving as the interim president until we can establish a more permanent board.
VICE PRESIDENT
JERRY CIRRI
Jerry Cirri is known in soccer circles as the “Jack of all trades”. He has played,
coached, officiated, served as a league administrator and whatever needs to be done
to get the job completed. Jerry grew up in East Baltimore and Rosedale and learned
to play soccer from some of the greats, mainly Vernon Reese, Paul DiMarco and
Bernard Myers. Jerry played youth play in the St. Clement’s program and later
attended Overlea High School where he was a three-year varsity starter and in his
senior year team captain. He returned to Overlea the year after he graduated as
assistant coach and helped them to a State Championship. He went to CCBC Essex
and played for John and Sam Borozzi and was one of the first in the Baltimore area to
play and coach indoor soccer when the Blast came to town in 1979.
Probably the most significant role he played was in 1989 when he became the
registrar of the Maryland Major Soccer league where for ten years he kept the league
player registration straight. Jerry has been a member of the Old Timers/Soccer
Legends for many years and then about 2015, he became a board member and
became actively involved in its operation. He is the 2017 recipient of the Dr. John A.
Schmid Award for Service to Soccer.
In 2021, Jerry retired from his board post but when Fran McGrath sent out the
plea for people to get involved to keep the organization from dissolving, he heeded the
call and has returned as the interim Vice-President.
SECRETARY
FRAN MCGRATH
Fran McGrath has been the secretary of the Maryland Soccer Legends since 2015 and a board member since 1996. He is also the chairman of the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony and serves as Special Events Chairman as well.
Outside the Legends, he is the secretary of the Maryland State Soccer Association, Maryland State Adult Cup Director, Recording Secretary for the Maryland Referee Association and is the General Soccer Manager for the Baltimore Kickers German American Soccer and Social Organization. In his younger years, Fran played and coached in the Maryland Majors League and ran both indoor and outdoor adult soccer programs.
BERNIE MCVEY
TRESURER
Bernie McVey has been the treasurer of the Maryland Soccer Legends and a board member since 2018. His soccer career began in Dundalk where his teams won several youth state championships. He played high school soccer at Mt. St. Joseph’s and college soccer at Loyola College. While at Loyola, his teams particpated in the NCAA tournament for four consecutive years, ultimately winning the Division II National Championship in 1976 while being named an all conference selection at midfield. He has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Soccer Association of Columbia, and coached both boys and girls youth teams in Howard County where he resides with his wife Terry.
Bernie is a graduate of Loyola College (BA, MBA) and has contributed to the Maryland Soccer Legends in the areas of finance and information technology.
STEPHEN CRAIG
BOARD MEMBER
Steve Craig has been involved in soccer for over fifty years as a player, coach, administrator and in recent times, a referee. Steve was an outstanding player in the St. Francis of Assisi youth programs and at Calvert Hall High School.
He played college ball at Loyola College of Maryland and was part of their NCAA Division II National Championship in 1976. Steve has been on the board of the Maryland Soccer Legends for the past ten years and works with our website and social media. He referees futsal and high school soccer and holds a Level Seven USSF Referee Badge and a National Futsal Referee Badge. He is proud to say that he has scored goals on three continents: namely, North and South America and in Europe.
PHILIP. N TIRABASSI
PAST PRESIDENT
Phil has been a player, referee, coach and administrator in soccer starting at a very early age. He played, locally, at Little Flower, Pompei and CWV winning many CYO, City and State Championships. He also was captain of the squad at Archbishop Curley and played at Loyola College (Mason Dixon Conference Championships as well as several NCAA bids). Phil has coached at The Catholic HS, Archbishop Curley HS as well as Loyola Blakefield. In 1999, he was named MSYSA Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. He coached several teams in European play winning the Caserta Cup in Naples, Italy and the Arsenal Cup in London, England. The Old Timers honored him by awarded the Dr Schmidt Award for his contributions to the sport of soccer.
Phil is a graduate of Loyola College (now University). He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore Law School. He is a Fellow, of the University of MD, Carey School of Law, in Conflict Resolution and Public Policy. Phil also was an associate professor of law at UB Law. After serving many years as a judge of the District Court of MD for Baltimore, he recently accepted senior status. He is a Past President of the Baltimore County Bar Association.
As Past President of The Maryland Soccer Legends, he becomes a member of its Board of Directors.
GEOVANNY MONTERROSO
Board Member
Ashly Kennedy
Board Member