Introducing William Azzi

William (Willy) Azzi was born in 1937 in Pievepelago, near Modena in Italy. In 1950 his parents moved with the family to Vancouver, and William grew up at Commercial Drive and 3rd Avenue in East Vancouver. As well as playing soccer, William took up boxing to help him deal with school bullies.

Following high school, William Azzi graduated from UBC and then moved into his career as a high school teacher. He taught at Charles Tupper in Vancouver, Centennial Secondary in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam Senior and Port Moody Secondary School. As well as teaching he coached high school soccer at all these schools, before retiring in 1995.

As a teenager, William and his elder brother Gianni were involved in founding Columbus FC in the 1950s. Azzi later coached youth teams in Coquitlam for the Cape Horn club.

In 1984, he was one of the founders of Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club, developed to run Select teams in Westminster youth district. Metro-Ford grew from this small base into a successful youth and adult soccer club, producing high-calibre players and winning numerous provincial and national championships. William Azzi managed the club and coached many teams, including to provincial youth championships.

In adult soccer, William Azzi was at the helm of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League for 24 years from 1993 until 2017. He served for one year as a BC Soccer Director in 1996-1997, before returning to VMSL to lead the league back to strength after financial challenges. His weekly report of the VMSL Premier Division was a mainstay of local soccer discussion for 20 years.

William Azzi's honours include: twice winning Sports BC's President's Award for soccer, in 1998 and 2005; winning BC Soccer's Award of Merit in 1988 and its AC Sanford award in 2012; being inducted into the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame in 2012; and being awarded Life Membership of BC Soccer in 2013. In 2020, the VMSL named its prestigious Premier Division League Title the "William Azzi Cup."