Bill Peters Biography

Bill Peterson will take over as the new commissioner of the North American Soccer Organization, the league announced Monday. Following former league commissioner David Downs announcing his early resignation on October 5th, something the league knew about long before his formal statement to the public, Peterson seized leadership of the league on November 19 after a 45-day search. Because of the Thanksgiving break, the NASL waited until today to announce Peterson's appointment. Peterson has been active in athletics since he was a child. He grew up playing American football and even signed with the Los Angeles Raiders as a free agency linebacker in 1987. He began working in the sports sector when he was 27 years old when he went to work for the NFL Europe League and spent ten years living in Europe. He was the Frankfurt Galaxy's Football Operations Director, the Amsterdam Admirals' General Manager, the league's Director of Football Development, the Managing Director of NFL Europe, and finally the league's President. Why would a former NFL player and the president of NFL Europe be a smart option to lead the North American Soccer League, which is just two years old? A closer look at Peterson's background explains why the NASL chose the former American football player for the post. "I became a fan of the game from the beginning of my time in Europe," stated the new NASL Commissioner over the phone on Tuesday. He recalls a trip to Camp Nou in 1991, barely three weeks following his arrival in Europe. Peterson stated that he was in Barcelona for a football game. He and two of his coworkers had heard that the town was hosting a major soccer match. They were intrigued and decided to investigate more. They entered Camp Nou through a rear gate, according to Peterson. "It was incredible to stroll into the midst of the 100,000-seat stadium!" The atmosphere, the number of people, and the emotion all struck a chord with me." Peterson lived in Holland, England, and Germany for ten years and claims he experienced several of those kinds of experiences, including being in the right location at the right time. He claims he got to see a whole city light up with emotion when living in Frankfurt, where Eintracht won the Bundesliga 2 title. In 1995, he was in Amsterdam when Ajax won the Champions League. He's also watched a slew of important European matches, including Champions League finals and derbies like Arsenal vs. Chelsea. "As a sportsman, you quickly know that these are world-class athletes doing things that the normal person could never achieve," Peterson said. Peterson was stunned by the numbers and the fervor of the spectators, especially as an American football fan. "I may not have grasped all that was going on down on the field at the beginning." But seeing the intensity, quality of play, and emotion quickly drew me in." Peterson returned to his hometown and worked for AEG for six years. He was a member of the Chicago Fire's board of directors and aided them in their search for a new stadium. While working for the Los Angeles Galaxy, he performed the same thing and eventually became the managing director of the Home Depot Center. He served on the Board of Governors, Finance Committee, and Competition Committee of Major League Soccer during his early years with AEG. He subsequently worked for four years as Executive Vice President of Operations at Centerplate, a publicly-traded company. With 250 sports, entertainment, and conference facilities across North America, Centerplate is one of the world's largest hospitality corporations. Peterson was in charge of 140 facilities and 28,000 people. Culinary, Merchandise Sales, Restaurants, Retail Operations, Client Relations, and Facility Management/Operations all contributed to the company's roughly $850 million in sales. Peterson ended a not-so-successful tenure with the United Football League, which has since disbanded, in one of his more recent efforts. The league is being sued by Peterson for unpaid salaries. He is hesitant to discuss the topic but claims that he has acquired valuable lessons in each of his previous posts, which he feels have prepared him for the role of NASL Commissioner. He cites his work with AEG and the NFL Europe League as two of the most essential. "There was a tremendous degree of devotion and enthusiasm with some fantastic leadership at AEG in the early days, which helped establish the firm," Peterson noted. The lessons learned in the NFL Europe were different but as significant. "We weren't operating with a plan," Peterson explains. "I had to get up every morning and figure out how you were going to do your job and do it well because you were working overseas," Peterson said. Peterson is aware that some may draw parallels between himself and MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who also worked with the NFL in Europe before taking over the reins. Peterson described Don as a "wonderful person" and "a fantastic commissioner." "I've worked for and with him for 15 years, and we've always had a terrific connection." That will undoubtedly continue." Peterson claims that his work ethic and perseverance are two of his strongest qualities. He appreciates pushing things to their limits and seeing businesses grow and evolve with a desire to achieve. In the medium run, he says he wants to continue aiding current NASL teams in becoming professional sports entities in their communities that generate excitement and enthusiasm. In the long run, he not only wants to expand the league, but he also wants to guarantee that the NASL remains strong and successful and that it contributes to the growth of the sport in North America. Peterson concluded by underlining the significance of NASL fans, stating that the league must provide service to its followers. Peterson, 48, is married with two kids and lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He is an ardent cyclist and now serves as Chairman of the Board of USA Cycling as well as a member of the USPRO Cycling Trustee Board, both of which are voluntary roles.

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