"A tale about a man who lived the American dream, by doing things many said couldn't be done."-Alexi Lalas, former US national team player, Fox Sports broadcaster
You Can't Get There from Here is a story of resilience, reinvention, and one man's determination to turn bold dreams into reality.
Roger Faulkner grew up in wartime Britain as a promising tennis player, but his life took a new course when a career transfer brought him to Detroit. After years with Burroughs Corporation, he pursued his passion for soccer by cofounding the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League with English soccer icon Jimmy Hill. Their partnership ended in turmoil, with Hill subsequently moving the team to Washington, DC, where it was to fold ignominiously in what the British press dubbed "Jimmy Hill's American disaster."
Undeterred, Faulkner later launched Detroit's bid to host matches for the 1994 World Cup. Against all odds, his daring plan to play on natural grass inside the Pontiac Silverdome stunned the world and made history. As chair of the bid and host committees, he helped deliver one of the tournament's most successful venues and later contributed to the World Cup's legacy through participation in the founding of Major League Soccer and the US Soccer Foundation.
Told with humor and candor, Faulkner's story brims with unforgettable encounters-from Henry Kissinger to Robin Williams-and celebrates the persistence required to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Autorentext
Roger Faulkner is the co-founder of the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League and a former financial consultant with Merrill Lynch. As president of the Michigan Soccer Association, Faulkner spearheaded Detroit's successful bid to host 1994 World Cup matches, and he assisted in the launch of Major League Soccer. He was a founding director of the United States Soccer Foundation and served on the investment committee from 1995 to 2018. He advised on the successful takeover of his beloved Derby County in 2008 and has been a regular soccer and tennis broadcaster both locally and nationally. He and his wife live in the Detroit area.