Pat Delaney

Pat Delaney (Meritorious Service) - Inducted 2021

Pat Delaney began his passion for soccer when he was 5 years old. Pat’s dad was in the US Air Force.  The family was stationed in Madrid, Spain and lived across the street from Real Madrid’s stadium (Estadio Santiago Bernabeu).  Pat’s dad would take him to the rooftop of their apartment building where they would be able to watch Real Madrid play.  More than 50 years later, Pat has been involved with soccer in some fashion as a player, referee, instructor, assessor and administrator.  When Pat’s family moved to the United States and the DC Metro Areas, he began his playing career.  Pat played for Annandale Boys and Girls Club, Braddock Road Youth Club and Little River Soccer Club.  Pat played on the Virginia U-16 State team.  He also played for Bishop Ireton High School.  After graduating from Bishop Ireton, Pat attended the US Military Academy at West Point, NY where he led his company team to the Corps Championship his Plebe (Freshman) year.  After graduating from West Point, Pat’s first duty station in the Army was in Germany.  Pat played on a semi-professional soccer team, and played on, and Captained, the Nurnberg Military Community Soccer Team that won the United States Army-Europe (USAEUR) Championship 2 of the 3 years he was on the team.  Upon being stationed back in the United States, Pat continued to play or coach recreationally in North Carolina or back in Virginia when the Army sent him to graduate school.  At the University of Virginia, Pat played on the team that won the UVA Intramural Championship.  While at graduate school, Pat began his refereeing career.  Following graduate school, Pat was assigned as an Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering at West Point.  Pat became an Officer Representative for the Army Men’s Soccer Team.  He traveled with and mentored many of the soccer players.  Pat also began to rise in the ranks of refereeing in Eastern New York.  He was selected as the Senior Assistant Referee for the U-17 USA vs Mexico Boys Soccer Match at the US Soccer Hall of Fame stadium in Oneonta, NY.  By the time Pat returned home to Virginia and was stationed at the Pentagon, he was a National Candidate Referee.  The Metro-DC and Virginia State Referee Program selected Pat to attend US Soccer’s National Referee Camp in 2000, where he earned his National Referee badge and joined the less than 1% of US Soccer Referees who achieve this grade.  Highlights of Pat’s National Referee career include being selected as one of twelve referees to officiate the annual US Amateur Soccer Association National Championships.  In this competition, he was selected to referee the Women’s U-21 National Championship Game and Assistant Referee for the Men’s Final.  Pat also officiated several college and other professional level matches; highlighted by his selection as the Senior Assistant Referee for a “tune-up” match between the US Men’s National Team and DC United in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.  While refereeing, Pat became an Instructor and State Assessor.  In 2006, Pat became only the 3rd Chairman of the Metro DC and Virginia State Referee Program, and in 2007 had dual hats as the State Referee Administrator (SRA) until fellow referee and FIFA AR, George Vergara became the SRA in 2010.  Pat’s achievements and commitment to soccer in Virginia over the past decades illustrate his meritorious service that supports his induction into the Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame.