Overview

""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.

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Reviews

""From his involvement at the youth level to professional soccer on both sides of the Atlantic, Roger shares experiences and stories in a colorful and entertaining manner. Readers will enjoy the ride."" -Sunil Gulati, former president of the US Soccer Federation ""Had Dean Acheson (secretary of state in the Truman Administration) not used the title for his book on the post-WWII era, Roger Faulkner might well have called his memoire Present at the Creation, instead of the also aptly named You Can't Get There from Here. In it he shares his firsthand experiences with the inevitable beginning of the open era in professional tennis and the problematic beginning of professional soccer in the United Sates."" -Charles Marshall, former chairman of the US Soccer Federation ""Without Roger Faulkner, the 1994 FIFA World Cup would never have been played in Detroit. As the architect of the Motor City's bid to host the World Cup, Roger's leadership, dedication, and charisma was the driving force throughout the two-year project. No one did more to secure Detroit's place in the history of world football. . . . Making soccer history in the city that put the world on wheels and grass indoors was an incredible journey led by Roger. He changed the trajectory of the sport in the state of Michigan. His intellect, endearing wit, and passion for soccer made every minute of the bid project an absolute privilege. In everyone's journey through the growth of soccer in the US, one gets to meet a very few numbers of genuine leaders. Roger is one of those gems."" -Tom King, associate secretary general of the US Soccer Federation ""Roger Faulkner was a key person in the 1994 World Cup. He was instrumental in bringing matches to Detroit, where for the first time matches were played in a domed stadium that required natural grass, indoors yet another first. He also was a major figure in the US Soccer Foundation, created with financial surplus from the 1994 World Cup."" -Alan Rothenberg, former president of the US Soccer Federation, chairman of the 1994 World Cup organizing committee ""I first met up with Roger during his beloved Derby County's preseason tour of the states in July 1999, when he was the all-important (and, thankfully, entirely dependable) Stateside liaison who made exhibition games happen against Chicago Fire at Soldier Field and the US national team at Denver's Mile High Stadium. I was thrilled when he joined me to co-commentate for the Derby's live audio stream, when his enthusiasm and love for the game of soccer shone out from every observation. Listening to Roger was a pleasure and an education-and I can guarantee that reading his written words will be a similarly rewarding and enriching experience."" -Jim Fearn, former head of media for the Derby County Football Club ""I met Roger when he was chairman of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and I was invited to join the board. . . . His resume since includes bringing the World Championship Tennis finals to Detroit and later using his role as president of the Michigan Soccer Association to achieve the unthinkable, persuading FIFA to make the Pontiac Silverdome a 1994 World Cup venue, with matches played indoors on natural grass. Roger has continued to help grow soccer ever since, nationally with the US Soccer Foundation, where he was a founding director, and regionally as chairman of the Michigan Host Committee Foundation. In 2008 he served as a consultant to my company General Sports as we pursued the successful acquisition of his beloved Derby County team in England."" -Andy Appleby, chairman and CEO of General Sports Worldwide

Author Information

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.

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