THE ASSYRIAN ATHLETIC CLUB

OF TORONTO

Proud Home of the Winged Bull Soccer Teams

Delighted Players and Fans

At first Youra played for the Western League team of Bristol Rovers, which was their 3rd team but which called for a high standard of play. Rovers Reserves team was a nursery from which players were picked to play for the higher league teams, and Youra played as an amateur because he was not allowed by the Football Association to play as a paid professional until he had had at least two years' qualified residency in England.

In a short time Youra proved that he could play football as well as any of his English teammates, and the officials were delighted by his talent and future potential, even though some thought his small size might be a problem. But this did not worry Youra because he was confident he could make the grade. Youra quickly proved his worth and was promoted to higher grades. He made friends and was popular among the local football circles. The local press said "he has a lot of football in him," and he was dubbed "Ali Baba," "Live Wire ... .. slippery as an eel," "fastest forward" of the match, "extremely fast and clever in possession," "the footballer who can do everything but the Indian rope trick," and other expressions.

Returned Home and Joined RIAF

But after 16 months of working and playing football for the Bristol Rovers Club, Youra was persuaded to return home. He was pestered by his family's "come-back-home" appeals and by the Royal Iraqi Air Force Commander, Brigadier Kadhum Al-Obaidi, who offered to obtain for Youra and his family members Iraqi naturalization and a place for him on the Force as a warrant officer provided he play soccer for the RIAF team. At first Youra resisted, but finally relented and returned home to Baghdad in December 1955, only months short of his eligibility to play professional football in England! Youra and his family members were Iranian subjects, and obtaining Iraqi naturalization wasn't a particularly easy procedure. But within a very short time Brigadier Al-Obaidi arranged for their papers to be processed and Youra was admitted to the Force as a warrant officer and joined the RIAF soccer team.

Spectators Cheered and Chanted

Soon after returning, Youra played his first two games in January 1956 for the Iraq Select team, one against Turkey's Mersden Club and the other against Teheran Select. They were thrilling games, watched by tens of thousands and broadcast live over Baghdad radio. Two other top Assyrian players, Aummo Baba and the late Aummo Samson, were on the Iraqi team, but the spectators were impatient to watch Youra's English-gained soccer skill -- and they were not disappointed! In the first game, the Iraqis virtually played the Turks off the field, thrashing them 6-O! Although it was Ammo Baba who scored three of the six goals, it was really Youra's day! The crowds were delighted by the little football wizard's fast and brisk moves, clever dribbling and intelligent distribution, which were the roots of every goal scored. Playing in mid-field, he prompted his fellow forwards on, often changing a defensive move into an attack and netting one of the goals himself. Another goal was scored by Ammo Samson.

And in the second match, a week later, the Iraqis beat the Iranians 5-3. Both Youra and Ammo Baba played the games of their lives! As Youra moved all over the field and engineered most of the dangerous moves, Ammo lead his fellow forwards into repeated attacks against the Iranian goal. The fast and tricky Ammo scored four rousing goals and created a pandemonium of excitement in the Scouts Stadium! And at the end of the game, the Iraqi fans engulfed the three Assyrian players and a few other players, cheering and kissing them, and carried them off the field upon their shoulders. Al-Bilad newspaper headlined its story: "20 Thousand Spectators Cheer New Iraqi Football Wizard Youra, Successor of Naser 'Chicko'" and The Iraq Times' banner read: "Ammo Baba Scores Four Goals for Iraq Against Teheran."