Denny Veitch
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Dennis Veitch (September 28, 1931 – December 22, 2011) was a Canadian rugby union player and sports administrator who was general manager of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League.
Veitch was born and raised in Kitsilano.[1] His grandfather, William Knight, was mayor of Blairmore, Alberta.[2] In June 1936, he fell from the ladder of a box car while trainhopping and his right arm was crushed by the moving train, necessitating its amputation.[3] His mother died a few years later and by the age 12, he was living in a boarding house and working in a bakery to pay rent.[4]
Playing career
Despite the loss of an arm, Veitch had a standout athletic career at Kitsilano High School, where he was an all-star center on the school's football team. He was also a member of the Meraloma junior football club and the Sons of Scotland soccer team.[3]
Veitch played for the Meraloma, Kats, and Vancouver Reps rugby teams.[3][5]
Coaching
Veitch coached the Meraloma and Kats junior rugby teams to provincial titles. In 1956, he became an assistant coach for the Meraloma junior football team.[6] He helped lead the team to a provincial junior championship and became the head coach the following season.[7] In 1958, he led the 'Lomas to a Junior Big Four Championship. He returned to the team during the 1961 playoffs, succeeding coach Bill Bowes who had to step aside due to illness.[8] The Meralomas won the western title, but lost the national championship game to the Winnipeg Rods 21–8.[9]