Robbie Zipp

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Robbie Zipp
Personal information
Full name Robert Zipp
Date of birth September 7, 1963 (1963-09-07) (age 44)
Place of birth    United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position Midfielder / Defender
Club information
Current club Retired
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1981
1981-1983
1984-1985
1986-1988
Washington Diplomats
Seattle Sounders
F.C. Seattle
San Jose Earthquakes
0 (0)
0 (0)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 17:47, 24 February 2007 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 7 December 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Robert “Robbie, Robby, Rob or Bob” Zipp is a retired U.S. soccer player who currently serves as a youth soccer referee and is a vice-president of Costco Wholesale.

Zipp attended O'Dea High School in Seattle, Washington where he was a four year varsity letterman on the boy’s soccer team. He was also a two year letterman on the football team. Additionally, Parade Magazine selected Zipp as a high school All American soccer player in 1980 and 1981. After graduating from high school, he was drafted in the first round of the North American Soccer League (NASL) draft. However, records don’t show which team drafted him. However, according to O’Dea High School, Zipp was a member of the NASL club, Washington Diplomats which played only one season, 1981.[1] Records then show Zipp playing the 1981-1982 NASL indoor season with the Seattle Sounders; however, he never appeared in an outdoor game with the Sounders.[2] The Sounders folded at the end of the 1983 NASL season and in n 1984, Zipp joined F.C. Seattle for the F.C. Seattle Challenge '84. This four team round robin series pitted F.C. Seattle, an independent local Seattle “super club” against the New York Cosmos, Vancouver Whitecaps and Minnesota Strikers.[3] F.C. Seattle was largely stocked with ex-NASL players put out of work by the disintegration of the NASL.

In 1985, F.C. Seattle joined with several other independent west coast clubs to form the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA). Zipp continued with the team this season, becoming the team captain after former captain Jeff Durgan was released following numerous flagrant fouls in the team’s game with the Canadian national soccer team.[4]

In 1986, Zipp moved to the San Jose Earthquakes which was a member of the WSA. He remained with the Earthquakes through the 1988 WSA season, after which the Earthquakes folded.[5]

Since retiring from playing professionally, Zipp has remained active as a youth soccer referee. He is currently an AYSA referee coordinator.[6] He is also a vice-president for Costco Wholesale. In 2004, O’Dea High School inducted Zipp into the school’s Athletic Wall of Honor.[7]

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