John Bain arrived in Portland at the age of 20 with the expectation that he would spend the summer of 1978 gaining experience with the Portland Timbers in the old North American Soccer League before returning to a higher level of competition in England.

Instead, Bain fell in love with the Rose City and went on to earn his place in club history during five remarkable seasons where he set club records in both career goals (45) and career assists (55). His renowned career in Portland earned him a spot in the Timbers Ring of Honor in 2011.

Bain's records have remained intact over the last 35 years, but that could change as early as Sunday. Timbers forward Fanendo Adi tied Bain's all-time, all-era Timbers record for goals scored last week in Columbus and Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (41 goals, 44 assists) is approaching both the career goals and assists records.

"Records are there to be broken," Bain told the Oregonian/OregonLive. "It was just a matter of time before someone broke the goal scoring record that I have and that's kind of nice that there are two players that are going to break it this year. Adi is a fantastic goal scorer and Valeri is a fantastic player."

While Bain said that it has been special to hold the two records, being a part of the Timbers' storied history is what makes him most proud.

Bain, a native of Scotland, arrived in Portland on loan from English side Bristol City in 1978, just three years after the Timbers were founded. He quickly made a name for himself on the field, helping the Timbers reach the NASL Conference Championship in his first season. As a playmaking midfielder, he never thought of himself as a prolific goal scorer, but he found himself contributing almost as many goals as assists over his 148 league appearances.

"I'm pretty proud that I was able to contribute to the Timbers and at least have a part in their history," Bain said. "Scoring a few goals for them was important. It's good to think I've been part of their history in some way. It means a lot."

While his on-field output earned him a spot in the Timbers' history book, Bain said he feels like his biggest contribution - and the biggest contribution of all the former NASL Timbers - was helping to grow soccer in Portland.

During Bain's tenure with the Timbers, soccer was just beginning to gain a foothold in the Rose City. Bain said there was a lot of enthusiasm around the sport, but fans didn't yet fully understand the game and there weren't many opportunities for youth players. Now, he said he is amazed to see the fan support for the Timbers and Portland Thorns, the growing interest in soccer in the United States and the incredible opportunities for youth players.

"The support for soccer in this city, not just with the Timbers, but the Thorns, is unbelievable," Bain said. "It's just really rewarding to see how soccer has grown and where it is right now in Portland."

Bain's own career with the NASL Timbers ended abruptly in 1982 when the club folded. He spent the next seven years competing in outdoor and indoor soccer for other NASL teams before returning to Portland in 1989. Over the last 25 years, Bain has become a fixture of the Portland soccer community, coaching at both the high school and youth levels. He is currently the Director of Soccer Operations for the Westside Timbers.

After the NASL Timbers folded, the club was briefly reborn as a semi-pro team later in the 1980s before finally coming back for good in 2001. From 2001-10, the Timbers competed in various leagues before finally making the jump to MLS in 2011.

Bain said he was thrilled to see the club keep the Timbers name and embrace its history when it moved to MLS, even though he knew that it meant his records would likely fall as the Timbers developed into a successful MLS club.

"If the team was called a different name, then obviously we wouldn't have as big of a history as we have now," Bain said. "The Timbers have been around for more than 40 years. Even though that's not a long time in soccer terms around the world, in North America it is."

Bain has been an avid Timbers supporter since the club was reborn in 2001 and he has watched with pride as the team has thrived during its short MLS history.

He plans to be in stands at Providence Park Sunday as the Timbers take on the New England Revolution and Adi takes the field with a chance to break his goal scoring record.

If Adi scores, Bain will celebrate the historic moment. For him, it will just be another sign of how far the Timbers and soccer in Portland have come.

"I'll definitely be there," Bain said. "Hopefully, Adi will score at home and he'll pass me on Sunday."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg