Dave Turner’s family immigrated to Edmonton in 1914 and Turner moved to the coast in 1923 at age twenty. He tried out for Vancouver’s St. Andrews team, but when he was partly responsible for losing the team’s brand-new ball, he was turned down. He subsequently accepted an offer to play with Cumberland United, a team sponsored by a Vancouver Island mining company that also provided jobs for the players. Turner was named Canada’s “Soccer Player of the Half-Century” in 1950 and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1951.

Turner started with Cumberland United in 1923 and helped the team win the provincial cup in 1925. He then played two years with Vancouver’s St. Andrews.

He was invited to play professional soccer in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and toured the US for one season in 1925-26. He also played pro with Toronto Ulster United in 1926.

In 1927, Turner was invited by the Dominion Football Association to play for the Canadian All-Stars touring team, who travelled to New Zealand.

After a very successful tour, on his return to Vancouver in 1927, Turner was met by New Westminster mayor Fred Hume, owner of the Westminster Royals, who convinced him to play with his team. He then played for the Royals for ten years, captaining them to four Canadian championships in 1928, 1930-31, and 1936.