Tony Powell

Tony Powell (born 11 June 1947) is an English former football defender who played professionally in England and the United States. Starting with English team AFC Bournemouth, he joined Norwich City F.C. in 1974, earning its Player of the Season award in 1979. He then moved to the United States in 1981 to play for the San Jose Earthquakes and then Seattle Sounders FC.

He moved to West Hollywood, California after ending his football career, and became manager of the Holloway Motel there for 25 years before it was converted into temporary housing for homeless people. In 2025, a documentary about Powell, The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel, was released, about his experiences as a closeted gay footballer and his disappearance from the public eye after his sporting career ended.

Career

Footballer Powell began his career with AFC Bournemouth. The film is co-directed by Ramiel Petros and Nick Freeman, who initially intended for The Last Guest to be a short film about the closing of the motel and the city's homeless crisis, who had often walked past Powell's motel during his time with the LA Galaxy. The film follows Powell as he decides whether to re-establish contact with his family