 | |
| Founded | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1992 |
| Stadium | Brian Timmis Stadium |
| Capacity | 5000 |
| Owner | Mario DiBartolomeo |
| League | CSL CPSL NSL |
The Hamilton Steelers were a Canadian soccer team in Hamilton, Ontario that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League, the original Canadian Professional Soccer League, National Soccer League and the Challenge Trophy. The club played mainly out of Brian Timmis Stadium, which was adjacent to Ivor Wynne Stadium. [1]
In 1954, the Hamilton Italo-Canadian Soccer Club was founded and in 1958, they joined the National Soccer League. [2] In 1961, the team changed names and became known as the Hamilton Steelers and moved to the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League. [2] [3] In 1964, the club was renamed the Hamilton Primos Soccer Club and returned to the NSL in 1967 following the NSL-ECPSL amalgamation. [4] The club folded after the 1967 season. [5]
National Soccer League (NSL)
This edition of the Hamilton Steelers was formed in 1981 by Mario DiBartolomeo and joined the National Soccer League. [6] The team was an off-shoot of the Hamilton Italo-Canadians that had competed in the NSL from 1972 to 1979, after which they had taken a leave of absence. When DiBartolemeo's partners decided to not return, he formed the Steelers on his own in 1981, choosing the name to give the club more of a Canadian identity. [7]
They captured the league triple crown in their inaugural season in the NSL winning the regular season, playoff, and league cup titles. [7] In 1982, they finished in second place during the regular season, but advanced to the playoff championship final where they defeated Toronto Italia to win their second consecutive title. [8]
Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL)
In 1983, the Steelers decided to join the new national professional league, Canadian Professional Soccer League. [6] Their first match was on May 22 against the Edmonton Eagles, in which they were defeated by the visiting side 2–1 in front of approximately 4,000 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. [9] After several draws and losses, the Steelers won their first game in the CPSL on June 15, when they defeated Inter-Montréal. [9] This league proved to be unsuccessful, unable to complete its first season fully, lasting only 73 days in total. [10] After two teams, folded mid-season, the remaining teams suspended the remainder of the season, and initiated a playoffs to determine a champion. After finishing in second at the time of the regular season suspension, Hamilton defeated Mississauga Croatia in the semi-finals, before falling to the Edmonton Eagles in the championship match. [11] [12]
The Steelers fielded a reserve team in the NSL and some players returned to play for the NSL Steelers after the CPSL folded mid-season. [9]
Return to Amateur and Challenge Trophy
Following the CPSL folding in 1983, the Steelers returned to the amateur league and won the 1986 Ontario Cup as provincial champions. [6] As a result, they qualified for the national tournament, where they won the 1986 Challenge Trophy after defeating Vancouver Croatia 1–0 in the final. [6] [13] Hamilton also played in the Inter-City Soccer League in 1986 where they won the league double (McGuiness Trophy & Hiram Walker Cup). [14]
Canadian Soccer League
In 1987, they returned to professional status, joining the new national Canadian Soccer League as one of the original eight teams. [15] [16] In the league's inaugural season, they won the East Division and advanced to the playoff final where they were defeated by Calgary. [6] [16] This began a recurring pattern for Hamilton. During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, they repeated as East Division champions, and advanced to the championship finals, where they were defeated by the Vancouver 86ers both years. [16] In 1990, they failed to win their division for the first time, but they nevertheless advanced to the CSL Championship final for the fourth consecutive year, but for the third year in a row, they were defeated by the 86ers. [6] Following the retirement of league commissioner Dale Barnes in 1991, Steelers owner Mario DiBartolomeo became the interim league president ahead of the 1991 season. [17] In 1991, the Steelers failed to advance to the championship final for the first time, losing in the semi-finals. [16]
Following the 1991 season, the club folded due to financial difficulties, [16] despite offers of cost sharing with the Vancouver and Montreal team owners. [18]
Future of Hamilton soccer
In 2019, professional soccer returned to the city of Hamilton with the founding of the Canadian Premier League. The Hamilton Steelers name had been trademarked as a potential name for the franchise, [19] [20] which was ultimately named Forge FC. [21]
| Season | Tier | League | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2 | National Soccer League | 16–1–3 | 1st | Champions | [22] |
| 1982 | 9–5–4 | 2nd | Champions | |||
| 1983 [note 1] | 1 | Canadian Professional Soccer League | 4–4–4 | 2nd | Finalists | |
| 1983 [note 2] | 2 | National Soccer League (Hamilton B team) | 5–4–18 | 8th | Did not qualify | [9] |
| 1984 | Operated at the amateur level | |||||
| 1985 | ||||||
| 1986 | ||||||
| 1987 | 1 | Canadian Soccer League | 10–6–4 | 1st, East | Finalists | [22] |
| 1988 | 18–6–4 | 1st, East | Finalists | |||
| 1989 | 15–7–4 | 2nd, East | Finalists | |||
| 1990 | 10–9–7 | 3rd, East | Finalists | |||
| 1991 | 14–4–10 | 4th | Semi-Finals | |||
Marco Abascal 
Željko Adžić 
Oscar Albuquerque Geoff Aunger Alex Bunbury Cosimo Commisso Paul Dolan Jim Easton Jr. 
Justin Fashanu Paul Fenwick Drew Ferguson Ray Flannigan Iain Fraser 
Amadeo Gasparini 
Robert Gemert Peter Gilfillan Stevie Gill Kevin Grant Gerry Gray James Grimes Sven Habermann Paul Hammond Graham Hatley John Hughes Lucio Ianiero Paul James John Kerr Jr. Tino Lettieri Dino Lopez Shaun Lowther Pedro Magallanes Hector Marinaro Craig Martin Trevor McCallum Jim McLoughlin Ed McNally 
Božidar Milenković Colin Miller Steve Morris Lou Nagy Hugo Nicolini Tony Nocita 
Fran O'Brien Tom Panhuyzen 
Ardo Perri 
Mirosław Piękoś Tony Pignatiello 
Brian Quinn Paul Roe Bryan Rosenfeld Carlos Salguero Tom Soehn Mike Stojanović 
Thompson Usiyan Mario Videla Gordon Wallace Mark Watson The Canadian Soccer League championship final or CSL Championship is the post-season match of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) and is the successor to the CNSL Championship. The winner is crowned champion in the same manner as in other North American sports leagues. This differs from other top soccer leagues around the world which consider the club with the most points at the end of the season to be the sole champion. It is a Non-FIFA championship match that was previously sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) but is now affiliated with the Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC).
C.N.S.C. Toronto Croatia is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, that plays in the Supergroup Open Division in the Canadian Academy of Football. The team's colours are red, white and blue, similar to those of the Croatia national team.
The original Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated in Canada in 1983. It was a nationwide league that had six franchises in three provinces. It lasted for just one abridged, 73-day, summer season in 1983.
London City Soccer Club is a Canadian soccer team founded in 1973. The team is currently a member of the Canadian Academy of Soccer League. The team plays their home games at the Milton Community Sports Park in the town of Milton, Ontario. The team's colours are red, black and white. Formed on Valentine's Day of 1973 by Markus Gauss in order to field a London entry for the National Soccer League after the departure of German Canadian FC. The Gauss family ran and provided the city of London a professional team for 38 years. Under their tutelage the club was most notable for providing an opportunity for young players to develop in a professional environment.
The North York Astros were a Canadian soccer team that was founded in 1990. The team initially played in the National Soccer League. The team played their home games at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York, a district of the city of Toronto, Canada. The team's colours were orange and black. The club was originally named North York Atletico Argentina Soccer Club, and witnessed instant success in its initial stages. After a merger with North York Talons, and a relocation to Scarborough the team was eventually renamed the North York Astros. The Astros were a founding member of the Canadian National Soccer League's successor league the Canadian Professional Soccer League in 1998.
St. Catharines Roma Wolves, are a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1967. The team currently plays in the semi-professional League1 Ontario in both the men's and women's divisions. The club is a former member of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), where it fielded a professional team from 1998 to 2013, and now operates youth teams in the Peninsula Soccer League. Teams play out of Club Roma in St. Catharines, Ontario in the Niagara Peninsula. The team's colours are dark red and white, mimicking those of the famous Italian club A.S. Roma.
The second iteration of the Toronto Blizzard was a Canadian professional soccer team in Toronto, Ontario that competed in the Canadian Soccer League, National Soccer League, and the American Professional Soccer League. The club was formed shortly after the folding of the original team that coincided with the folding of the North American Soccer League. This edition of the club folded in 1993 after poor financial prospects and lack of attendance.
The 1998Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the inaugural season under the Canadian Professional Soccer League name. The season began on May 31, 1998, and concluded on October 14, 1998, with the St. Catharines Wolves defeating the Toronto Olympians in 4-2 victory in a penalty shootout to claim the first CPSL Championship held at Centennial Park Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. Though Toronto was denied the treble they still managed to go undefeated the entire regular season, and dominate the league with the best offensive and defensive record.
The Canadian Soccer League was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated for six seasons between 1987 and 1992. It was a nationwide league that had teams in six provinces over the course of its history. It was the last top-division league in Canada until the Canadian Premier League began play in 2019.
The Canadian Soccer League is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). It is a non-FIFA league previously sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), but now affiliated with the Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC). As of 2023, it consists of seven teams, all located in Ontario. The season usually runs from May to October, with most games played on the weekend followed by a playoff format to determine the overall champion.
The 1992 National Soccer League season was the sixth ninth and final season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began May 8, 1992, with Richmond Hill Kick facing North York Atletico Argentina at Centennial Park Stadium. The season concluded with Toronto Croatia securing the league double. Croatia would defeat the North York Atletico Argentina SC for the NSL Ontario Cup by a score of 2-1 at Centennial Park Stadium in Etobicoke, Ontario.
The 1984 National Soccer League season was the sixty-first season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in late May, 1984 and concluded in September 1984 with the NSL Championship final where Toronto Italia defeated London Marconi. Toronto Italia would also secure a treble by winning the regular-season title, and the NSL Cup.
The 1982 National Soccer League season was the fifty-ninth season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in May, 1982 and concluded in late October 1982 with the NSL Championship final where Hamilton Steelers successfully defended their title against Toronto Italia in a two-legged series final. Toronto Italia would still achieve a double by producing an undefeated streak to claim the regular-season title and the NSL Cup by defeating St. Catharines Roma.
The 1981 National Soccer League season was the fifty-eighth season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in May, 1981 and concluded in October 1981 with the NSL Championship final where Hamilton Steelers defeated Toronto Italia in a two-legged series final. Hamilton would achieve a treble by also securing the regular-season title, and defeating Toronto Ukrainians for the NSL Cup.
The 1987 Canadian Soccer League season was the first season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a new Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
The 1989 Canadian Soccer League season was the third season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
The 1990 Canadian Soccer League season was the fourth season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
The 1991 Canadian Soccer League season was the fifth season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
The 1992 Canadian Soccer League season was the sixth and final season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.
The Edmonton Eagles were a Canadian professional soccer team in Edmonton, Alberta that competed in the original Canadian Professional Soccer League in 1983. They finished as champions in the league's only season.