Kansas City Spurs

Last updated

Kansas City Spurs
Kcspurslogo.png
Full nameKansas City Spurs
Nickname(s)Spurs
Founded1968
Dissolved1970;53 years ago (1970)
Stadium Kansas City Municipal Stadium,
Kansas City, Missouri
Capacity35,561
Head coach Flag of England.svg Alan Rogers
League North American Soccer League
1970 3rd, Northern Division
Playoffs: DNQ

The Kansas City Spurs were an American professional soccer team who played in the North American Soccer League, based in Kansas City, Missouri. They played their home games at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, former home of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Athletics, and Kansas City Royals. The club was previously known as the Chicago Spurs of the National Professional Soccer League but were relocated to Kansas City following the merger of the NPSL and the United Soccer Association to form the NASL in 1967. The Spurs won the NASL Championship in 1969 but were dissolved shortly after the 1970 NASL season. The club's colors were red and white.

Contents

History

The Kansas City Spurs were founded in 1968 following the merger of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the United Soccer Association (USA) to form the new first division professional league, the North American Soccer League (NASL). The team was relocated from Chicago, IL, where the Chicago Spurs had only played a single season in 1967 in the NPSL before the formation of the new league. [1] The Spurs left for Kansas City to avoid competition with the Chicago Mustangs, who had also joined the NASL from the old USA.

Following the 1968 NASL season, the league was in trouble with ten franchises having folded. The 1969 season was split into two halves: The first half was called the International Cup, a double round robin tournament in which the remaining NASL clubs were represented by teams imported from the United Kingdom. The Spurs were represented by Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had won the 1967 United Soccer Association championship as the Los Angeles Wolves. The Spurs won the Cup with a 6–2–0 record. For the second half of the 1969 season, the teams returned to their normal rosters and played a 16-game schedule with no playoffs. The club would capture the regular season championship in the same season, with players such as Willy Roy and Pepe Fernandez, also leading the league in attendance with an average of 4,273 fans during the difficult year. [2]

The Spurs finished in last place in the Northern Division in 1970 and ceased operations shortly thereafter.

The club was initially coached by Hungarian Janos Bedl, who would lead the club to victory in only its second season [3] but he would be replaced the following year by English coach, Alan Rogers, who had debuted with the Chicago Spurs in 1967 and would return to coach the club for its final season in 1970. [4]

Year-by-year

YearLeagueWLTPtsReg. seasonPlayoffsAvg. attendance
1968NASL161151581st, Gulf DivisionLost Playoff (San Diego)8,510
1969 10241101stChampions (no playoff)4,273
197081061003rd, Northern Divisiondid not qualify2,398

Honors

Coaches

See also

Related Research Articles

Bob Gansler is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the U.S. National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Soccer Association</span> A professional soccer league

The United Soccer Association (USA) was a professional soccer league featuring teams based in the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. Every team in the league was actually an imported European or South America club, that was then outfitted with a "local" name. Dick Walsh served as the commissioner.

The Los Angeles Wolves were an American professional soccer team that played for two seasons. In 1967 they played in the United Soccer Association, finishing as champions, and in 1968 they were founding members of the North American Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Stokers</span> Soccer club

The Cleveland Stokers were a soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio that played in the United Soccer Association during 1967 and the North American Soccer League in 1968. Their home field was Cleveland Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Chiefs</span> American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia

The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1981. For the 1973 season, the team played as the Atlanta Apollos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Bays</span> Soccer club

The Baltimore Bays were a professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland founded in 1967 as one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Bays played its home matches at Memorial Stadium during its first two seasons and moved to Kirk Field, a high school football stadium, in 1969. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1969 NASL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Beacons</span> Defunct American soccer club

The Boston Beacons were an American soccer professional team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1968. The team was based in Boston and played their home games at Fenway Park. Originally intended to be a charter member of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967, the team played its first and only season in the 1968 NASL following the merger of the NPSL and rival United Soccer Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Mustangs (1967–68)</span> Defunct American soccer club

The Chicago Mustangs were an American professional soccer team based out of Chicago, Illinois, and were a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1967. When the USA and rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Mustangs played its home matches at Comiskey Park. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Cougars (soccer)</span> Former American soccer team

The Detroit Cougars were an American professional soccer team based out of Detroit, Michigan that was a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1967. When the USA and rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Cougars played its home matches at the University of Detroit Stadium for the 1967 USA season and at Tiger Stadium for the 1968 NASL season, except when scheduling conflicts with the Detroit Tigers forced the team to play at the University of Detroit Stadium. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Generals</span> American soccer team, based in New York City

The New York Generals were an American professional soccer team based in New York City that competed in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Toros</span> Soccer club

The San Diego Toros were a professional soccer team based in San Diego, California. Founded in 1967 as the Los Angeles Toros, the team was one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team was relocated to San Diego as a member of the new league. While in Los Angeles, the Toros played its home matches at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and at Balboa Stadium when it moved to San Diego. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Spurs</span> American soccer club

Chicago Spurs were an American soccer team that was a charter member of the non-FIFA sanctioned National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967. The team was based in Chicago, Illinois and played their home games at the Soldier Field. When the NPSL merged with the rival United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League, the team moved and became the Kansas City Spurs, leaving the Chicago market to the Chicago Mustangs

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Phantoms (NPSL)</span> Professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1967

The Pittsburgh Phantoms were a professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1967. The club was one of the ten charter members of the non-FIFA sanctioned National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). All of the team's home games were played at Forbes Field, which also served as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1967 NPSL season.

The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) was a North American professional soccer league that existed for only the 1967 season before merging with the United Soccer Association (USA) to form the North American Soccer League. It had ten charter members, nine from the United States and one from Canada. To encourage attacking play, the NPSL introduced a new standings points system that was later used by the NASL – 6 points for a win, 3 for a draw, 0 for a loss and 1 bonus point for each of the first three goals scored. The circuit's commissioner was Ken Macker, an American publisher of three Philippines-based newspapers. The name National Professional Soccer League was revived in 1990 and used by a United States professional indoor soccer league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Benedek</span> Hungarian-American soccer player and coach

Janos "Jim" Benedek was a Hungarian-American soccer forward who later coached at both the collegiate and national team levels. Benedek was an All American collegiate soccer player before spending six seasons in the North American Soccer League. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1968 and was a member of the team that attempted to qualify for the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Cirilo "Pepe" Fernández is a former Uruguayan footballer who competed in several soccer leagues in the United States and Netherlands during the 1960s and 1970s. He played as a forward for one season in the National Professional Soccer League, four in the North American Soccer League, one in the American Soccer League, and five in the Netherlands.

The 1969 North American Soccer League season was the second season of the North American Soccer League, the top division in US soccer in 1969.

Iris DeBrito is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played in the North American Soccer League.

Janos Bedl was a Hungarian football player and manager.

The 1968 Vancouver Royal Canadians season was the second season in the history of the Vancouver Royal Canadians soccer club. The club played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.

References

  1. "Chicago Spurs". BumpyPitch.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  2. "Kansas City was once champion of the NASL". SoccerAmerica.com. June 9, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  3. "1960s Month: Kansas City Spurs, Glory & Oblivion". The Equaliser Blog. April 14, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  4. "Kansas City Spurs: Statistics...History..." footballzz.com. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  5. "Hall of Famers". indoorsoccerhall.com. September 1, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.