The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and setting up Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
Jason Neil Beckford is an English professional football manager and former player. His elder brother Darren also played professional football.
Giorgio Chinaglia was an Italian footballer who played as a striker. He grew up and played his early football in Cardiff, Wales, and began his career with Swansea Town in 1964. He later returned to Italy to play for Massese, Internapoli and S.S. Lazio in 1969. Chinaglia led Lazio to the club's first league championship in the 1973–74 season, during which he was also the league's leading scorer. He played international football for Italy, making 14 appearances and scoring 4 goals between 1972 and 1975, including two appearances at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Chinaglia was the first player in Italian football history to be called up internationally from the second division.
Michael George Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played as a forward in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
James Gabriel was a Scottish football defensive midfielder and defender who earned two caps with the Scotland national football team. Chiefly associated with English clubs Everton and Southampton, Gabriel played extensively in Scotland and England before ending his career with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. He then became a coach in both England and the United States.
Edward (Terry) Curran is an English former professional footballer whose career lasted from 1975 to 1988. Curran was an attacking midfielder who could also play as a winger, and as an out-and-out striker. During his 13-year career, Curran played for many clubs, although he is known by Sheffield Wednesday supporters for his part in launching the club's revival during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Curran is currently Doncaster City's manager.
The Honourable Kenneth Howard Randolph "Randy" Horton, JP, MP is a former soccer and cricket player from Bermuda who was formerly Speaker of the House of Assembly of Bermuda. He was named North American Soccer League Most Valuable Player in 1972.
Philip John Boyer is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Alan Green is a former professional footballer. Born in England, he began his career with Coventry City before moving to the United States in 1979. He played a total of seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned one cap with the U.S. national team.
Roy Ellam is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre half in the Football League for three West Yorkshire teams, Bradford City, Huddersfield Town and Leeds United, during the 1960s and 1970s.
Stephen Kenneth Hunt is an English former professional footballer who was later known as Steve Evans. A pacey and creative left-sided midfielder and winger with long-range shooting ability, he was capped twice for England in 1984.
Joseph Mallett, was an English professional footballer. He spent much of his early playing career at Queens Park Rangers, and subsequently at Southampton. He later became a coach, manager and scout.
Albert Gary Pickering is an English football manager and former professional footballer.
Andrés Alexander Flores Mejía is a Salvadoran professional football manager and former player. He is the current assistant coach of Portland Timbers 2 in the MLS Next Pro.
Michael Dillon is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender for Tottenham Hotspur, Millwall, Swindon, Montreal Olympique, New York Cosmos, Washington Diplomats and represented England at schoolboy and youth level.
James Leaver was an English professional footballer. He spent six years at Blackpool in the early 1900s, making over 100 Football League appearances for the club. Born in Blackburn, he played as a defender.
Steven Jeffrey Taylor is an English former footballer. A forward, he scored 157 goals in 441 league games in a 15-year career in the Football League.
Rubén Bover Izquierdo is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Baleares. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a winger.
Matthew James Blair is an English former professional footballer who last played as a right back for club Cheltenham Town.
Jim Karvellas was a veteran play-by-play sportscaster whose career on radio and television spanned more than 30 years. Known for his trademark calls of "Bulls-eye!" for big baskets and "This is Coz-MOES SOCK-errr!," Karvellas was the voice of the NBA's Baltimore/Washington Bullets and New York Knicks as well as the NASL's New York Cosmos. "There was always an undercurrent of enthusiasm when he was on the air because he loved the game. And he had that deep resonant voice. You can be a great technician but you have to have that voice," said Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated and NPR.
