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Trinity Health Stadium is a multipurpose facility in Hartford, Connecticut. It has been host to concerts and sporting events. It was formerly the home of the New England Nightmare of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). It is now the home of USL Championship club Hartford Athletic. The UConn Huskies men's and women's soccer teams played a majority of their 2019 matches at Dillon Stadium after starting their seasons at Al-Marzook Field in West Hartford, Connecticut.
John F. Kennedy Stadium is a 12,000-seat lighted stadium located at Central High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The stadium is designed for use for football, soccer, lacrosse games and track and field meets.
The Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.
John Michael Smith is an English-American former American football player who was a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He debuted with the Patriots in 1974, remaining with the team until 1983.
The Boston Sweepers was a team in the Atlantic Coast Football League. They played their home games at the Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Massachusetts. The team was owned by Ted Baron, who also owned a local trash disposal container company, hence the team name "sweepers".
The Orlando Panthers were a professional American football team based in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1958 as the Franklin Miners, the team spent its first four years in the Eastern Football Conference, then three further years in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) before moving to the Continental Football League (COFL) in 1965. The franchise moved from Newark, New Jersey to Orlando in 1966 and found success on the field as the Panthers. However, while the team won the COFL championship twice they were plagued by financial difficulties. The team jumped back to the ACFL in 1970 but were suspended by the league after the season.
The Seaboard Football League was an American football minor league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded during the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent.
The Chambersburg Cardinals are an American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The team plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL).
Patricia Palinkas is the first woman to have played American football professionally in a predominantly male league. She was a holder for her husband Stephen Palinkas for the Orlando Panthers of the minor league Atlantic Coast Football League. She was the only woman professional American football player until Katie Hnida signed with the Fort Wayne Firehawks in 2010.
The Pottstown Firebirds were a professional American football minor league team and member of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) from 1968 to 1970. The Pottstown Firebirds played their home games at Pottstown High School stadium. In their final two seasons of existence in Pottstown, the Firebirds won the league championship.
The Hartford Charter Oaks were a professional American football team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They began play in 1964 as a member of the Atlantic Coast Football League, replacing the Ansonia Black Knights. In 1965 the Charter Oaks were one of several ACFL franchises to join the new Continental Football League, where they finished in last place in their division.
The Jersey Jays were a professional American football minor league team based in Jersey City, New Jersey. They began play in 1969 as a member of the Continental Football League, and were a farm team of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. The Jays played their home games in Newark Schools Stadium in 1969.
The Bridgeport Jets were a minor league American football team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They began play in the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1966 as the Waterbury Orbits. The Orbits, already officially affiliated with the New York Jets of the American Football League, became the Bridgeport Jets in 1968. After relocating from Waterbury, the Jets played their homes games in John F. Kennedy Stadium.
The Ansonia Black Knights were a minor league American football team based in Ansonia, Connecticut. They began play in the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1962 and played their home games at Nolan Field. The team finished fourth out of six teams during the ACFL's inaugural season. Their head coach was Gene Casey, formerly a line coach with the University of Illinois and an assistant coach with Southern Connecticut State College.
Donald Percel Shanklin was a professional American football running back and wide receiver. He played college football at Kansas.
Richard Thomas Swatland was an American professional football guard who played one season in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Notre Dame and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the eighth round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. Swatland also spent time with the Bridgeport Jets of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL), and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Richard B. Buffington is an American former football player and coach. After briefly playing college football at BYU, he played for 17–19 different minor league teams in several leagues. He became a coach afterwards, beginning in 1968 with Bristol Community College. Buffington was a scout and assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL) in the late 1970s, and was an administrator and coach in the United States Football League (USFL) from 1982 to 1984. From 1988 to 2000, Buffington was a coach for several teams in the Arena Football League (AFL), including serving as head coach for the Albany Firebirds (1990–1993), Connecticut Coyotes (1995), Charlotte Rage (1996), and Florida Bobcats. He also coached the New Haven Ninjas (2002) and Albany Conquest (2004) in af2, the New England Surge (2007) in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), and the Boston Blaze (2017) in the Can-Am Indoor Football League.
The Western Massachusetts Pioneers were a minor league American football team based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. They played one season in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) in 1973 and played their home games at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke.
The New York Crusaders were a minor league American football team based in Mount Vernon, New York. They played one season in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) in 1973 and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Mount Vernon. The team finished with a 2-9 record in its only season in 1973, with both wins coming against the Long Island Chiefs.