Full name | Football Club Seattle Storm | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Storm | |
Founded | 1984 | |
Dissolved | 1995 | |
Stadium | Memorial Stadium | |
Capacity | 12,000 | |
Chairman | Bud Greer | |
League | Western Soccer League | |
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to playing exhibition matches against top international teams, F.C. Seattle was a member of the short lived Western Soccer Alliance, was a founding member of the American Professional Soccer League and later spent three seasons in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
In 1984, F.C. Seattle hosted the F.C. Seattle Challenge '84. This series pitted F.C. Seattle against three NASL teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps (2–2 tie), Minnesota Strikers (0–3 loss), New York Cosmos (1–2 loss), as well as the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. For this challenge cup, the team filled its roster from local colleges, high schools and semi-pro teams. However, five F.C. Seattle players had previous professional experience: Jack Brand, Jerry Cameron, Eddie Krueger, Joe James and Robbie Zipp. The team was coached by former Sounders player Tom Jenkins and played its games in Seattle's Memorial Stadium. [1] [2] The series averaged just over six thousand fans per game. At the end of it, NASL officials approached F.C. Seattle about entering the NASL for the 1985 season. F.C. Seattle declined, noting that most NASL teams hemorrhaged money. [3] The club's backers, including owner Bud Greer, preferred to keep it on a semi-professional basis and develop players while building a fanbase for a future professional team. [4]
In 1985, F.C. Seattle joined with three other independent "super clubs", F.C. Portland, San Jose Earthquakes and Victoria Riptides, to create the Western Alliance Challenge Series. This series came in response to the cancellation of games F.C. Seattle had scheduled against English teams West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. In June, FIFA had banned English clubs from travelling for international games after Liverpool fans sparked massive deaths in fan violence in Belgium.
F.C. Portland hosted F.C. Seattle for the first game of the series, a game F.C. Seattle won on the strength of a Bruce Raney hat trick. Other significant F.C. Seattle players included Jeff Durgan, the Schmetzer brothers - Andy, Brian and Walter, and Peter Hattrup. However, Bruce Rioch, who had replaced Jack Brand as head coach in February, released Durgan from the team after he was ejected for making several flagrant fouls in the game against the Canada national team in July.
In 1986, three of the four teams from 1985, decided to form the Western Soccer Alliance. Only Victoria declined to join the new alliance, but they were replaced by the Edmonton Brick Men.
In 1987, the WSA instituted a two-game post-season playoff series. F.C. Seattle, which finished second in alliance standings, lost 3–0 to the San Jose Earthquakes in the wild card game.
Up to now F.C. Seattle had also been known as the F.C. Seattle Storm. In 1988, the team officially dropped the F.C. and became the Seattle Storm. However, they were still referred to as the F.C. Seattle Storm throughout the season and the new name was not widely used until the 1989 season. The 1988 season was one of the most successful for the Storm when it cruised to the top of the regular season standings, then crushed the Earthquakes 5–0 in the championship game.
In 1989, the Storm failed to build on its previous year's success and finished out of playoff contention. As a side note, the WSA changed its name to the Western Soccer League.
In 1990, the Storm, along with the rest of the WSL merged with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League. They would play in the North Division of the WSL Conference, which comprised all teams from the former WSL. [5] Despite Chance Fry leading the league with 17 goals and 5 assists, the Storm finished last in the North Division of the West Conference. Following the season, Greer announced his intention to have the Storm sit out the 1991 season. However, in February 1992, he decided to fold the team. [6]
In December 1992, Stuart Lee bought the rights to the team and entered it in the amateur Pacific Coast Soccer League. [7] The team competed through the 1995 season then withdrew from senior competitions. [8] It continues to operate as a local soccer club with boys and girls teams in all age competitions. [9]
Year | Team Name | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | F.C. Seattle | WSA | 3rd | No playoffs | Did not enter |
1986 | F.C. Seattle | WSA | 3rd | No playoffs | Did not enter |
1987 | F.C. Seattle Storm | WSA | 2nd | Wild Card | Did not enter |
1988 | Seattle Storm | WSA | 1st | Champion | Did not enter |
1989 | Seattle Storm | WSL | 3rd, North | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1990 | Seattle Storm | APSL | 5th, WSL North | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1993 | F.C. Seattle Storm | PCSL | Did not enter | ||
1994 | F.C. Seattle Storm | PCSL | Did not enter | ||
1995 | F.C. Seattle Storm | PCSL | 8th | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
Record includes both league and exhibition matches.
Name | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | F | A | ||||
Tommy Jenkins | 1984 | February 1985 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | |
Bruce Rioch | February 1985 | September 1985 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 25 | |
Jimmy Gabriel | September 1985 | 1988 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 49 | 53 | |
Tommy Jenkins | 1988 | 1989 | 39 | 25 | 2 | 12 | 76 | 49 | |
Stuart Lee | 1990 | 1990 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 53 | 45 | |
Stuart Lee | 1993 | 1995 |
This list includes those former players who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left.
As an independent soccer team, F.C. Seattle original purpose was to play exhibition games. Even after the establishment of the Western Soccer Alliance, exhibition games remained one of the most significant elements of the team's seasons.
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 10, 1984 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Memorial Stadium | 2–2 | 5,984 [10] | Raney (0:45), Backous (84:24) [11] |
June 21, 1984 | Minnesota Strikers | Memorial Stadium | 0–3 | 4,863 [12] | — |
July 6, 1984 | New York Cosmos | Memorial Stadium | 1–2 | 7,631 [13] | Krueger (1:50) [13] |
July 13, 1984 | 1984 U.S. Olympic Team | Memorial Stadium | 1–3 | 8,199 [14] | Hiatt (5:42) [14] |
August 4, 1984 | at Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place | 1–2 | 1,426 [15] | Willoughby (7:46), Raney (80:26) [16] |
September 8, 1984 | Vancouver Fire | Memorial Stadium | 0–1 | — |
June 2: Dundee F.C. 0–1
June 9: Santos 2–1
June 16: Guadalajara 2–3
June 23: US National Team 2–3
April 24: Canada national team 2–3
May 27: Manchester City 0–1
June 6: Dundee F.C. 1–2
July 19: SC Cleveland 2–1
May 31: Hearts 1–1
June 5: Norwich City 2–0
June 20: Neza, Mexico City
July 10: Herfølge 2–1
July 15: Vancouver Whitecaps 0–1
Stormin the Isles Tour of Britain:
May 7: Calgary Strikers 3–1
June 11: Middlesbrough 2–1
June 26: Atlante
August 3: Oldham Athletic 0–2
August 6: Lincoln City F.C. 2–2
August 10: Middlesbrough 0–3
August 13: Sunderland F.C. 0–3
August 16: Hull City A.F.C 2–2
May 7: Vancouver 86ers 2–1
August 3: Victoria Vistas 3–0
May 5: Victoria Vistas 3–0
May 20: AFC Bournemouth 1–0
May 29: Dnepr 1–2
August 1: at Victoria Vistas 1–0 [17]
August 5: at Vancouver 86ers 5–3 [18]
August 8: Vancouver 86ers 3–2
The Vancouver Whitecaps were a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1986, the team played its final year in the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid in the NASL Conference of the USSF Division 2 Professional League coached by Teitur Thordarson. The team played its home games at Swangard Stadium in nearby Burnaby, British Columbia. The team's colours were blue and white.
Randolph FitzGerald Samuel is a Trinidad-born Canadian former soccer player who played as a defender. His 82 international caps were a Canada national team record until he was surpassed by Paul Stalteri in September 2010.
John Terence Catliff is a Canadian former professional soccer player, who played as a striker. He retired ranked second all-time on the Canadian national team with 18 international "A" goals between 1984 and 1994.
Carl Howard Valentine is a former professional soccer player and coach who has had a long association with soccer in the Vancouver area.
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance. In 1989, it existed for a single year as the Western Soccer League before merging with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League in 1990.
Peter Ward is an English retired footballer, whose most successful times were with Brighton & Hove Albion, mostly as a forward. He now lives in the United States.
Shaun Lowther is a former professional soccer player who played as a defender spending five seasons in the North American Soccer League. Born in England, he made 14 appearances for the Canada national team. He is an executive of a youth soccer club in Airdrie, Alberta.
Portland Timbers, previously known as F.C. Portland, came into existence in 1985 as an independent U.S. soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. In 1989, the team adopted the name Portland Timbers. Portland was composed of both professional and amateur players. The amateur players largely came from local Portland amateur leagues. It played its games in Portland's Civic Stadium.
Peter Hattrup is an American former professional soccer player who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL A-League.
Chance Fry is a retired U.S. soccer forward who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to indoor soccer as well as U.S. minor leagues. Since retiring from playing, Fry has become a college soccer coach. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team in 1984 and was the 1990 American Professional Soccer League leading goal scorer.
Mark Peterson was an American soccer forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance. He also earned six caps, scoring one goal, with the United States men's national soccer team.
Gregory Stewart Ion is a Canadian retired soccer midfielder.
Jeff Stock is a retired U.S. soccer defender who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League and two in the Western Soccer Alliance. He also played in the Major Indoor Soccer League with the Tacoma Stars.
Robert Zipp is a retired U.S. soccer player who currently serves as a youth soccer referee.
The Seattle Sounders were an American professional soccer team that was founded in 1994 and played in several second-division leagues, beginning with the American Professional Soccer League. They played in the A-League, later renamed the USL First Division, from 1997 to 2008. The team was named for the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which folded in 1983. The Sounders folded after the 2008 season as part of a transition to a new Major League Soccer (MLS) team named Seattle Sounders FC that debuted in 2009.
The Victoria Vistas were a professional soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League. The Vistas joined the CSL for the 1989 season and folded after the 1990 season. Victoria All-star teams had been competitive with league champion Vancouver 86ers teams in pre-season contests during previous years.
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.
Rick Brian Blubaugh is an American former Professional Soccer Player. He spent four seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance, one in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League.
The history of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a professional soccer team based in Vancouver, Canada, spans over four decades. The first team to use the "Whitecaps" name was the Vancouver Whitecaps of the now-defunct North American Soccer League, playing from 1974 to 1984. After two years while the core of the players were focused on preparations for the 1986 World Cup, a second version of the club was founded in 1986 as the Vancouver 86ers. This team bought back the Whitecaps name in 2000 and has operated continuously in various leagues since 1986. A Whitecaps FC team began play in Major League Soccer starting in 2011 making it the first time since 1984 that a "Whitecaps" team played in the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada.
James Howatson Easton is a Canadian retired soccer midfielder who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, the Scottish First Division, the Canadian Soccer League and for the Canada men's national team.