Winnipeg Fury

Last updated
Winnipeg Fury
Winnipeg Fury.png
Full nameThe Winnipeg Fury Soccer Club
Nickname(s)The Fury
Founded1987
Dissolved1993
Stadium University Stadium (Univ of Manitoba)
Winnipeg Stadium
CapacityUniversity Stadium - 5,000
Winnipeg Stadium - 32,946
Owner Ralph Cantafio
League CSL (1987-1992)
CNSL (1993)

The Winnipeg Fury were a professional soccer team in Winnipeg, Canada. The team was part of the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1992. They were one of four teams to participate in every season of the CSL. [1] In 1993, they played in the Canadian National Soccer League.

Contents

History

The Fury were founded by Ralph Cantafio, who served as team president and chairman of the board. [2] The club served as the first iteration of professional soccer in the province of Manitoba. [3]

Debuting in the inaugural 1987 CSL season, the Fury struggled winning only five of their twenty games, finishing last in their division. [4] They improved in their second season, qualifying for the playoffs, defeating Calgary in the first round, before falling to eventual champions Vancouver. [4]

After some up and down years, the Fury won the CSL Championship in 1992, defeating the four-time defending champion Vancouver 86ers over the two-game series, by a 3–1 aggregate score (2–0 in the first leg in Vancouver, followed by a 1–1 draw at home, [5] Prior to the win in the first leg, the club had lost every match they had played in Vancouver. [5] They won the title despite having started the 1992 season poorly, where they were sitting in last place with a record of 3–1–10 with only three weeks remaining in the regular season, before winning 5 of their final 6 league matches to qualify for the playoffs. [6] The league folded following the season, resulting in the team being the league's final champions of the Mita Cup. [5] [7] The 1992 Fury team was inducted into the Manitoba Hall of Fame in 2008, donating the Mita Cup trophy to the Hall. [8]

Following the folding of the CSL after the 1992 season, the Fury joined the Canadian National Soccer League for the 1993 season, although much of their roster from the previous season had departed the club. [9] [5] The club disbanded following the season, marking the end of professional soccer in Winnipeg for 26 years. [10] [11] [12] The Fury were one of only four teams to participate in every season of the CSL. [13]

Soccer returned to Winnipeg in 2011, with WSA Winnipeg joining the pre-professional Professional Development League (PDL). [14] Professional soccer returned to the city in 2019, with Valour FC joining the new Canadian Premier League. [11] In 2024, Valour paid homage to the Fury, unveiling their primary kit (The Fury Kit) which featured the two maroon stripes from the Fury jersey. [15] [16]

Seasons

SeasonTierLeagueRecordRankPlayoffsRef
1987 1 Canadian Soccer League 5–4–114th, WestDid not qualify [17]
1988 9–7–122nd, WestSemi-Finals
1989 6–7–134th, WestDid not qualify
1990 7–8–114th, EastDid not qualify
1991 4–6–188thDid not qualify
1992 8–1–113rdChampions
1993 2 Canadian National Soccer League 4–1–119th, WestDid not qualify [18]

Notable players

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soccer in Canada</span> Association football practiced in Canada

In Canada, soccer is the most popular sport in terms of participation rate; according to FIFA's Big Count, almost 2.7 million people played in Canada in 2006. Professional soccer in Canada is played in the Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer. Canada also has many semi-professional and amateur soccer leagues. Canada's men's and women's national soccer teams are ranked 49th and 9th respectively in the FIFA World Rankings as of April 4, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Onstad</span> Canadian soccer player (born 1968)

Patrick Stewart Onstad is a Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper who serves as the General Manager of the Houston Dynamo. During his career, Onstad played with a variety of clubs in Canada and the United States and was a three-time winner of MLS Cup. He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in November 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Kickers</span> Former soccer team in Calgary, Alberta

The Calgary Strikers were a Canadian soccer team in Calgary, Alberta that competed in the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1989. They were founded as the Calgary Kickers for the 1987 and 1988 seasons, winning the first league championship in 1987. In 1989, they became the Calgary Strikers, following which the club folded. Their home stadium was Mewata Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Vistas</span> Former soccer team in Victoria, British Columbia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)</span> Former soccer league in Canada

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.

Tony Nocita is a former professional Canadian soccer player who currently coaches the FC Winnipeg Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Manitoba</span> Football club

FC Manitoba is a Canadian soccer team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system. The club was founded in 2010 as WSA Winnipeg. In 2020, the club was acquired by a new ownership group and re-organized and branded as FC Manitoba.

Tyson James Farago is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Starting his senior career at the club while at university, he joined FC Edmonton a year later and spent four seasons with the Alberta club. He signed for Irish club St Patrick's Athletic in March 2018, and returned to WSA Winnipeg after four months overseas. He then had two stints in the new Canadian Premier League, first with Valour FC of Winnipeg, then with Cavalry FC of Calgary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaan Hundal</span> Canadian soccer player

Shaan Singh Hundal is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valour FC</span> Canadian soccer team

Valour FC is a Canadian professional soccer club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which competes in the Canadian Premier League and plays their home matches at Princess Auto Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Musse</span> Somali professional footballer (born 1996)

Ali Adem Musse is a Somali professional footballer who plays as a winger for Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC and the Somalia national team.

Raphael Ohin is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays for Canadian Premier League club Valour FC as a midfielder.

Mike Dodd is a Canadian former soccer player.

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 1988 Canadian Soccer League season was the second 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 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.

Caden Thomas Tomy is a Canadian professional soccer player.

Kyle Anthony Hiebert is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC and the Canada national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Canadian Soccer League (1987-1992)". Fun While it Lasted.
  2. ↑ "Ralph Cantafio". The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014.
  3. ↑ "History". Manitoba Soccer Association .
  4. 1 2 "Winnipeg Fury (1987-92)". CSL Memories.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "1992 Winnipeg Fury". Manitoba Hall of Fame.
  6. ↑ "1991 CSL Stats" (PDF). Canadian Soccer League .
  7. ↑ Nesker, Jeffrey P. (February 13, 2020). "A dive into the lifestyle of Winnipeg/Valour FC supporters group: Red River Rising". Waking The Red.
  8. ↑ Prest, Ashley (November 7, 2008). "Winnipeg Fury champions, trophy to make last visit to soccer pitch". Winnipeg Free Press .
  9. ↑ "New league". NewspaperArchive.com. Medicine Hat News. 1993-01-07. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  10. ↑ "Winnipeg Fury". TheCNSL.
  11. 1 2 Friesen, Paul (June 6, 2018). "Pro soccer back in the 'Peg". Winnipeg Sun .
  12. ↑ Brohman, Erin (May 7, 2017). "Winnipeg soccer fans cheer on news of pro team". CBC .
  13. ↑ Tait, Ed (June 8, 2024). ""Some of the best moments in my life came because of that league and that team."". Valour FC .
  14. ↑ "WSA Winnipeg Joins PDL". Premier Development League. December 13, 2010. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  15. ↑ Tait, Ed (April 5, 2024). "Valour FC unveil 2024 home and alternate kits". Canadian Premier League .
  16. ↑ Jacques, John (April 4, 2024). "Valour Pays Tribute To Sporting, Indigenous History With New CPL Kits". Northern Tribune.
  17. ↑ "Canadian Soccer League Standings Archive". Canada Soccer History Archives.
  18. ↑ "Winnipeg Fury". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.