Category: North American Soccer League (1967-1984)

North American Soccer League 1967

United Soccer Association (1967) Logo [Reference: 12]

United Soccer Association 1967

PWDLFAPts
Eastern Division
Washington Whips12552191115
Cleveland Stokers12543191314
Toronto City12453231713
Detroit Cougars12363111812
New York Skyliners12264151710
Boston Rovers1223712267
Western Division
Los Angeles Wolves12552211415
San Francisco Gales12534251913
Chicago Mustangs12372201413
Houston Stars12444191812
Vancouver Royal Canadians12354202811
Dallas Tornado1233614239
United Soccer Association Final Standings 1967 [Reference: 1-2]
DateHome TeamAway Team
Championship
10.07.1967Los Angeles Wolves6Washington Whips5 sdet
United Soccer Association Championship 1967 [Reference: 3]

Note: 2 Pts Win, 1 Pt Draw, 0 Pts Loss; Teams were actually teams from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy, Netherlands and Uruguay representing US cities on a Summer Schedule in between their normal Winter Schedules back home. See Below for Teams.

Note 2: After the season Toronto City and New York Skyliners folded, and San Francisco Gales were absorbed by Vancouver Royal Canadians., and the League merged with the NPSL to form the North American Soccer League.

National Professional Soccer League 1967

PWDLFAPts
Eastern Division
Baltimore Bays3214995347162
Philadelphia Spartans3214995343157
New York Generals32118136058143
Atlanta Chiefs32109125146135
Pittsburgh Phantoms32107145974132
Western Division
Oakland Clippers3219586434185
St. Louis Stars32147115457156
Chicago Spurs321011115055142
Toronto Falcons32105175970127
Los Angeles Toros32710154261114
National Professional Soccer League 1967 [Reference: 1]
DateHome TeamAway Team
Championship
1967Oakland Clippers0Baltimore Bays1
1967Baltimore Bays1Oakland Clippers4
(Oakland won 4-2 on Agg)
National Professional Soccer League Championship 1967 [Reference: 1-2]

Note: 6 Pts Win, 3 Pts Tie, 0 Pts Loss, 1 Pt per Goal Scored up to a Maximum of 3 per Game.

Note 2: After the season Philadelphia Spartans and Pittsburgh Phantoms folded, Chicago Spurs moved to Kansas City, Los Angeles Toros moved to San Diego and the League merged with the USA to form the North American Soccer League.

USA Teams

USA TeamEuropean/South American Team
Boston RoversShamrock Rovers (Dublin, Ireland)
Chicago MustangsCagliari (Italy)
Cleveland StokersStoke City (England)
Dallas TornadoDundee United (Scotland)
Detroit CougarsGlentoran (Northern Ireland)
Houston StarsBangu (Brazil)
Los Angeles WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers (England)
New York SkylinersCerro (Montevideo, Uruguay)
San Francisco GalesAD) (Den Haag, Netherlands)
Toronto CityHibernian (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Vancouver Royal CanadiansSunderland (England)
Washington WhipsAberdeen (Scotland)
United Soccer Association Teams 1967 [Reference: 3]

Report

There were two professional soccer leagues in North America in 1967, both attempting at the same time to bring Pro Soccer to USA & Canada. The United Soccer Association was the FIFA-sponsored league and featured teams from Europe and South America guesting as North American teams over a Summer Schedule in between their normal Winter schedules. It included Shamrock Rovers (playing as Boston Rovers) and Glentoran (playing as Detroit Cougars). The other league was the National Professional Soccer League, and after the season the two leagues merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League which lasted until 1984.

Among the Rovers players over in Boston were Liam Tuohy, Frank O’Neill, Paddy Mulligan, Davy Pugh ad Tommy Kelly.

The side also included Carlos Metidieri, A Brazilian-born USA International, as gueat player, and his younger brother, Gilson.

After the merger with the NPSL, the Boston Rovers side became the Boston Beacons, a team in its own right, but kept the link with Shamrock Rovers. Paddy Mulligan was loaned out to the Beacons side in 1968 by Shamrock Rovers, but most of the team returned, and the side lost its mainly Irish make-up. [Reference: 4]

Two other Irishmen, Eric Barber & Joe Haverty Chicago Spurs in 1967, and the Kansas City Spurs (After the team moved) in 1968. [Reference: 5-6]

Boston Rovers Roster 1967

Boston Rovers Team Photo 1967 [Reference: 10]
No.NamePosPGAPtsBorn/Citizen
1Pat DunneG12000Ireland
1Mick SmythGIreland
1John BrookesMIreland
2,5Ronnie NolanM9011Ireland
2John KeoghDIreland
3Patrick CourtneyDIreland
4John FullamDIreland
4,6Mike KearinM/DIreland
5David PughM140Ireland
5,6Patrick MulliganM6102Ireland
6Sean CoreDIreland
4,6,12Doug WoodMScotland
7,9Frank O’NeillF123410Ireland
7,11Tommy KinsellaM4022Ireland
8Billy DixonF110Ireland
9Bobby GilbertF6113Ireland
9Eric BarberFIreland
8,10Michael LeechF5204Ireland
10,11Liam TuohyF9306Ireland
11Carlos MatidieriFBrazil
12Alexander WoodM
Orest BanachGGermany/USA
Jorge BenitezFPeru
Tommy FarrellIreland
Gilson MetidieriFBrazil
Boston Rovers 1967 Roster [Reference: 7]

Detroit Cougars [Glentoran FC] Roster 1967

Detroit Cougars 1967 Team Photo [Reference: 11]
No.NamePos.PGAPtsBorn/Citizen
1John KennedyG12000Northern Ireland
1Sammy KyddG1000Ireland
2Harry ChreightonD0Northern Ireland
3Billy McKeagD3Northern Ireland
4Roy BorneDNorthern Ireland
10Tommy JacksonM0Northern Ireland
11Billy McCulloughD0Northern Ireland
12Walter BruceM0Northern Ireland
14Arthur StewartM12204Northern Ireland
15Billy SinclairM10011Scotland
20Trevor ThompsonD4306Northern Ireland
21Jim WeatherupF9215Northern Ireland
22John ColrainF3102Scotland
23Alan McNeillMNorthern Ireland
24Eric RossF7011Northern Ireland
25Danny TrainorF8226Northern Ireland
30Jimmy JohnstonMNorthern Ireland
31Sammy LunnNorthern Ireland
32Tommy MorrowF8113Northern Ireland
33Maurice WrightNorthern Ireland
Albert FinalyGNorthern Ireland
Detroit Cougars [Glentoran FC] Roster 1967 [Reference: 8]

Other Irish Players (Chicago Spurs) 1967

No.NamePosPGAPtsBorn/Citizen
8Joe HavertyF16033Ireland
20Eric BarberF128218Ireland
Other Irish Players [Chicago Spurs NPSL] 1967 [Reference:9]

Refernces

Bibliography

[1] Jose, Colin “The Complete Record of the North American Soccer League”.

[2] Litterer, David A. & RSSSF (1995/2018) North American Soccer League [Internet] Available from: http://www.rsssf.com/usadave/nasl.html[Accessed 7 February 2020]

[3] Litterer, David A. & RSSSF (1995/2018) North American Soccer League 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://www.rsssf.com/usadave/nasl67.html [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[4] The Wild Geese (2012) Boston Rovers [Internet] Available from: http://irishfootballersineurope.blogspot.com/2012/09/boston-rovers.html [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[5] The Wild Geese (2011) Eric Barber [Internet] Available from: http://irishfootballersineurope.blogspot.com/2011/12/eric-barber.html [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[6] NASL Jerseys (2020) Joe Haverty [Internet] Available from: http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/H/Haverty.Joe.htm [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[7] NASL Jerseys (2020) Boston Rovers [Shamrock Rovers] Roster 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Rovers_Rosters.htm [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[8] NASL Jerseys (2020) Detroit Cougars [Glentoran] Roster 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Cougars_Rosters.htm [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[9] NASL Jerseys (2020) Chicago Spurs Roster 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Spurs_Rosters.htm [Accessed 7 February 2020]

Images

[10] The Wild Geese (2020) Boston Rovers Team Photo 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSApbL9Wwx8/UEis7XjGZTI/AAAAAAAAAiM/68xISgaPi68/s320/c88e_1.jpg [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[11] The Wild Geese (2020) Detroit Cougars Team Photo 1967 [Internet] Available from: http://www.nasljerseys.com/images/Cougars/Cougars%2067%20Road%20Team_small.JPG [Accessed 7 February 2020]

[12] Wikiwand (2020) United Soccer Association 1967 [Internet] Available from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/United_Soccer_Association_1967_logo.gif [Accessed 7 February 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jason Caldwell & Paul Foley.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 7 February 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.