Tombstone
Born: January 16, 1975 – ASL expansion franchise
Folded: Postseason 1975
First Game: May 3, 1975 (T 1-1 @ Cincinnati Comets)
Last Game: August 30, 1975 (T 0-0 vs. New Jersey Brewers)
ASL Championships: None
Stadia
1975: Martorelli Memorial Stadium (8,000)
1975: Mt. Lebanon Stadium
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: William Renton
Our Favorite Stuff
American Soccer League
T-Shirt
For most of its existence, the American Soccer League was a collection of ethnically-based semi-pro clubs clustered in the northeast. But in the 1970’s, the ASL expanded nationwide and became American’s de facto 2nd Division, underneath the bigger-budgeted NASL. This logo was used by the league from the 1970’s until its demise in 1983.
Our favorite distressed ASL logo tee is made by American Retro Apparel and available today in sizes small through XXXL!
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Background
The Pittsburgh Miners were a 2nd Division soccer club that competed in the American Soccer League in the summer of 1975. The club had a miserable season, winning just one of 20 matches (1-16-3). Coal executive William Renton of Cleveland owned the Miners.
The Miners’ roster was composed entirely of American players. Among the best was Pennsylvania native and Pitt grad Joe Luxbacher, the Miners’ leading scorer with five goals and four assists. He would later play for the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League, before becoming head coach at his alma mater in 1984. As of 2014, Luxbacher has coached the University of Pittsburgh soccer team for 31 seasons.
The Miners began the season at Martorelli Stadium at North Hills High School. Midway through the 1975 schedule, the club shifted to a field in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
In the penultimate match of the season against the Cincinnati Comets, game officials ejected Miners’ head coach/general manager Scotty Foley for arguing calls. Foley, also president of Pittsburgh’s Iron Workers Local 3 at the time, had to be escorted from the field by police. He tried to persuade his players to abandon the game in protest at halftime. But they ignored him and finished the match under the direction of Foley’s own son.
The Miners fired the elder Foley shortly thereafter. As the only American coach in the league, Foley claimed to be the victim of season-long discrimination by the league’s “mostly foreign” game officials. “I will be a martyr for the Americanization of soccer in the United States,” the deposed coach declared modestly. He announced his intention to sue to ASL for one million dollars.
The Pittsburgh Miners vanished quietly after the 1975 season.
Downloads
8-1-1975 Miners @ Cleveland Cobras Roster & Game Notes
8-1-1975 Pittsburgh Miners @ Cleveland Cobras Game Notes
Links
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