Illinois Thunder

National Professional Soccer League (1990-1992)

Background

The Illinois Thunder were a short-lived, poorly attended indoor soccer franchise based at the Rockford MetroCentre for two seasons from 1990 to 1992.  The Thunder began life as an expansion franchise in the American Indoor Soccer Association in March 1990, but the league changed its name to the National Professional Soccer League by the time the Thunder kicked their first ball in November of the same year.

The Thunder shared the MetroCentre during the winter months with the more popular Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association.  Local real estate executive Mike Kelegian founded the team as an expansion franchise in early 1990.

On The Carpet

Former Chicago Sting star Heinz Wirtz initially served as Head Coach but was sacked after just three games. Paul Kitson, a well-traveled English veteran of the indoor game, took over as player-coach for the rest of the team’s existence in Rockford.

Peruvian-Canadian forward Oscar Albuquerque, a long-time veteran of the more established Major Indoor Soccer League like Paul Kitson, led the Thunder in scoring during the inaugural season with 40 goals and 45 assists.

On March 21st, 1991, near the end of the Thunder’s debut season, the team set an NPSL record for points scored in a game with a 34-4 rout of the woeful New York Kick at the Metrocentre. It’s worth noting that the NPSL adoped a novel scoring system three years earlier that include 1-point, 2-point and 3-point goals, with 2-point scores being the most common. So this final score wasn’t really comparable to traditional indoor soccer scores from other professional leagues or most recreational play.

The Thunder had an in-state rival in the NPSL – the Chicago Power – who were coached by another former Sting star, Karl-Heinz-Granitza.

After a last place divisional finish in their expansion season of 1990-91, the Thunder squeaked into the NPSL playoffs with a 20-20 record in 1991-92. The Kansas City Attack eliminated the Thunder in the first round of the postseason.

Move To Colorado & Aftermath

During the Thunder’s second season in the winter of 1991-1992, the club had the worst attendance in the nine-team NPSL, claiming only 1,613 fans per game for a 20-match calendar.  In September 1992, Kelegian moved his franchise to Colorado where the team was known as the Denver Thunder.

Kelegian ran out of money and stopped meeting payroll within weeks of his arrival in Denver.  The former Illinois Thunder wobbled through its one and only season in Denver as a ward of the league before folding quietly in 1993.

Indoor soccer returned to soccer two decades later when the Rockford Rampage (2008-2010) played two seasons at the MetroCentre to equally meager crowds.

Illinois Thunder Shop

In Memoriam

Former Thunder owner Mike Kelegian passed away in July 2001 at age 65.

Player-coach Paul Kitson (Thunder ’90-’92), who served as Thunder player-coach for nearly all of the club’s existence, died unexpectedly while coaching a youth soccer team on August 25, 2005. Kitson was only 49 years old.

Links

National Professional Soccer League Programs 1990-2001

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