Major Indoor Soccer League (1980-1981)
Tombstone
Born: May 28, 1980 – The Detroit Lightning relocate to San Francisco, CA
Moved: May 5, 1981 (Kansas City Comets)
First Game: November 8, 1980 (L 8-2 @ Philadelphia Fever)
Last Game: March 8, 1981 (W 11-9 vs. Phoenix Inferno)
MISL Championships: None
Arena
The Cow Palace (12,600)
Opened: 1941
Branding
Team Colors: Fog Gray & Rocket Red
Ownership
Owner: Dr. David Schoenstadt
FWIL FAVORITE
San Francisco Fog MISL
Logo T-Shirt
The Bay Area had dueling indoor soccer during the winter of 1980-81. The iconic Earthquakes at the Oakland Coliseum Arena and the all-but-forgotten Fog at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
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Background
A short-lived entry in the original Major Indoor Soccer League. The MISL arrived in San Francisco in May 1980 after Dr. David Schoenstadt purchased and relocated the league’s Detroit Lightning franchise. Starting in November 1980, the newly renamed San Francisco Fog would play out of the Cow Palace in Daly City.
The finished with the worst record (11-29) in the 12-team MISL under the direction of player-coach Johnny Moore. Moore, a former member of the NASL’s San Jose Earthquakes, was the Fog’s best player, earning an honorable mention selection to the league All-Star team.
Move To Kansas City & Aftermath
Beyond the losing, the 1980-81 season was also a debacle for owner David Schoenstadt. The Fog had the league’s worst attendance at around 2,500 per game announced and lost over a million dollars, according to The Associated Press. In May 1981, Schoenstadt moved the club once again, this time to Kansas City’s Kemper Arena.
As the Kansas City Comets, the club thrived during the early 1980’s. At the peak of the Comets’ popularity in 1984, the club averaged nearly 16,000 fans per match and helped drive the NBA’s Kansas City Kings franchise out of town. Schoenstadt sold the club in 1987, and it subsequently fell on hard times, as did the rest of the MISL, in the late 1980’s. The Comets went out of business in 1991.
Trivia
The Fog cheerleaders were known as the “Fog Misties”.
The team’s mascot was “Socko”, an anthropomorphic soccer ball wearing an Andy Capp hat.
San Francisco Fog Shop
“Fog Fever” Logo T-Shirt
Available Now from American Retro Apparel!
San Francisco Fog Video
The Fog host the Hartford Hellions at the Cow Palace. December 26, 1980.
In Memoriam
Fog owner Dr. David Schoenstadt died of cancer in December 1991.
Downloads
February 18, 1981 Fog vs. Chicago Horizons Game Notes
2-18-1981 San Francisco Fog vs. Chicago Horizons Game Notes
Links
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One Response
I have a couple interesting tidbits on the Fog for you that I just unearthed in San Francisco this weekend.