Major Indoor Soccer League (1981-1982)
Tombstone
Born: June 1981 – MISL expansion franchise
Folded: July 1982 – The Rockets cease operations
First Game: November 13, 1981 (L 7-6 vs. New York Arrows)
Last Game: April 24, 1982 (W 5-4 @ Philadelphia Fever)
MISL Championships: None
Arena
Brendan Byrne Arena (19,069)
Opened: 1981
Closed: 2015
Branding
Team Colors: Red & Gold
Ownership
Owner: Ed Tepper, et al.
Attendance
FWIL FAVORITE
New Jersey Rockets
MISL Logo T-Shirt
Indoor soccer’s New Jersey Rockets helped to open the sparkling new Brendan Byrne Arena in 1981, but they were out of business inside of a year. Good Seats Still Available host Tim Hanlon talks about these guys all the time on his weekly defunct teams podcast. He was a Rockets season ticket holder 40 odd years ago.
This Rockets design is available today in sizes Small through 4XL from our friends at Old School Shirts!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The New Jersey Rockets were a One-Year Wonder in the Major Indoor Soccer League who played the winter of 1981-82 at the newly opened Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford.
A massive crowd of 17,625 turned out for the Rockets’ inaugural home game against the New York Arrows on November 13th, 1981. The Rockets put up a good fight against the MISL’s three-time defending champions, ultimately losing the match 7-6. Rockets forward Craig Allen thrilled the crowd with a hat trick.
Unfortunately, the Rockets’ unfavorable schedule gave them little chance to follow up on the excitement. The team made only one further appearance in New Jersey during the next month-and-a-half, playing seven of their first nine matches on the road. Once the team did return, crowds settled into a much smaller range.
One Arena, Two Teams
Another challenge for the Rockets was the presence of a rival indoor soccer team at the Brendan Byrne Arena that winter: the mighty New York Cosmos of the rival North American Soccer League (NASL). The Cosmos were playing their first ever calendar of indoor soccer matches during the winter of 1981-82 after disdaining the NASL’s earlier half-hearted (and optional) dalliances with the indoor game.
The Cosmos’ still kind of half-assed it as far as indoor soccer was concerned and attracted nothing like the crowds that swarmed to their outdoor matches at neighboring Giants Stadium in the late 1970’s. Nevertheless, the competition was an additional challenge for Rockets management, charged with marketing an unfamiliar sport that was basically only three years old.
On The Carpet
The Rockets’ roster had a decent amount of veteran talent, including the MISL’s 2nd all-time leading scorer, Fred Grgurev, goalkeeper Alan Mayer and strikers Craig Allen and Wolfgang Rausch. In early January 1982, the Rockets’ acquired Scottish defender Ian Anderson from the Cleveland Force. Anderson was a perennial MISL All-Star. Less than a month after arriving in New Jersey, he added additional responsibility as the Rockets’ Head Coach after the team dismissed original Head Coach & GM Timo Liekoski.
The Rockets had a record of 4-13 at the time Anderson took over from Liekoski. The club did find its form somewhat under Anderson, going 13-14 to finish out the season at 17-27. The Rockets failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Demise
The club’s final appearance came on April 24th, 1982 with a 5-4 victory on the road at the Philadelphia Fever. The Rockets declared bankruptcy in June 1982 and formally shut down the following month.
In 1983, the owners of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks purchased the Rockets’ MISL franchise rights out of bankruptcy for $500,000. The MISL’s Dallas Sidekicks debuted in the fall of 1984 and continued to play in various leagues until 2004. Although two years elapsed between the Rockets’ demise and the Sidekicks’ debut and there was no carryover of players, coaches or identity, there is a loose connection between the two clubs.
New Jersey Rockets Shop
Our Favorite Stuff
MISL Logo T-Shirt
This classic era Major Indoor Soccer League logo shirt is available from the guys at Cincinnati’s Old School Shirts in a variety of great styles:
Crewneck or hooded sweatshirts
Long-sleeve tee
3/4 sleeve raglan
Women’s scoop neck
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
New Jersey Rockets Video
Rockets vs. New York Arrows at Brendan Byrne Arena. November 13, 1981.
In Memoriam
Former Rockets player-coach Ian Anderson passed away on November 5, 2008 at age 54.
Downloads
11-20-1981 New Jersey Rockets at New York Arrows Game Notes
2-2-1982 Rockets Dismiss Head Coach Timo Liekoski Press Release
2-5-1982 Rockets vs. Cleveland Force Game Notes
Links
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3 Responses
April 9, 1982: Pittsburgh Spirit 4, New Jersey Rockets 3 (OT)
1981-1982 New Jersey Rockets at Fun While It Lasted http://t.co/RKwn8CobbC
April 9, 1982: team formally filed for bankruptcy the morning of the game against Pittsburgh later that evening