American Indoor Soccer Association (1986-1989)
Tombstone
Born: 1986 – AISA expansion franchise
Folded: 1989
First Game: October 31, 1986 (W 3-0 vs. Toledo Pride)
Last Game: March 31, 1989 (W 14-6 vs. Canton Invaders)
AISA Championships: None
Arena
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (8,002)
Opened: 1952
Marketing
Team Colors: Red & Yellow
Ownership
Owners:
- 1986-1987: Fred Mathews, Jr., et al.
- 1987-1989: Craig Hartman, et al.
Attendance
Tilting your mobile device may offer better viewing.
Source: 1997-98 National Professional Soccer League Official Guide & Record Book
Feel The Heat...
Fort Wayne Flames
Logo T-Shirt
The Flames were the better of two indoor soccer teams that shared Fort Wayne’s Allen County War Memorial Coliseum with ice hockey’s Komets on chilly winter nights during the late 1980’s. (Good luck finding anyone who makes an Indiana Kick throwback tee).
This colorful Flames tee design is available in sizes Small through 3XL today from Old School Shirts!
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Background
The Fort Wayne Flames were a pro indoor soccer outfit that played three seasons in the American Indoor Soccer Association during the late 1980’s. The AISA started out as a Midwestern regional bus league in 1984, playing a distinct second fiddle to the big budget Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Flames entered the league as the organization was getting slightly more ambitious, expanding south into larger cities like Jacksonville, Memphis and Tampa Bay.
The Flames did manage to attract some top indoor players as they were winding down their careers in the lower leagues. Argentinean forward Ricardo Alonso, a former All-Star in the outdoor North American Soccer League, played for the Flames in the 1988-89 season. Angelo DiBernardo, a former member of the New York Cosmos who played at Indiana University (1976-1978), coached the team for the 1987-88 season. The following year Dave MacKenzie replaced DiBernardo as a player-coach. MacKenzie was the all-time games played leader in the MISL at the time. MacKenzie’s season in Fort Wayne would be his last as a player.
The Flames finest hour came at the end of the 1988 season. Instead of a traditional playoff format, the AISA experimented with something called the Challenge Cup – a sort of season within the season to determine the league champion. (The Challenge Cup even included a team – the Jacksonville Generals – that hadn’t taken part in the regular season). The Flames were ordinary in the regular season, with a 9-15 record under DiBernardo’s direction. But they got hot in the Challenge Cup, advancing to host the championship game against the Canton Invaders at the Allen County War Memorial. The Flames lost the title game 5-4.
Demise & Replacement
The Fort Wayne Flames folded at the end of their third season in the spring of 1989. Shortly afterwards, the AISA awarded a new expansion franchise to replace the Flames in Fort Wayne. Dubbed the Indiana Kick, the new club only lasted one season before going out as business as well.
Fort Wayne Flames Video
The Flames play the Canton Invaders on the road in Ohio. Valentine’s Day 1987.
Links
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One Response
Even by indoor standards, that’s quite an intro.