American Soccer League (1978-1979)
Tombstone
Born: February 9, 1978 – The New England Oceaneers relocate to Indianapolis, IN1UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL. “Indianapolis gets soccer team”. The Evening Press (Muncie, IN). February 10, 1978
Folded: March 19802Wade, Susan. “Daredevils fold, are bankrupt”. The Star (Indianapolis, IN). March 12, 1980
First Game: April 29, 1978 (L 1-0 @ Cleveland Cobras)
Last Game: August 26, 1979 (W 4-1 vs. Columbus Magic)
ASL Championships: None
Stadium
Butler Bowl (19,000)31978 American Soccer League Press Radio Television Guide
Opened: 1928
Marketing
Team Colors: Black, Red & White41979 Indy Daredevils Program
Mascot: Dual-D
Ownership
Owners:
- 1978: Phil Bryant, et al.
- 1978-1979: Bob Stoppenhagen
Background
The Indy Daredevils were a short-lived 2nd Division soccer club that played at the Butler Bowl in Indianapolis during the late 1970’s.
The 1978 Daredevils squad posted a 8-13-3 record, good for 3rd place in the American Soccer League’s Eastern Division. The Daredevils lost to the New Jersey Americans in the first round of the 1978 playoffs. Forward Steve Newman tied for second in the ASL with 14 goals despite missing five matches. The club selected goalkeeper Pete Mannos as it’s Most Valuable Player.
Off the field, the ‘Devils led the 10-team ASL in attendance in 1978, with a reported average of 4,376 fans per game.
Sophomore Slump & Demise
Indy’s second campaign was a mess from the outset. The Daredevils ran out of money early in the season. Club owner Bob Stoppenhagen and head coach Sam Donnelly raged against one another in the pages of The Indianapolis Star. Stoppenhagen fired the second year coach. At one point, the ‘Devils went through five head coaches in the span of one month. The team finished the under the direction of Dr. Martin Funderberger, a local opthamologist who volunteered to coach the team for free for the final two months of the season. The team finished 8-17-3 and out of the playoffs.
The Indy Daredevils played their final game at the Butler Bowl on August 26, 1979, pulling out a 4-1 victory against the Columbus Magic. The club declared bankruptcy after the season and folded in the spring of 1980.
The American Soccer League went out of business in early 1984.
In Memoriam
Public Relations Director Nick Matavuli (Daredevils ’78-’79) passed away following a brief illness on October 19, 1987. He worked for the Bloomington Herald-Telephone as a columnist at the time and was 55 years old.
Links
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