American Soccer League (1982-1983)
Tombstone
Born: August 1981 – ASL expansion franchise1Perovich, Kathy. “New ASL Team Coming to City”. The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK). August 13, 1981
Re-Branded: 1984 (Oklahoma City Stampede)
First Game: May 7, 1982 (L 3-1 @ Georgia Generals)
Final Game: August 6, 1983 (L 4-2 @ Dallas Americans)
ASL Championships: None
Stadium
Taft Stadium (12,000)21983 American Soccer League Media Guide
Marketing
Team Colors: Black & Gold31983 American Soccer League Media Guide
Ownership
Owners:
- 1982-1983: Ralph Penn, David Sellers, et al.
- 1983: David Fraser
ASL Expansion Fee (1981): $250,0004Perovich, Kathy. “New ASL Team Coming to City”. The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK). August 13, 1981
Our Favorite Stuff
American Soccer League
T-Shirt
For most of its existence, the American Soccer League was a collection of ethnically-based semi-pro clubs clustered in the northeast. But in the 1970’s, the ASL expanded nationwide and became American’s de facto 2nd Division, underneath the bigger-budgeted NASL. This logo was used by the league from the 1970’s until its demise in 1983.
Our favorite distressed ASL logo tee is made by American Retro Apparel and available today in sizes small through XXXL!
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Background
The Oklahoma City Slickers were an expansion entry in the American Soccer League in the spring of 1982. The ASL was a de facto 2nd Division league that traced its roots back to the early 1930’s. By the time the Slickers entered the league in 1982, the ASL was on its last legs, doomed by over expansion, invisibility and constant franchise turnover.
1982 Season
Slickers Head Coach Brian Harvey put together a stellar expansion side, led by English NASL veterans Phil Parkes in goal and Jeff Bourne at forward. Parkes played all 28 games in 1982, posting a 19-6-3 record. Bourne finished third in the ASL in scoring with 20 goals and eight assists.
The Slickers carried a 13-match winning streak into the best-of-three ASL championship series against the Detroit Express in late September 1982. The Slickers won the first match on the road at the Pontiac Silverdome and had the chance to ice the series at home, where the Slickers had a 15-game unbeaten streak. But the Express scored two late goals to defeat the Slickers 2-0 at Taft Stadium and send the series back to Pontiac for a deciding Game Three. The Express won the rubber match 4-1 before an announced crowd of 33,762 at the Silverdome on September 22, 1982.
Final Season Chaos
By the 1983 season, the ASL had dwindled to just six franchises, with five southern clubs scattered from Dallas to Charlotte, plus Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Slickers were one of the league’s problem child franchises. Club owner Ralph Penn faced multiple legal actions over unpaid loans and payroll related to the Slickers and other businesses. The club was placed into receivership in May 1983 after Penn failed to repay a loan to the Slickers’ office manager. A few days later a district court judge tossed Penn into jail for failing to make good on a separate judgment. The Slickers limped through the rest of the 1983 season under the control of a court-appointed receiver. David Fraser stepped forward to save the team, purchasing the ownership shares that the court forced Penn to sell off.
One the field, the Slickers were unable to retain Jeff Bourne who joined the ASL’s expansion club in Dallas. Phil Parkes returned for part of the season, but the Slickers sold his contract to the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League in early July 1983. Brian Harvey’s team could not recapture the magic of the first season and the Slickers dropped to a league-worst record of 8-17.
Aftermath: Slickers to Stampede to Tornados
In late 1983, the American Soccer League finally threw in the towel after 51 years of operation. The Slickers joined three other ASL clubs – the Rochester Flash, the Dallas Americans and the Jacksonville Tea Men – to help form a successor organization, the United Soccer League, in February 1984. New owner David Fraser re-branded the team as the Oklahoma City Stampede for its entry into the USL. The franchise moved again in 1985 to Tulsa where it became the Tulsa Tornados. The club and the USL eventually folded in the spring of 1985.
Oklahoma City Slickers Shop
Oklahoma City Slickers Video
Slickers visit the Detroit Express at the Pontiac Silverdome for the 1982 ASL Championship Game. One of the ugliest playing surfaces you will ever see!
Short clip from 1983 KOCO-TV news feature on the Slickers with some Taft Stadium action.
In Memoriam
Striker Jeff Bourne (Slickers ’82) died of ALS on July 31, 2014 at the age of 66.
Downloads
1982 Oklahoma City Slickers Ticket Brochure
1982 Oklahoma City Slickers Ticket Brochure
Links
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One Response
The Slickers had a player , that coached soccer at Midwest City, as well as a girls under 19 Metro Team. I had taken over a girls under 19 in Edmond that had won in 4 seasons 2 yrs Spring / Fall not only had not won a game in 4 season, they had not scored those a goal in those games. they used the bastadized 5/3/2 formation, I brought in a 2 /4 / 3 /1 offense I had 2 girls from Cassidy School, we had speed, lighting fast , and we had ball control, we won our 1st game 2/1 and by the parents reaction, you would have thought we had won the world cup. The coach, if I remember right, was English. Thank-you for your time and help. This just came to me Tony Ransford?