Category: Major Indoor Soccer League 1978

Chicago Horizons Soccer

Chicago Horizons

April 15, 2018

All-but-forgotten indoor soccer club that played a single season in suburban Chicago during the winter of 1980-81. The Chicago Horizons were an expansion team in the Major Indoor Soccer League that season. In truly boring fashion, the team named itself after its home arena, the 16,000-seat Rosemont Horizon that opened earlier that year. It didn’t help matters that Chicago’s established outdoor team, the Sting, also began playing an indoor soccer schedule that same winter in a rival league at Chicago Stadium downtown.

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George Best of the San Jose Earthquakes on the cover of a 1981 New York Cosmos program from the North American Soccer League

San Jose Earthquakes (1974-1988)

April 11, 2018

The original ‘Quakes were part of a major expansion of the NASL in 1974 that also saw the formation of the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps clubs. The ‘Quakes were the toast of the league that summer. English forward Paul Child won the golden boot with 15 goals and 6 assists. At the box office, San Jose set a new league attendance record.

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1979-80 Wichita Wings Media Guide from the Major Indoor Soccer League

Wichita Wings (1979-2001)

September 6, 2015

Major Indoor Soccer League (1979-1990) Major Soccer League (1990-1992) National Professional Soccer League (1992-2001) Born: August 21, 1979 – MISL expansion franchise Folded: May 18,

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St. Louis Steamers MISL

St. Louis Steamers (1979-1988)

May 7, 2015

The original St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League were one of the most popular indoor soccer teams of all time. In the early 1980’s, the Steamers drew massive crowds to the St. Louis Arena, attracted by the team’s home grown American talent and exciting game production. At their peak during the 1981-82 season, the Steamers averaged 17,107 fans per game – the highest average in the sport’s history. By comparison, the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues drew 14,433 fans per night in the same building that winter. Declining on-field performance and a pair sales of the team to progressively weaker owners led to the Steamers’ sad decline in the latter half of the decade and eventual closure in 1988.

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Doug Verb Headshot

The Promoters: Doug Verb

April 22, 2015

Recently, Fun While It Lasted had the pleasure of speaking to long-time sports executive Doug Verb for the latest entry in our Promoters Series. Doug was

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