Major Indoor Soccer League (1979-1988)
Tombstone
Born: July 31, 1979 – MISL expansion franchise1Pleasure Point Comes Back for Win, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 1, 1979
Folded: June 22, 19882MISL drops two teams, AP via The Hour, Jun. 23, 1988
First Game: December 1, 1979 (L 5-4 @ Cleveland Force)
Last Game: April 16, 1988 (W 4-3 @ Chicago Sting)
MISL Championships: None
Arena
St. Louis Arena (17,931)3MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide 1978-1988
Opened: September 23, 19294Hyde For Dairy Tariff Increase. Secretary Urges Revision Upward in Dedicating St. Louis Arena, AP via St. Joseph Gazette, Sep. 24, 1929
Demolished: February 27, 19995Old St. Louis Blues arena comes tumbling down after 70 years, AP via The Southeast Missourian, Feb. 27, 1999
Marketing
Team Colors: Process Blue & White6MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide 1978-1988
Television:
- 1983-1986 (at least): KDNL TV 30 (Selected games)
Television Broadcasters:
- 1985-86: Bob Carpenter (play-by-play) with Bob Brunette (color) or Bob Kehoe (color)
Radio:
- 1985-86: WMRY (FM 101)
Radio Broadcasters:
- 1985-86: Bob Carpenter & Bob Brunette
Ownership
Owners:
- 1979-1980: Marvin Mann, Leonard Messinger & Ray Klivecka
- 1980-1984: Stan Musial, Ben Kerner, Joe Garagiola, et al.
- 1984-1987: Thomas Bowers, et al.
- 1987-1988: Joe Farrell, Bing Devine, et al.
Attendance
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Sources:
- 1985-86 St. Louis Steamers Media Guide (1979-1985 Steamers figures)
- 1986-87 MISL Media Guide (1985-86 Steamers figure)
- 1987-88 MISL Official Guide (1986-87 Steamers figure)
- 1988-89 MISL Official Guide (1987-88 Steamers figure)
- Various MISL League Media Guides (1979-1988 MISL league figures)
Trophy Case
MISL Goalkeeper of the Year:
- 1981-82: Slobo Ilijevski
- 1983-84: Slobo Ilijevski
MISL Rookie of the Year:
- 1980-81: Don Ebert
Background
The St. Louis Steamers were a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1979 to 1988. They joined the MISL as an expansion team in that circuit’s second season.
St. Louis had previously been home to the Stars of the mostly outdoor, sometimes indoor North American Soccer League (NASL). That club, however, relocated to Anaheim at the end of the 1977 season and became the California Surf. The Stars were well supported, particularly by NASL standards, but could not secure an agreeable lease at Busch Stadium.
Instant hit
Area soccer fans quickly took to the indoor squad, making it one of the league’s most popular franchises, alongside their arch-rivals, the Cleveland Force. The Steamers often outdrew the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL), with whom they shared an arena. This despite the Blues making the playoffs in each of those seasons.
St. Louis was a natural fit for the MISL as years earlier, in 1971, the Stars the Stars had hosted something called the NASL Professional Hoc-Soc Tournament, which featured the home team and three other teams from the outdoor league (Washington, Rochester, and Dallas) playing six-a-side soccer on a turf-covered hockey rink, much like the MISL would start doing in1978.
The Steamers’ home opener on December 14, 1979 drew 18,500 fans to the Checkerdome, the team’s home arena7Hellions face road trip, The Morning Record and Journal, Dec. 18, 1979. The hometown fans were rewarded with a 5-4 victory over the Hartford Hellions. The team finished with a record of 12-20, tied for last in the Central Division with the also soon-to-be popular Cleveland Force, which finished with an identical mark of 12-20. And while the squad from the North Coast was still building a following, the Steamers finished first in attendance, averaging 14, 060 fans a game.
More than a game
Like several other MISL teams, the Steamers tried to make each game an entertainment event as opposed to a simple soccer match. This approach, combined with the strategy of stocking the team with local and regional talent8Steamers draft local, AP via The Southeastern Missourian, Oct. 27, 1981, helped make the team successful at the gate and on the carpet. The team peaked in both categories during the 1981-82 season, when they made their second straight MISL finals appearance against the New York Arrows. They notched their best record, 28-16, while setting a franchise attendance record of 17,107. The only winter sports team in North America to outdraw them was the Wayne Gretzky led Edmonton Oilers, who were still a season away from capturing their first Stanley Cup.9Four Reasons St. Louis Should Be a Professional Soccer City, 101 ESPN, St. Louis, May 18, 2015
Decline
The following season, they lost in the first round to the Wichita Wings but bounced back, as it were, in 1984 by making it to the finals. This time, though, they succumbed to the Baltimore Blast. Two early exits in subsequent seasons ended their string of consecutive playoff appearances. Attendance gradually declined after the second championship loss to the Arrows but still remained near the top of the league, which as a whole started to wane a little in popularity.
After missing the playoffs for a second straight season, the team folded on June 22, 1988. A month later, unhappy with the lack of commitment by the other owners, Cleveland’s Bert Wolstein folded the Force.
St. Louis was without indoor for just one season, though, as the expansion St. Louis Storm debuted in 1989. They went out of business with the rest of the league in 1992.
St. Louis Steamers Video
1984-85 St. Louis Steamers promo video
In Memoriam
Steamers goalkeeper Slobo Ilijevski (1980-1988) died of a ruptured aorta during an amateur soccer game on July 14, 2008. He was 58 years old.
Ian Anderson (Steamers ’82-’83) passed away November 5, 2008 at age 54 in Scotland.
Downloads
11-1-1985 Steamers vs. Wichita Wings Roster Card
11-1-1985 St Louis Steamers vs Wichita Wings Roster Card
11-14-1986 Steamers vs. Kansas City Comets Roster Card
11-13-1987 Steamers vs. Dallas Sidekicks Roster Card
2 Responses
Searching for photo of Bob Robson st.louis steamers keeper from 1979-80 guide/program. Thanks always enjoy this site.
Do not have that but I do have a soccer ball signed by the whole St. Louis Steamers team.