American Indoor Soccer Association (1988-1990)
National Professional Soccer League (1990-1996)
Tombstone
Born: 1988 – AISA expansion franchise
Moved: August 23, 1996 (Edmonton Drillers)
First Game: November 4, 1988 (L 11-8 @ Fort Wayne Flames)
Last Game: March 23, 1996 (L 22-9 @ Kansas City Attack)
NPSL Champions: 1991
Arenas
1988-1995: Rosemont Horizon (14,618)11989-90 Hershey Impact Program
Opened: 1980
1994-1995: Rockford MetroCentre
Opened: 1981
1995-1996: UIC Pavilion
Opened: 1982
Marketing
Team Colors: Red, Black & White
Ownership
Owners:
- 1988-1990: Lou Weisbach, Jeff Cagan, Peter Richardson & Karl-Heinz Granitza
- 1990-1994: Ron Bergstrom
- 1994-1996: National Professional Soccer League
Attendance
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Source: 1997-98 National Professional Soccer League Official Guide & Record Book
Trophy Case
AISA Defender of the Year
- 1989-90: Bret Hall
Background
The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club formed in 1988. The Power were basically a lower-budget successor to the Chicago Sting (1975-1988), the city’s popular and long-running pro side that went out of business in July of 1988. Several weeks after the Sting closed their doors, a former Sting investor named Lou Weisbach purchased an expansion franchise in the American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA). The Power arranged to lease the Sting’s home from their final two seasons, the suburban Rosemont Horizon, for the winter of 1988-89.
Sting Nostalgia
Karl-Heinz Granitza, the German striker who had been the Sting’s greatest star from 1979-1987, signed on as player-coach and part-owner. Other former Sting regulars such as Batata, Bret Hall, Manny Rojas, and Teddy Krafft soon signed with the Power as well.
The team had a promising expansion campaign, advancing to the AISA championship series before losing to the Canton Invaders. The Power’s sophomore season was less fortunate. Granitza, the club’s top scorer, broke his ankle in December 1989. Two months later, he was fired as coach by Power owner Lou Weisbach during a lengthy losing streak and relinquished his 25% ownership stake in the team.
Weisbach fired the staff in the summer of 1990 and was on the verge of closing the team when white knight businessman Ron Bergstrom stepped in to rescue the Power on the eve of the 1990-91 season. Bergstrom tried to lure back Granitza, but the German had had enough. Instead, the new owner turned to Pato Margetic, another popular ex-Sting star of the early 80’s, for the player-coach role.
Championship Season
Margetic led the Power to their first and only championship season in the newly renamed National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in the spring of 1991. The Power swept the Dayton Dynamo in three straight games in the finals.
The Power’s fortunes faded after Ron Bergstrom withdrew financial support of the team following the 1993-94 season. New owners failed to materialize but the NPSL was loath to lose the Chicago market. So the team tottered along as a league-operated doormat for two final seasons in 1994-95 and 1995-96. The team also lost its long-time home at the suburban Rosemont Horizon after the popular Chicago Wolves minor league hockey team launched in 1994.
The Power were finally euthanized in August 1996 when Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington purchased the carcass of the club from the NPSL and moved it north of the border to Edmonton.
Chicago Power Shop
Power Video
Chicago Power at Cleveland Crunch. 1994-95 ESPN2 broadcast.
In Memoriam
Forward Ken Snow (Power ’91-’95) died on June 21, 2020 at age 50 from COVID-19 complications. ESPN.com obituary.
Downloads
11-25-1990 Power vs. Illinois Thunder Game Notes
11-25-1990 Chicago Power vs Illinois Thunder Game Notes
Links
National Professional Soccer League Media Guides
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