Major Indoor Soccer League (1978-1980, 1981-1986)
Tombstone
Born: 1978 – MISL founding franchise
Folded: April 11, 19861Tuma, Gary. “DeBartolo folds losing Spirit”. The Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA). April 12, 1986
First Game: December 28, 1978 (L 6-3 vs. New York Arrows)
Last Game: April 5, 1986 (L 3-2 @ Baltimore Blast)
MISL Championships: None
Arena
Pittsburgh Civic Arena (16,033)21984-85 Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guide
Opened: 1961
Demolished: 2011-2012
Marketing
Team Colors: Black, Gold & White31984-85 Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guide
Television:
- 1984 – 1986: KDKA-TV (CBS Channel 2 – selected games)
Television Broadcasters:
- 1984 – 1986: John Paul Dellacamera (Play-by-Play) & John Sanders (Color)
Radio:
- 1984-85: KQV (1410 AM), WBVP (1230 AM) & WHJB (620 AM)
- 1985-86: KQV (1410 AM), WBVP (1230 AM), WHJB (620 AM) & WRCK (600 AM)
Radio Broadcasters
- 1984 – 1986: John Paul Dellacamera & Bruno Schwartz
Ownership
Owners:
- 1978-1979: Jim Mihalke, et al.
- 1979-1980: Frank Fuhrer
- 1981-1986: Edward DeBartolo, Sr.
Attendance
Note: the Spirit sat out the 1980-81 MISL season.
Tap (mobile) or mouse over chart for figures. Tilting your mobile device may offer better viewing.
Source: Kenn.com Attendance Project
Trophy Case
MISL Most Valuable Player
- 1981-82: Stan Terlecki (co-MVP with Steve Zungul of the New York Arrows)
MISL Rookie of the Year
- 1983-84: Kevin Maher
MISL Coach of the Year:
- 1979-80: Len Bilois (shared with Pat McBride of the St. Louis Steamers)
Show Your Spirit
Pittsburgh Spirit
Logo T-Shirt
The Spirit indoor soccer team of the 1980’s shared everything with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins: ownership by the DeBartolo family, winter dates at the Civic Arena, black & gold colors and postseason futility. They even shared a relatively equal level of popularity – until Mario Lemieux arrived in 1984 and sent the sibling rivals in opposite trajectories.
This Spirit logo shirt is also available as a women’s racerback tank, 3/4 sleeve raglan or hooded sweatshirt from our friends at Old School Shirts!
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Background
The Pittsburgh Spirit were one of six founding franchises in the Major Indoor Soccer League during the winter of 1978-79. During the MISL’s first season, the Spirit barely evaded the bottom of the table with a 6-18 record and had the poorest attendance in the league with 2,801 fans per match for the 12-game home calendar.
In August 1979, Pittsburgh-area beer distributor Frank Fuhrer acquired the club. Fuhrer was familiar to Pittsburgh sports fans as the owner of the Pittsburgh Triangles (1974-1976) of World Team Tennis, who brought world class tennis stars (and a league title) to the city a few years earlier. Fuhrer ran the team for just one season, shutting down the Spirit at the end of the 1979-80. The MISL allowed the club to “go dark”, with the option to re-organize and return after a year off. There was no indoor soccer in Pittsburgh during the winter of 1980-81.
Hiatus & Re-Birth
Somewhat improbably, the Spirit did re-group and return in late 1981 under Pittsburgh Penguins owner Edward DeBartolo, Sr. At one point in the early 1980’s, DeBartolo owned three prominent teams in Pittsburgh – the Penguins, the Spirit and the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League. The Spirit enjoyed their greatest success under DeBartolo and his right hand man Paul Martha. During their best season in the winter of 1983-84, the club posted a 32-16 record and actually posted higher average attendance (8,278 per game) at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena than the NHL’s Penguins (6,839).
The Spirit’s greatest player was likely the Polish striker Stan Terlecki, who was the co-MVP of the MISL during the 1981-82 season when he scored 74 goals in just 43 games. Terlecki played for the Spirit from 1981-1983 and again from 1984 to 1986.
Demise
Despite the gradual increase in interest, the club was a perennial money loser at the box office and never advanced beyond the quarterfinals of the MISL playoffs. DeBartolo threatened to close the club in 1985 as part of an effort to extract lease concessions on the Civic Arena. The Spirit played their final season in the winter of 1985-86. The end came on April 11, 1986 when Paul Martha announced the closure of the club, citing $9 million in losses during the five seasons that DeBartolo owned the team.4Tuma, Gary. “DeBartolo folds losing Spirit”. The Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA). April 12, 1986
Indoor soccer returned to Pittsburgh in 1994 with the formation of the Pittsburgh Stingers (1994-1995) of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. The Stingers also played at the Civic Arena and were coached by former Spirit star Paul Child.
Pittsburgh Spirit Shop
In Memoriam
Micky Cave, a Spirit player from 1979 to 1983, died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in his home on November 6, 1984 at 35 years old. Cave was a Spirit assistant coach at the time.
Helmut Dudek, who played for the Spirit during their final season of 1985-86, died of cancer on May 22, 1994 at age 36.
Former Spirit owner Edward DeBartolo, Sr. died at age 85 on December 19, 1994.
Defender Clive Charles (Spirit ’81-’82) died on August 26, 2003 from prostate cancer.
Steve Buttle (Spirit ’79-’85) passed away after a battle with cancer on June 5th, 2012 at the age of 59.
Pittsburgh Spirit Video
John Sanders and John Paul Dellacamera call the Cleveland Force at the Spirit back in January 1985.
Downloads
4-15-1983 Spirit @ Chicago Sting Game Notes
4-15-1983 Pittsburgh Spirit @ Chicago Sting Game Notes
Links
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3 Responses
Do you know where i can purchase a Spirit jersey?
I’m not aware of anyone who manufacturers 1980’s MISL replicas/throwbacks. So your best bet is probably to set up an e-Bay alert to see if a vintage one comes up during the next few months.
AC
The best I’ve come up with all these years later is a tee s-shirt reprint. I run into a former member of the spirit and he says to check the internet. no luck however. do you live in the Pittsburgh area?