Philadelphia Fury (1978–80)
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| Full name | Philadelphia Fury | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Fury | ||
| Founded | 1978 | ||
| Stadium | Veterans Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 60,000 | ||
| League | North American Soccer League | ||
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The Philadelphia Fury was a soccer team based in Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Among the club's investors were rock musicians Mick Jagger, Rick Wakeman, Peter Frampton and Paul Simon. The team played at Veterans Stadium.[1]
History
The Fury brought topflight soccer back to Philadelphia for the first time since the Philadelphia Atoms folded in 1976. They never had a winning season, but did make the playoffs two out of three seasons. Attendance dropped each year and after the 1980 season, the club was sold and moved, becoming the Montreal Manic.
Notable Philadelphia Fury players included Johnny Giles, Alan Ball and Peter Osgood, all of whom starred in England before joining the club. Ball served as player-coach in 1978 after the dismissal of head coach Richard Dinnis). Other players for the Fury included all-league defender John Dempsey, Pat Fidelia, David Robb, Frank Worthington, Fran O'Brien and Bob Rigby.
Year-by-year
| Year | Record | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs | Avg. Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 12-18 | 4th, Eastern Division, American Conference | First Round | 8,280 |
| 1979 | 10-20 | 3rd, Eastern Division, American Conference | American Conference Semifinals | 5,626 |
| 1980 | 10-22 | 4th, Eastern Division, American Conference | Did Not Qualify | 4,465 |
Honors
NASL championships
- none
Division titles
- none
All-star selections
- 1978 Alan Ball (second team)
Defender of the year
- 1979 John Dempsey [2]
US Soccer Hall of Fame members
- 2007 Bobby Smith
Head coaches
-
Richard Dinnis 1978 - Alan Ball, Jr. 1978
-
Marko Valok 1979 -
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Eddie Firmani 1980
Legacy
In February 2014 it was announced[3] that the Philadelphia Fury would compete in the inaugural season of the new American Soccer League (ASL) after being purchased by former MLS Assistant Coach and ASL CEO, Matt Driver. The new Fury carry the colors of the original team but play home games at Washington Township High School in New Jersey.
See also
References
- ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
- ↑ "Chelsea Legend Dempsey Still A Star". This Is Local London. 2001-09-26.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Fury joins the ASL". Philadelphia Fury. 2014-02-22.
External links
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