From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Football club
The
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
were an American
soccer
team established in 1988 as part of the third
American Soccer League
. In 1990, it moved to the
American Professional Soccer League
where it spent five seasons before folding in 1994. The Strikers won the 1989 ASL championship, as well as the 1989 National Pro Soccer Championship.
History
[
edit
]
In October 1987, the
American Soccer League
announced that it had awarded a franchise to
Joe Robbie
which would be located in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. Robbie, who owned the
Minnesota Strikers
of the
Major Indoor Soccer League
announced his intentions of resurrecting the name Fort Lauderdale Strikers and hired
Wim Suurbier
to coach the team. The team played their home games in
Lockhart Stadium
.
[1]
In their first season, the Strikers stormed the ASL, finishing with a 14?6 record, best in the league, before falling to the
Washington Diplomats
in the finals. In 1988, Robbie later sold his share in the team to Noel Lemon. In January 1989, Suurbier resigned as coach to be replaced by
Thomas Rongen
. In their second season the Strikers did almost as well, finishing the season at 12?8. They went on to defeat the
Boston Bolts
for the 1989 championship. This qualified them for the
1989 National Pro Soccer Championship
, the first American national outdoor soccer championship since the collapse of the
North American Soccer League
in 1984. On September 9, 1989, the Strikers defeated the
San Diego Nomads
of the
Western Soccer League
, 3?1, to win the title.
[2]
Following that game, the ASL merged with the WSL to form the
American Professional Soccer League
. They played five more years in that league. For the 1990 season seven home games were played at
Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium
and five at the Royal Palm Polo Club in
Boca Raton
,
[3]
after the
Broward School Board
denied the team access to Lockhart Stadium.
[4]
[5]
[6]
In January 1991, the Strikers merged with the
Orlando Lions
. The combined team retained the Strikers name, uniforms and staff.
[7]
Soon after Lemons sold the team to Bryan Lockwood. The
1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
season was the fourth season of the team in the
American Professional Soccer League
. It was the club's twenty-seventh season in professional soccer. This year, with former
FIU
goalkeeper Chris Antonopoulos in goal, the team finished with a win-loss record of 9-15, placing sixth place in the regular season. They did not make it to the playoffs.
The team had an ongoing rivalry with the
Tampa Bay Rowdies
that stemmed from Robbie's
previous Strikers
team's rivalry with same Rowdies, while playing in the
NASL
.
[8]
[9]
When they first played in 1988, the Strikers played in a cream shirt with white sleeves and black shorts with white socks. That kit has been used as their home kit from that time until they dissolved.
Their away kit from 1988 to 1990 was a red shirt and white shorts with white socks. After their second game in the 1990 season, they switched to an all-white kit and played in that until 1994 when they dissolved.
Year-by-year
[
edit
]
Year
|
Division
|
League
|
Reg. Season
|
Playoffs
|
Open Cup
|
1988
|
N/A
|
ASL
|
1st, Southern
|
Final
|
did not enter
|
1989
|
N/A
|
ASL
|
2nd, Southern
|
Champion
|
did not enter
|
1990
|
N/A
|
APSL
|
1st, ASL South
|
Final
|
did not enter
|
1991
|
N/A
|
APSL
|
1st, American
|
Semifinals
|
did not enter
|
1992
|
N/A
|
APSL
|
4th
|
Semifinals
|
did not enter
|
1993
|
N/A
|
APSL
|
6th
|
did not qualify
|
did not enter
|
1994
|
2
|
APSL
|
5th
|
did not qualify
|
did not enter
|
Coaches
[
edit
]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
ROBBIE TO OWN ASL TEAM AS STRIKERS TRY ONCE AGAIN
Sun-Sentinel - Thursday, November 5, 1987
- ^
"Soundercentral.com"
.
www.soundercentral.com
.
- ^
Rusnak, Jeff (25 August 1990).
"STRIKERS CONFIDENT OF VICTORY"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
.
- ^
Andreu, Robbie (12 May 1990).
"STRIKERS' NEW PITCH: BASEBALL STADIUM OUTFIELD"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
.
- ^
Rusnak, Jeff (7 July 1990).
"STRIKERS SEEK END TO POMPANO LOSS STREAK"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
.
- ^
"STRIKERS PERFECT ON THE ROAD"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
. 22 July 1990.
- ^
STRIKER MERGER TO STRENGTHEN TEAM
Miami Herald, The (FL) - Friday, January 11, 1991
- ^
Lazzarino, Chris (30 April 1988).
"STRIKERS (1-1) RENEWING RIVALRY AGAINST ROWDIES"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
.
- ^
Lazzarino, Chris (13 August 1988).
"PLAYOFFS BEGIN, FEUD CONTINUES BETWEEN STRIKERS AND ROWDIES"
.
Sun-Sentinel.com
.
External links
[
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]
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Rivalries
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Affiliated clubs
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Previous Clubs
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Other topics
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Seasons
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Teams
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International cups
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