Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83)

Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Full name Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Founded 1977
(Previously Miami Toros)
Dissolved 1983
(rebranded as Minnesota Strikers)
Ground

Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

West Palm Beach Auditorium
(indoor 1979–80)
West Palm Beach, Florida

Hollywood Sportatorium
(indoor 1980–81)
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Capacity 20,450/15,532 (indoor)
Owner United States Elizabeth Robbie
League North American Soccer League

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1977 to 1983. They played their home games at Lockhart Stadium.

The franchise was founded as the Washington Darts in 1967 and moved to the Miami metropolitan area in 1972, where they were known as the Miami Gatos (1972) and the Miami Toros (1973–1976) before moving to Fort Lauderdale. In addition to their time in the NASL outdoor league, the Strikers also played two NASL indoor seasons in 1979–80 and 1980–81,[1] and competed in the 1983 NASL Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer tournament. They were owned by Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie and his wife Elizabeth Robbie. In 1984 they relocated to Minnesota as the Minnesota Strikers. Their first ever game was an indoor exhibition match with their cross-state rival the Tampa Bay Rowdies on February 27, 1977[2]

Moved

After the 1983 season, the Strikers were moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Strikers. That club survived the end of the NASL by joining the Major Indoor Soccer League in 1984, but did eventually fold in 1988.

Year-by-year

Year Record Regular Season Finish Playoffs Avg. Attend.
1977 19–7 1st, Eastern Division, American Conference Divisional Playoff 8,148
1978 16–14 3rd, Eastern Division, American Conference American Conference Finals 10,479
1979 indoor 0–2 4th, Budweiser Invitational[3] n/a
1979 17–13 2nd, Eastern Division, American Conference American Conference Quarterfinals 13,774
1979–80 indoor 3–9 4th, Eastern Division n/a 2,069
1980 18–14 2nd, Eastern Division, American Conference Runners-up 14,360
1980–81 indoor 1–17 4th, Eastern Division n/a 1,699
1981 18–14 2nd, Southern Division Semifinals 13,345
1982 18–14 1st, Southern Division Semifinals 12,345
1983 indoor 2–8 4th, Indoor Grand Prix n/a
1983 14–16 2nd, Southern Division Quarterfinals 10,823

Honors

Head coaches

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19820629&id=6vwtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=580FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2393,5044373
  2. ↑ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rsEwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6654,3317860&dq=rowdies+had+to+do+more&hl=en
  4. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/
  5. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/
  6. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/
  7. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/
  8. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/hall.html
  9. ↑ http://www.thesoccerhalloffame.ca/
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  11. ↑ http://www.indoorsoccerhall.com/
  12. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm
  13. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm
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