Boston Shamrock Rovers (also known as Boston Rovers) were an American soccer team that competed in the United Soccer Association (USA) league in 1967. The team was based in Lynn, Massachusetts and played their home games at the Manning Bowl. The team folded when the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League.
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| Full name | Boston Shamrock Rovers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Rovers | ||
| Founded | 1966 | ||
| Dissolved | 1968 | ||
| Stadium | Manning Bowl, Lynn, Massachusetts | ||
| Capacity | 21,000 | ||
| Owner | Weston Adams | ||
| Head coach | Liam Tuohy | ||
| League | United Soccer Association | ||
| 1967 | United Soccer Association, Eastern Division, 6th | ||
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History edit
In 1966 several groups of entrepreneurs were exploring the idea of forming a professional soccer league in United States. One of these groups, United Soccer Association (USA) led by Jack Kent Cooke, selected 12 cities for team locations and Weston Adams,[1] owner of the Boston Bruins, was awarded the Boston franchise. The USA originally planned to start play in the spring of 1968; however the rival National Professional Soccer League, which secured a TV contract from CBS, announced it was ready to launch in 1967. Not wanting to let the rival league gain an advantage, the USA decided to launch early. Not having secured any player contracts, the league imported teams from Europe, Brazil, and Uruguay. Shamrock Rovers F.C. of the League of Ireland were brought over to represent the city of Boston.[2][3]
Rovers opened the season at home against the Detroit Cougars[a] in a 1 – 1 draw. A disallowed goal by the Cougars due to an offsides call led to an argument with the linesman who was hit in the face by a Detroit player.[4][5] Shamrock Rovers finished the season in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 2 wins 3 ties and 7 loses, the worst in the league, and with an average attendance 4,171.[6]
Prior to the 1968 season the United Soccer Association merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. The merged league decided not to have two-team cities and, as such, the incoming Boston Beacons from the NPSL would be Boston's NASL franchise. [7]
Year-by-year edit
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | Top scorer | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Div | G | W | T | L | F | A | Pts | % | Pos | Attend. | Name | Gls | Pts | ||
| 1967 | USA | E | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 26 | 7 | .292 | 6th | 4,171 | – | Frank O'Neill | 3 | 10 |
Match results edit
Win Draw Loss
| May 28 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 1–1 | Detroit Cougars | Lynn, MA |
| Mick Leech (30') | John Colrain (85') | Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 7,343 Referee: Dan Graven |
| May 31 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 0–0 | New York Skyliners | Lynn, MA |
| Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 3,850 |
| June 4 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 0–1 | Cleveland Stokers | Lynn, MA |
| Maurice Setters (88') | Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 5,250 |
| June 7 | Detroit Cougars | 1–0 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Detroit, MI |
| Arthur Stewart (footballer) (79') | Stadium: Tiger Stadium (Detroit) Attendance: 648 |
| June 11 | Vancouver Royals | 1–0 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Vancouver |
| John O'Hare (21') | Stadium: Empire Stadium (Vancouver) Attendance: 7,616 |
| June 14 | Chicago Mustangs | 5–0 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Chicago, Illinois |
| Francesco Rizzo (footballer) (7') Roberto Boninsegna (20'), (67') Giuseppe Longoni (29') Bruno Visentin (37') |
Stadium: Comiskey Park Attendance: 3,016 |
| June 18 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 3–4 | San Francisco Golden Gate Gales | Lynn, MA |
| Liam Tuohy (footballer) Frank O'Neill (footballer) Paddy Mulligan |
Henk Houwaart (2) René Pas Harry Heynen |
Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 853 |
| June 21 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 1–4 | Dallas Tornado | Lynn, MA |
| Liam Tuohy (footballer) (39') | Finn Seemann (22') Mogens Berg (29'), (82') Jackie Graham (36') |
Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 1,929 |
| June 25 | Los Angeles Wolves | 1–1 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Los Angeles, California |
| Terry Wharton (81') | Frank O'Neill (footballer) (21') | Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Attendance: 6,936 |
| July 2 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | 3–1 | Houston Stars | Lynn, MA |
| Bobby Gilbert Billy Dixon Liam Tuohy (footballer) |
Jaime Corrêa Freitas | Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 5,800 |
| July 5 | Toronto City | 6–1 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Toronto, Ontario |
| Colin Grant (footballer) (3) Jim Scott (footballer) Peter Cormack Colin Stein |
Mick Leech | Stadium: Varsity Stadium Attendance: 3,152 |
| July 8 | Washington Whips | 1–2 | Boston Shamrock Rovers | Washington, D.C. |
| Frank Munro | Frank O'Neill (footballer) Billy Dixon |
Stadium: D.C. Stadium Attendance: 9,760 |
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ The Northern Irish team Glentoran F.C. had been brought over to represent Detroit
Sources edit
- The Hoops by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins (ISBN 0-7171-2121-6)
References edit
General edit
- Litterer, Dave. "North American Soccer League I (NASL) 1967–1984". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- Severino, Carlos. "North American Soccer League 1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ "Shamrock Rovers Elect". The Norwalk Hour. April 21, 1967. p. 32. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Seese, D.J. (2015). The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442238954.
- ^ Hannigan, Dave (May 31, 2017). "Summer of soccer: when Shamrock Rovers conquered America". The Irish Times. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Cougars Open With Tie". The Owosso Argus-Press. May 27, 1967. p. 13. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Wangerin, Dave (2006). Soccer in a Football World. WSC Books, Limited. p. 134. ISBN 9780954013479. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "North American Soccer League". RSSSF. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Beacons Survive Rovers In Major Soccer Merger". The Telegraph. December 8, 1967. p. 14. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
External links edit
- Boston Rovers stats
- List of Boston Rovers players
- Boston Rovers on nasljerseys.com