Arkansas Diamonds
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas Diamonds were a soccer club based in Little Rock, Arkansas
that competed in the SISL and USISL. The team was first owned by Samir Haj a youth club coach based in Fayetteville, Arkansas
. The franchise struggled for funding as it first played outdoor at Scott Field in Little Rock and it's indoor games on the road. In 1992 the team took a hiatus as it looked for new ownership. Rusellville, Arkansas businessman John Sandford came to the rescue in 1992/93 partnering with Soccer USA an indoor soccer center that was based in North Little Rock, Arkansas
. The franchise reverted to the USISL and in 1994 competed as the Arkansas A's playing it's games in Sherwood, Arkansas
. The team was owned by the former Arkansas State Soccer Association's DOC Nigel Boulton
and a small group of dedicated parents whose children played for the A's youth teams run by Boulton. Funding remained a serious problem and in 1995 the group sold the franchise rights to a Tennessee businessman but the team was never reborn in Arkansas or relocated elsewhere.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
that competed in the SISL and USISL. The team was first owned by Samir Haj a youth club coach based in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. The franchise struggled for funding as it first played outdoor at Scott Field in Little Rock and it's indoor games on the road. In 1992 the team took a hiatus as it looked for new ownership. Rusellville, Arkansas businessman John Sandford came to the rescue in 1992/93 partnering with Soccer USA an indoor soccer center that was based in North Little Rock, Arkansas
North Little Rock, Arkansas
the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races...
. The franchise reverted to the USISL and in 1994 competed as the Arkansas A's playing it's games in Sherwood, Arkansas
Sherwood, Arkansas
Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 29,523...
. The team was owned by the former Arkansas State Soccer Association's DOC Nigel Boulton
Nigel Boulton
Nigel Boulton is a former Welsh football player who currently coaches in the United States.-Playing career:Boulton played semi-professionally for Sully A.F.C., a three-time Wales Premier League champion and three time Senior Cup Winner. In 1988, he joined the coaching ranks with Sully and took...
and a small group of dedicated parents whose children played for the A's youth teams run by Boulton. Funding remained a serious problem and in 1995 the group sold the franchise rights to a Tennessee businessman but the team was never reborn in Arkansas or relocated elsewhere.
Year-by-year
Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989/90 | N/A | SISL Indoor | 4th, Tex-Ark-Oma | Did not qualify | N/A |
1990 | N/A | SISL | 6th, Eastern | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1990/91 | N/A | SISL Indoor | 8th, Southeast | Did not qualify | N/A |
1991 | N/A | SISL | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1991/92 | N/A | USISL Indoor | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify | N/A |
1992 | N/A | USISL | 6th, South Central | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1993 | On hiatus | ||||
1994 | 3 | USISL | 6th, Midsouth | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
1995 | "4" | USISL Premier | 8th, Central | Did not qualify | Did not enter |