The Philadelphia Fury was a soccer team based in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

 that played in the North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

 from 1978 to 1980. Among the club's investors were rock musicians Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman

Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...

, Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton

Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...

 and Paul Simon

Paul Simon

Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...

. The team played at Veterans Stadium

Veterans Stadium

Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...

.

The Fury returned NASL soccer to Philadelphia for the first time since the Philadelphia Atoms

Philadelphia Atoms

The Philadelphia Atoms were a soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League . They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field ....

 folded in 1976. Although never posting a winning season, they did make the playoffs in two of their three seasons. But attendance declined with each season and after a poor year on the pitch and at the gate in 1980, the club was sold and moved to become the Montreal Manic

Montreal Manic

Montreal Manic were a soccer team based out of Montreal that played in the NASL. They played from 1981 to 1983. Their home field was Olympic Stadium...

.

Notable Philadelphia Fury players included Johnny Giles

Johnny Giles

Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...

, Alan Ball and Peter Osgood

Peter Osgood

Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...

, all of whom starred in England before joining the club; although Osgood was a major disappointment (1 goal in 23 matches), Giles was a solid performer, and Ball was a star (and served as player-coach in 1978 after the dismissal of manager Richard Dinnis).

Other star performers for the Fury included all-league defender John Dempsey, Pat Fidelia, David Robb

David Robb

David Robb is an English actor.Robb has starred in various British films and television shows, including films such as Swing Kids and Hellbound. He is well known for playing Germanicus in the famous 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius and as Robin Grant, one of the principal character in Thames...

, Frank Worthington

Frank Worthington

Frank Stewart Worthington is a former English footballer. Frank was born into a footballing family in Shelf near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. Both of his parents had played the game and his two older brothers, Dave and Bob, became professional footballers, both began their careers with...

 and Bob Rigby

Bob Rigby

Bob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Among the most talented soccer goalkeepers born in the United States, Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United...

.

Players

Alan Ball (1978-79) 34 apps 5 goals Peter Osgood

Peter Osgood

Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...

 (1978) 22 apps 1 goal Derek Trevis

Derek Trevis

Derek Alan Trevis was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Active in both England and the United States, Trevis made nearly 500 career league appearances.-Career:...

 (1978) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#T Colin Waldron

Colin Waldron

Colin Waldron was an English football defender. He spent thirteen seasons in the Football League and two in the North American Soccer League....

 (1978) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#W Frank Worthington

Frank Worthington

Frank Stewart Worthington is a former English footballer. Frank was born into a footballing family in Shelf near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. Both of his parents had played the game and his two older brothers, Dave and Bob, became professional footballers, both began their careers with...

 (1979) 21 apps 10 goals. John Dempsey (footballer)

John Dempsey (footballer)

John Dempsey is a former footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s as a defender.Starting his career with Fulham, making his debut in 1963 and 149 appearances over six years, Dempsey was signed for West London rivals Chelsea by Dave Sexton in January 1969 for £70,000...

 (1978-80) Johnny Giles

Johnny Giles

Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...

 (1978) http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslstar.html Pierce O'Leary

Pierce O'Leary

Pierce O'Leary is an Irish former professional footballer. Pierce is the brother of former Arsenal star and fellow Irish international David O'Leary....

 (1978) Tony Glavin

Tony Glavin

Tony Glavin is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in both Scotland and the United States, making over 300 career appearances. He is currently Head Coach of the St...

 (1978-80) Martin Henderson (footballer)

Martin Henderson (footballer)

William Martin Neville Henderson is a Scottish former footballer who played in Scotland, England, and the United States.-Playing career:...

 (1978) Andy Lynch (soccer) (1980) Keith MacRae (1978) Davie Robb

Davie Robb

Davie Robb is a Scottish former football player best known for playing for Aberdeen.-Career:Davie Robb was born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee in 1947. Affectionately known to Aberdeen supporters as "The Brush", Robb scored 99 goals in 345 appearances with Aberdeen. He scored the winning goal for...

 (1979) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#R Rich Reice

Rich Reice

Rich Reice is a retired American professional soccer forward who played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and United Soccer League....

 (1978-1979) Eddie Byrne

Eddie Byrne

Eddie Byrne was an Irish actor. Outside Ireland he is probably best known for his minor role as General Vanden Willard in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, but fans of cult sci-fi might also remember him as the skeptical Inspector Mulrooney in The Mummy and as the kindly Dr. Reginald Landers in...

 (1978)

Year-by-year

Year	Record	Regular Season Finish	Playoffs
1978	12-18	4th, Eastern Division, American Conference	First Round
1979	10-20	3rd, Eastern Division, American Conference	American Conference Semifinals
1980	10-22	4th, Eastern Division, American Conference	Did Not Qualify

Honors

NASL championships

• none

Division titles

• none

All-star second team selections

• 1978 Alan Ball, Jr.

Head coaches

Richard Dinnis

Richard Dinnis

Richard Dinnis is a radio football commentator who was briefly manager of Newcastle United in 1977. He currently works as a football commentator for BBC Radio Lancashire, commentating on local football games in North West England.-Background:...

 1978 Alan Ball, Jr. 1978 Marko Valok

Marko Valok

Marko Valok is a former footballer who represented Yugoslavia. He played club football in Yugoslavia with FK Partizan.He coached Burma, FK Partizan, Budućnost Titograd, Philadelphia Fury, FK Vojvodina, Adana Demirspor, Borac Banja Luka, Teteks Tetovo, Galenika Zemun and FK Rad.-External links: at...

 1979   Eddie Firmani

Eddie Firmani

Edwin Ronald "Eddie" Firmani is a retired football player and manager. He was born in South Africa but represented Italy internationally.-Playing career:...

1980