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St. Louis Stars (soccer)
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Stars were a soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri
that played in the original NASL
from 1967 to 1977.
were the first ever professional soccer team in St. Louis. The team was headed by Bob Hermann who later went on to create the Hermann Trophy
, college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy
. St. Louis had a long history of strong play in amateur leagues and a college soccer dynasty and the team immediately stole the spotlight from the amateur clubs and attracted many mainstream sports fans. The Stars' average attendance at well over 7,000 was the highest in the league.
Following the 1968 NASL season, the league was in trouble with ten franchises having folded. The 1969 season was split into two halves. The first half was called the International Cup, a double round robin tournament in which the remaining NASL clubs were represented by teams imported from the United Kingdom
. The Stars were represented by Kilmarnock F.C.
of Scotland
. The Stars came in last for the Cup with a 2-5-1 record. For the second half of the 1969 season, the teams returned to their normal rosters and played a 16 game schedule with no playoffs.
The Stars' legacy is one of drawing players from the local United States talent pool keeping costs low instead of investing in aging foreign players with high contracts. This strategy is the reason for the Stars' longevity (lasting ten seasons during some the NASL's most turbulent times), but often the team was very mediocre and after the first year of success, the team began to draw very poor crowds. From 1967-68 and 1971-74 the Stars played at Busch Memorial Stadium
and from 1969-70 and 1975-77 the home games were held at Francis Field. There was an attempt to return to Busch for 1978, but the Stars were not able to secure a lease to their liking. With only small Francis Field available as an option and player salaries rising sharply, there seemed little alternative but to relocate. So after the 1977 season, they packed their bags and moved to Anaheim and became the California Surf
.
Coach of the Year
http://national.soccerhall.org/famers/pat_mcbride.htm Al Trost
Casey Frankiewicz Bob Kehoe
http://national.soccerhall.org/builders/bob_kehoe.htm Dragan Popovic Gary Rensing
Ray Evans (footballer)
(1977) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#E John Sewell
Wilf Tranter
Peter Bonetti
(1975) Bill Glazier
(1976-??) Fred Binney
(1977) Steve Moyers
Willy Roy
http://national.soccerhall.org/famers/willy_roy.htm Don Ceresia Barry Salvage (1977) Dragoslav Šekularac
(1967) Bora Kostić
(1967) Geoff Davies
(1977) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#D Denny Vaninger
Robert Baylis (1972) Cheung Chi Doy
(1968)
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
that played in the original NASL
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 1967 to 1977.
History
The St. Louis Stars, founded in 1967 as a team in the NPSLNational Professional Soccer League (1967)
The National Professional Soccer League was a North American professional soccer league that existed for only the 1967 season before merging with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League. It had ten charter members, nine from the United States and one from Canada...
were the first ever professional soccer team in St. Louis. The team was headed by Bob Hermann who later went on to create the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
, college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. St. Louis had a long history of strong play in amateur leagues and a college soccer dynasty and the team immediately stole the spotlight from the amateur clubs and attracted many mainstream sports fans. The Stars' average attendance at well over 7,000 was the highest in the league.
Following the 1968 NASL season, the league was in trouble with ten franchises having folded. The 1969 season was split into two halves. The first half was called the International Cup, a double round robin tournament in which the remaining NASL clubs were represented by teams imported from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Stars were represented by Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The Stars came in last for the Cup with a 2-5-1 record. For the second half of the 1969 season, the teams returned to their normal rosters and played a 16 game schedule with no playoffs.
The Stars' legacy is one of drawing players from the local United States talent pool keeping costs low instead of investing in aging foreign players with high contracts. This strategy is the reason for the Stars' longevity (lasting ten seasons during some the NASL's most turbulent times), but often the team was very mediocre and after the first year of success, the team began to draw very poor crowds. From 1967-68 and 1971-74 the Stars played at Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
and from 1969-70 and 1975-77 the home games were held at Francis Field. There was an attempt to return to Busch for 1978, but the Stars were not able to secure a lease to their liking. With only small Francis Field available as an option and player salaries rising sharply, there seemed little alternative but to relocate. So after the 1977 season, they packed their bags and moved to Anaheim and became the California Surf
California Surf
The California Surf were a soccer club based in Anaheim, California who played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1981. Their home field was Anaheim Stadium.They originally were the St. Louis Stars...
.
Honors
Rookie of the Year- 1970 Jim LeekerJim LeekerJim Leeker is a former U.S. soccer player. He was the 1970 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year and went on to play a total of three seasons in the league....
- 1972 Mike WinterMike WinterMike Winter is a retired Austrian-American soccer goalkeeper who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned six caps with the United States national team.-NASL:...
Coach of the Year
- 1972 Casey Frankiewicz
- 1975 John SewellJohn Sewell (footballer)John David Sewell was a professional footballer who had a long career in the English Football League, before continuing as player and coach in the North American Soccer League during the 1970s...
Notable players
Pat McBridePat mcbride
Patrick "Pat" McBride is a retired American soccer midfielder and indoor soccer coach. He earned five caps with the U.S. national team and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
http://national.soccerhall.org/famers/pat_mcbride.htm Al Trost
Al Trost
Alan Trost is a retired U.S. soccer midfielder. He played collegiate soccer at Saint Louis University where he won the 1969 and 1970 Hermann Trophy as the player of the year. His professional career includes years in both the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League . He...
Casey Frankiewicz Bob Kehoe
Bob Kehoe
Robert “Bob” Kehoe is a former U.S. soccer defender. He earned four caps as captain of the U.S. national team in 1965. He later coached the US national team in 1972. He was also the first U.S. born coach in the North American Soccer League. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame...
http://national.soccerhall.org/builders/bob_kehoe.htm Dragan Popovic Gary Rensing
Gary Rensing
Gary Rensing is a retired American soccer defender who played nine seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned four caps with the U.S. national team.-Youth:...
Ray Evans (footballer)
Ray Evans (footballer)
Ray Evans is a retired English footballer who played in the position of full back in England and the United States.-Career:...
(1977) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#E John Sewell
John Sewell (footballer)
John David Sewell was a professional footballer who had a long career in the English Football League, before continuing as player and coach in the North American Soccer League during the 1970s...
Wilf Tranter
Wilf Tranter
Wilfred Tranter was an English footballer. His regular position was at full back. He was born in Pendlebury, Lancashire. He played for Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Baltimore Bays, St Louis Stars, and Fulham.-External links:...
Peter Bonetti
Peter Bonetti
Peter Phillip Bonetti is a former football goalkeeper for Chelsea, the St. Louis Stars, Dundee United and England. Bonetti was known for his safe handling, lightning reflexes and his graceful style, for which he was given the nickname, "The Cat"...
(1975) Bill Glazier
Bill Glazier
Bill Glazier is a retired English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Crystal Palace, Coventry City, Brentford and the St. Louis Stars.-External links:****...
(1976-??) Fred Binney
Fred Binney
Frederick Edward Binney is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Torquay United, Exeter City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Plymouth Argyle and Hereford United, and in the North American Soccer League for the St. Louis Stars.-Early career:Binney was raised in...
(1977) Steve Moyers
Steve Moyers
Steve Moyers is a retired soccer forward from the United States, who was a member of the American squad that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California...
Willy Roy
Willy Roy
Willy Roy is a retired U.S. soccer forward and coach. He played for several teams in the National Professional Soccer League and the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the United States national team from 1965 to 1973...
http://national.soccerhall.org/famers/willy_roy.htm Don Ceresia Barry Salvage (1977) Dragoslav Šekularac
Dragoslav Šekularac
Dragoslav Šekularac Dragoslav Šekularac (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгослав Шекуларац) Dragoslav Šekularac (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгослав Шекуларац) (born November 30, 1937 in Štip, Vardar Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia is a Serbian former football player and coach....
(1967) Bora Kostić
Bora Kostic
Borivoje "Bora" Kostić was a former Serbian footballer.During his club career he played for Red Star Belgrade, Lanerossi Vicenza and St. Louis Stars. He earned 33 caps and 26 goals for the Yugoslavia national football team, and participated in the 1960 European Nations' Cup...
(1967) Geoff Davies
Geoff Davies
Geoffrey Peter "Geoff" Davies is an English retired professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a midfielder.-Playing career:...
(1977) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#D Denny Vaninger
Denny Vaninger
Dennis “Denny” Vaninger is a former U.S. soccer forward who spent seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and at least two seasons in Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned three caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national team. He also won the 1971 U.S. Amateur Cup with St. Louis...
Robert Baylis (1972) Cheung Chi Doy
Cheung Chi Doy
Cheung Chi Doy is a Chinese former professional footballer. He played for Blackpool and the Republic of China . During the era, Republic of China team was represented by players from Hong Kong....
(1968)
Coaches
- George MihaljevicGeorge MihaljevićĐuro "George" Mihaljević is a former Croatian soccer player and coach.-Career:Mihaljević began his career with the youth team of Radnički in 1948. Between the ages of 18 and 22 he played professionally in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, before moving to the United States, where he joined the Army...
(1967) Rudi GutendorfRudi GutendorfRudolf "Rudi" Gutendorf is a German football manager, renowned for managing the highest number of national teams – to date a total of 18 teams.- Career :...
(1968) Bob KehoeBob KehoeRobert “Bob” Kehoe is a former U.S. soccer defender. He earned four caps as captain of the U.S. national team in 1965. He later coached the US national team in 1972. He was also the first U.S. born coach in the North American Soccer League. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame...
(1969-70) - George MeyerGeorge Meyer (soccer)George Meyer is an American former soccer coach who had two brief tenures as head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, in 1957 and 1965. He also led the American team in its attempt to qualify for the 1964 Olympics, managing to lose a game to Suriname.he also coached Chicago...
and Casey Frankiewicz (1971) - Casey Frankiewicz (1972-73) John SewellJohn Sewell (footballer)John David Sewell was a professional footballer who had a long career in the English Football League, before continuing as player and coach in the North American Soccer League during the 1970s...
(1974-78)
Average attendance
- 1967 - 7613
- 1968 - 5388
- 1969 - 2274
- 1970 - 2745
- 1971 - 3579
- 1972 - 7773
- 1973 - 6337
- 1974 - 7374
- 1975 - 6071
- 1976 - 6150
- 1977 - 9794
Year-by-year
| Year | Record | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 14-7-11 | 2nd, Western Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1968 | 12-6-14 | 3rd, Gulf Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1969 | 3-2-11 | 4th, NASL | Did Not Qualify |
| 1970 | 5-2-17 | 3rd, Eastern Division, Northern Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1971 | 6-5-13 | 4th, Southern Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1972 | 7-3-4 | 1st, Southern Division | Runners-up |
| 1973 | 7-5-7 | 2nd, Southern Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1974 | 4-1-15 | 4th, Central Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1975 | 13-9 | 1st, Central Division | Semi-Finals |
| 1976 | 5-19 | 5th, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1977 | 12-14 | 2nd, Atlantic Conference, Northern Division | First round |