Vancouver Royals
Encyclopedia
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that played in the United Soccer Association
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Vancouver club was actually Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
of English Football League.
Following the 1967 season, the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League
National 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...
to form 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:...
with the teams from the former USA having to create their rosters from scratch. The San Francisco Golden Gate Gales
San Francisco Golden Gate Gales
The San Francisco Golden Gate Gales was a soccer team based out of San Francisco, California, USA, that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The San Francisco club was actually the ADO Den Haag from The Hague in the Netherlands...
franchise folded and their owners bought a controlling interest in the Royal Canadians renaming them the Vancouver Royals. Their home field was Empire Stadium
Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Empire Stadium was a multipurpose stadium that formerly stood at the Pacific National Exhibition site at Hastings Park in Vancouver. Track and field and Canadian football, as well as soccer and musical events, were held in the stadium. The stadium was originally constructed for the 1954 British...
.
Notable former players
Bobby RobsonBobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
Ike MacKay
Ike MacKay
Ike MacKay is a former Canadian soccer forward. He played 9 times, scoring one goal, for the Canadian national soccer team....
Bobby Cram
Bobby Cram
Robert Cram was an English professional footballer.Born in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, Cram joined West Bromwich Albion as an amateur in September 1955, at the age of 15. He turned professional in January 1957, but did not make his debut until October 1959, in a 0-0 draw against Bolton Wanderers...
Graham Wright James Leeroy 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....
Year-by-year
| Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Regular Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 United Soccer Association The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported... |
USA | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 5th, Western Division | Did Not Qualify |
| 1968 | NASL | 12 | 15 | 5 | 136 | 4th, Pacific Division | Did Not Qualify |