Everything you ever wanted to know about the Strikers...

Everything you want to know about the Strikers you can find out by just going to www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com It's a site created by Jeffrey Duly, a soccer fan who grew up following the most successful team in South Florida soccer history. Jeffrey was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Strikers of old and the Strikers to come.

Uncle Ed (UE): I appreciate you letting me interview you for my humble blog.

Jeffrey Duly (JD): Not a problem at all. Glad to talk Strikers old and new.

UE: Could you tell us a little about you? Where do you live now?

JD: I grew up in Plantation and started playing as part of that first big wave of youth soccer. I didn't play more than a few years, but unlike a lot of people who played in their youth and then didn't make the transformation from player to fan and supporter I remain a devout follower of the beautiful game. In fact when I travel overseas I try to catch a match if possible. I've been to games in England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium and Japan so far.

I have lived in Nashville now for almost twenty years now. I've been a supporter of our local USL team, the Nashville Metros since around 1994 or so. In fact I worked with the club for eight years from 2001 through 2008 (for no pay I might add) as their webmaster, scoreboard operator, match textcaster, music coordinator and occasional National Anthem singer. I eventually gave it up because I was getting burned out, but I still go to the games despite their recent run of awful play lately.

UE: What made you a fan of the Strikers?

JD: The first professional match I attended as a kid was either in 1975 or 1976 when we drove down to the Orange Bowl to see the Miami Toros play. It was great when they moved up to Lockhart in 1977. We went to a few matches that first year and from 1978 until the team left after the 1983 season we had season tickets. My sister and I were members of the Striker Liker Club and sat in their section in the east end zone. My parents' tickets were in the south stand so we didn't even watch the matches together. I think in later years we eventually sat in the south stand as well.

It was new. The excitement was there. It broke my heart when in December 1983 as a freshman at Florida State I was walking through the union to the post office and saw the cover of the Sun-Sentinel in the machine announcing that the team was moving to Minnesota.

UE: Do you by any chance have video of games?

JD: I have about a half dozen or so old matches on DVD that I got on Ebay over the past few years, including Soccer Bowl 80.

UE: Who was your favorite player?

JD: In the early years my favorite player was Maurice Whittle, mostly because he was a defender like me and we shared the same uniform number 2. But when you talk about the eternal Strikers, two names have to beat the top of the list: Ray Hudson and Teofilo 'Nene' Cubillas. Rocky was so enthusiastic from the time the club was a conglomeration of English lads through the later years when it was more of an international mix. Nene was in many ways the same after he came. After all he not only played for the Strikers in the NASL, but also the South Florida Sun in the USL and the new Strikers in the ASL. And let's not forget Hudson's involvement with the Fusion. Those two guys weren't just players who came and went. They came and stayed. They became part of the community.

UE: Why create a page dedicated to the Strikers?

JD: I had noticed only a couple of other pages devoted to old clubs. If I remember correctly there was one for the Cosmos and maybe the Sting (I can't find one now. I might have been dreaming that one.). I think the one that impressed me most was the one for the Philadelphia Atoms. There is so much information there. Remember this was before Wikipedia was around so sites like this were the only place to get information like this.

Then I asked myself "Why is there no page for the Strikers?" So I took it upon myself to do one. I had kept some stuff from the old days and acquired other memorabilia on Ebay, so I had plenty of information to use. It's not fancy and for a club that ceased to exist almost thirty years ago it doesn't need much updating, but I enjoyed putting it together. In fact it has gotten interest from all over the world, including a former player or two (I specifically remember Steve Zerhusen being one of them), a former general manager, Greg Cote at the Miami Herald, a few Brits who stumbled upon my site when looking for information about George Best after he passed away, and a man from the Netherlands who was writing a book about Jan Van Beveren.

UE: What persuaded you to acquire the www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com address? (Do you also own another web page?)

JD: A couple of years ago I thought about getting a proper domain name. Prior to that the address was just part of my Comcast account. The only way you would find it was from a Google search, but people still found it just the same. I just figured it would be easier to remember or find if it had a good domain name. I think the fortlauderdalestrikers domain was taken at the time so I got the ftlauderdalestrikers.com. Then when Miami FC announced their intention to "honor the legacy" of the old club I noticed that the fortlauderdalestrikers.com domain was
available. I decided to get that one too just so that someone wouldn't buy it and try to hold the club hostage for lots of money if they wanted to buy it. And if they didn't want it I would just have both of them for my website. I have some experience with these people who buy domain names in hopes of getting a payday. Right before I became the webmaster for the Nashville Metros, the club let the domain expire before renewing it. Some guy in Taiwan bought it and wanted money to get it back. Of course he didn't know the Metros' owners. If he had he would have known that he wasn't going to get any money out of them. We just registered a different domain. That Chinese fellow still has the name and renews it every couple of years.

UE: Did you also follow the Miami Fusion?

JD: By the time MLS started up I was living in Nashville, so following any MLS club wasn't really an option. I do have a Fusion jersey hanging in my closet though.

UE: Could you tell us an anecdote of your time as a Ft. Lauderdale Strikers fan?

JD: My fondest memories were the matches against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. They were spectacles and not so much for the play on the pitch. When they would come to town their supporters would drive through the parking lot at Lockhart wearing their green and yellow and singing that annoying
Rowdies song. Of course the Strikers fans would naturally responded in kind changing "the Rowdies are a kick in the grass" to "the Rowdies are a pain in the ass". And I recall the song we sang to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" that went "Rod, Rod, Rodney Marsh. He has got no class. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. We will kick his ass." We took a trip to Tampa one year to see a match at the old Tampa Stadium.
When we were leaving after the Strikers win, my mother and her friend were skipping down the ramp happily singing at the tops of their lungs.
It was great. Both fan bases cared passionately. I like what I see now at MLS matches with the supporters group sections standing and singing the whole match. It's reminds me a bit of the passion of the Strikers-Rowdies days.
I won't even mention being a kid and smelling the odor of marijuana wafting up from under the east stand. It was the '70's after all. ;)

UE: What do you think of the new 2011 Strikers?

JD: I think it can be a good thing if done right. With the Clash becoming the Earthquakes several years ago and the Sounders, Timbers and Whitecaps from the USL all moving up to MLS, there is a lot of nostalgia for the old teams. I think the move to Lockhart made all the sense in the world. No offense to any fans from Miami, but clubs in Broward have always been better supported. I can understand the concern of some that if it doesn't go well that it will taint the legacy and I hope that is not the case. But I remain optimistic that despite the ever-changing landscape of second division soccer in the U.S. the Strikers will survive and flourish. Success on the field would help too. The NASL Strikers played in the Soccer Bowl. The ASL Strikers won a national title. This version needs to start winning trophies. Oh, and bring back the red and yellow hoops. That is a must.

UE: A word to the fans?

JD: Support your team through thick or thin. If you do not, you won't have a team. It's as simple as that. Heck, even if you do you might not be there the next year. That is just the perpetually unstable landscape of soccer in this country. The Fusion won the Supporters' Shield in 2001
and the next year they were gone. Make Lockhart Stadium live again, even if the old gal is going to be in a water park soon enough.***A lot of the player photos on JD's website came from Dave Morrison's NASL jerseys website
(http://www.nasljerseys.com/) He was happy to let JD use some of them for his site.
For more information on the Strikers to come, be sure to check out: http://www.strikers2011.com/ for updates.

History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part IV NASL is gone what's next?

The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part IV' NASL is gone what's next? was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com date: August 29, 2009.

Part IV: NASL is Gone, What’s Next?
By Robert Scorca - The Fort Lauderdale Strikers moved to Minnesota because there was no suitable indoor facility here. The irony was after moving, the NASL never played an indoor season. They did play in a tournament before moving to Minnesota. In no surprise the indoor Fort Lauderdale Strikers finished last.

1983 Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer (NASL)
Listed below are teams that participated,order of finish and won-lost record
1.Tampa Bay Rowdies 6-2
2.Montreal Manic 5-3
3.Tulsa Roughnecks 4-4
4. Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1-7

The league folded but all was not lost. While outdoor soccer was dying the indoor game was at its height. With the future undecided several players left. Bernd Holzenbein went to Memphis Americans, Jan Van Beveren went to Dallas Sidekicks (both of the MISL) and Brian Kidd went to England to coach Barrows. The Minnesota Strikers joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and played in the Metropolitan Sports Center.
Players of Note: Godfrey Ingram from Golden Bay Earthquake to Minnesota in 1984, then to Las Vegas.

Americans (MISL): Thompson Usiyan from Tulsa Roughnecks (NASL) to Minnesota 1984-87, then to Los Angeles Lazers. Jan Goossens from Golden Bay Earthquakes (NASL) to Minnesota 1984-86 then to Kansas City Comets (MISL). Hector Marinaro comes from Cleveland Force (MISL) to Minnesota 1986-88, than to Los Angeles Lazers. He records his first goal and point while with the Strikers. His career total of 1,222 goals and 1,923 points would be records for indoor soccer.

Tino Letteri leaves Minnesota at end of 1986-87 season and plays for the Hamilton Steelers of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).

W L Finish
1984-85 Minnesota Strikers 24 24 4th Eastern Division
1985-86 Minnesota Strikers 26 22 2nd Eastern Division
1986-87 Minnesota Strikers 26 26 4th Eastern Division
1987-88 Minnesota Strikers 31 25 1st Eastern Division

Even though the indoor Minnesota Strikers 107-97 record was much better than the indoor Fort Lauderdale Strikers 4-26 record the title was not to be. The 1985-86 team came within a game of winning the MISL Championship Series losing the 7th game to the San Diego Sockers. The loss is especially painful as Minnesota had a three game to one edge but was unable to close out the series. San Diego's Coach Ron Newman and playoff scoring leader Branko Segota (both former members of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers) hoist the trophy for consecutive years. It looks like the Strikers would never become champions.

As the Minnesota Strikers were folding the name did not die. South of Minnesota the Fort Lauderdale Strikers name resurfaced in the newly formed American Soccer League (ASL) in 1988. Many players from the former Strikers appear on this team. Thomas Rongen is to be the first player signed and later goes on to coach the team. Teofilo "Nene" Cubillas comes out of retirement in 1987 to help resurrect his home club Alianza Lima. A tragic plane crash claims the lives of their players and coaching staff. Teofilo plays for and helps recruit players to join Alianza Lima. In 1988 he rejoins the Strikers. The next year he plays for the Miami Sharks of the ASL then retires.Other returning players include Ray Hudson, Arnie Mausser, Dan Canter, and Steve Kinsey. Ray Hudson an original Striker (who also played all the years of the Minnesota Strikers) returns home. He would play until this version of the Strikers fold then go on to retire.

The second year the ASL champ would play the Western Soccer Alliance (ASL) in a National Championship. This would be the crowning achievement for the Strikers as they won their 1st (and only) championship. After a 0-4 start the Strikers came on strong to finish 12-8. In the ASL Championship series they split with the Boston Bolts winning 1-0 then losing 2-0. In the mini game they defeat the Bolts 1-0 to win the ASL Championship. Next they play the champions of the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA), the San Diego Nomads. The Strikers win 3-1 to capture the National Championship. The next year both leagues would merge as the American Professional Soccer League (APSL).

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers finished 1st their first 4 years in the league. They played their home games at Lockhart Stadium. 1990 was an exception with Lockhart closed for part of the season for renovations. They split their home games between Lockhart, the Royal Palm Polo Sports Club in Boca Raton and the Pompano Municipal Stadium.

Winn Dixie was the sponsor of the team starting from their beginning. Although foreign clubs sported sponsor's names on their jerseys it looked odd to see WINN DIXIE across the front of the Strikers jerseys. Pieter Brown mentioned that this led to the " Let's go Winn Dixie, let's go! " chants. Pieter and I agree that what was once mocked now is the norm and clubs are now identified in part by their sponsors.

Players of Note: Eric Eichmann from Werder Bremen to Strikers 1988-92 to Wichita Wings of Major Soccer League (formerly MISL).

Tony Meola from Watford FC in England to Strikers in 1991. In his debut in goal Tony Meola would hold Bayern Munich to a 0-0 tie. Five members of this Bayern Munich team were starters for the 1990 German World Cup Champion Team. He played in 7 games and reappeared in 1994 with the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL).
W L Finish
1988 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 14 6 1st ASL Southern Division
1989 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 12 8 ASL Champion
1990 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 15 5 1st APSL Southern Division
1991 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 15 6 1st APSL Southern Division
1992 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 7 9 4th APSL
1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 9 15 6th APSL
1994 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 12 8 5th APSL

While the APSL Fort Lauderdale Strikers were playing their final season there was another Fort Lauderdale soccer club starting up in the United States Interregional Soccer Leagues (USISL). Most likely to avoid confusion they were called the Fort Lauderdale Kicks. This is ironic as the original NASL Minnesota club was the Minnesota Kicks. The original Fort Lauderdale Strikers became the Minnesota Strikers upon moving north. The next year the APSL Strikers folded so the final version was free to change its name. Once again the Fort Lauderdale Strikers name was used in the renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues, Inc. A year later they changed their name to the Florida Strikers most likely to have a broader appeal. If so, it did not work as the club folded after two more seasons. Finishing no higher than third might have been more to blame. During the 1996 and 1997 seasons the Florida Strikers were designated as an official affiliate of the MLS and Tampa Bay Mutiny. The league changed it's name in 1999 to the name we know it by today, the United Soccer Leagues.

Information for team colors, stadium and capacity, players of note supplied from the 1997 Media Guide for the USISL.

Team Colors: white, blue and black.

Stadium: Buccaneer Stadium at Barry University. Stadium capacity 1,000. Nick Megaloudis informed me that attendance was usually between 200-250.

As this was a developmental team, the people of most importance were the ones involved with the team at the management level. Eddie Rodger was the owner of the Fort Lauderdale Kicks. Eddie's influence on the South Florida soccer scene is still very apparent. Eddie is the Owner/CEO of Kics International. Many soccer clubs have utilized his soccer facilities at the Sunrise Holiday Inn. Among these are many national teams, top level foreign clubs, and MLS clubs. Later years Nick Megaloudis (General Manager) and Tom Mulroy (Operations Manager) were active. Tom is the president of and founder of the Copa Latina. Nick who assists Tom was an assistant Coach of the Miami Fusion.

Players of Note: Jeff Cunningham who currently plays for FC Dallas. Also Alen Kozic who played for the Miami Fusion in their inaugural season.
W L Finish
1994 Fort Lauderdale Kicks 5 12 6th in Southeast Division
1995 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 8 12 4th Pro League Southeast Division
1996 Florida Strikers 7 7 3rd Premier League in Southern Division
1997 Florida Strikers 10 8 4th D3 Pro League in South Atlantic Division

I would like to thank the following for their help: Pieter Brown, Teofilo "Nene" Cubillas, Teofilo Cubillas jr., Eddie Rodger, Tom Mulroy and Nick Megaloudis. Also thanks to Jeffrey Duly and his web site www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com . My collection of countless game day programs and media guides were very helpful in locating and verifying information which otherwise would be speculation.

I can not say with 100% certainty that all information is correct. Often I would come across conflicting information. In these cases I would cross reference up to 6 different sources of information to determine the most likely correct entry.

I used numerous game day programs, team media guides and league media guides as my main source of information. These were written closest to when the events occured and were most likely correct. Recalling information many years later has the greatest likelihood of being incorrect but had to be used where there was no existing information to support this article.

Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART III: PRO SOCCER LEAVES MIAMI

The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part III' was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com date: July 23, 2009.

PART III: Pro Soccer Leaves Miami...
By Robert Scorca - After suffering their worst record in history and years of poor attendance it was time for a big change. After 5 years in Miami the Toros moved to Broward. A new name, new stadium (Lockhart), colors etc. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were to become one of the cornerstone teams in the N.A.S.L. Team goes through major changes as the Strikers become an instant success at the gate and in the standings. They went from 19th of 20 teams to 1st place tie out of 18 teams. Lockhart Stadium expanded from 8,000 to 11,000 seats to make room for the large crowds. On the road a playoff game between the Strikers and Cosmos drew 77,691 a record that still stands for a soccer match in the United States.
Coach: Ron Newman. Assistance Coach was Gordon Banks
Players of Note: Gordon Banks, Ray Hudson, David Irving and David Chadwick add an English flavor to the club. 1977 saw Ronnie Sharp retire. General Manager was Krikor Yepremian. Strikers Radio WSRF 1580 AM the voice of the team was Rick Weaver color commentary was provided by Garo Yepremian.

1978 saw expansion to Lockhart as 4,000 more seats were added to total 15,000. The big addition was acquiring George Best in a trade with the Los Angles Aztecs. Roberto Aguirre retires being the only person to play for the Gatos, Toros and Strikers. 1979 saw Arnie Mausser replace Gordon Banks who retires. Coach Ron Newman is fired, becoming a thorn in our side as coach of the San Diego Sockers. Also gone are David Irving (Tulsa Roughnecks) and David Chadwick who becomes joint head coach of the Atlanta Chiefs.

Players of Note: Teofilo "Nene" Cubillas, and Gerd "der Bomber" Muller. 1977 Gordon Banks 1st team all star
Team Colors:
1977 hot orange, yellow and black
1978 red, yellow and black

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1977 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 19 7 1st Eastern Div.
1978 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 16 14 3rd Eastern Div.
1979 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 17 13 2nd Eastern Div.
The NASL was on the down slide. The NASL lost their drawing card when Pele retired after the 1977 but attendance did not drop. Over expansion is the big problem as many people with no soccer experience bought their way into the league.

The next 2 years the Fort Lauderdale Strikers play both an outdoor (1979,1980) and indoor schedule (1979-80, 1980-81) The 1980 team was the only Strikers team to make it to the Soccer Bowl losing to the Cosmos 3-0. The indoor team was a different story. In 2 seasons they had a combined 4-26 record. The Hollywood Sportatorium was used for indoor soccer and also left a lot to be desired. 1980 Arnie Mausser plays for the New England Tea Men and Gerd Muller returns to Germany.Players of Note: Jan Van Beveren joins the club in 1980 and Branko Segota (from the Rochester Lancers) and Bernd Holzenhein in 1981.
1980 Teofilo Cubillas 1st team all star
1981 Jan Van Beveren, Teofilo Cubillas 1st team all stars
North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1979 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 17 13 2nd Eastern Div.
1979-80 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 3 9 4th Eastern Div.
1980 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 2nd Eastern Div.
1980-81 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 1 17 4th Eastern Div.
1981 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 2nd Eastern Div.

The NASL days were numbered. 1982 saw the NASL lose 7 teams. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers play their final season.
Player of Note: Brian Kidd who comes here from the Atlanta Chiefs in 1982.
1983 Jan Van Beveren 1st team all star

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1982 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 1st South Div.
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 14 16 2nd South Div.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers become the Minnesota Strikers. The NASL looks to indoor soccer for the survival of the league. Unable to find a sufficient facility the Robbies move north. Branko Segota goes to the Golden Bay Earthquakes. The team plays in the Hubert H. Humprey Metrodome Stadium and retains the same colors adding yellow to their away jerseys. Teofilo Cubillas opts to remain here playing for the Fort Lauderdale Sun of the United Soccer League.
Player of Note: Tino Letteri coming to Minnesota from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1983
1984 Ray Hudson 1st team all star

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1984 Minnesota Strikers 14 10 3rd Western Div.

Would like to credit the following for help on this article: " The History of American Soccer " by Steve Holroyd and Dave Litterer. Also of help was www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com a site hosted by Jeffrey Duly.

Stay Tuned for PART IV: THE NASL IS GONE, WHAT NEXT?

Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI

The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part II' was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com on July 7, 2009.

By Robert Scorca - In this second part soccer grows to the level many of us fans remember. Professional soccer comes to Miami, the Miami Gatos are born. The N.A.S.L. has crowds of over 70,000. No that is not a typo.

PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI

The birth of South Florida professional soccer starts with the birth of the Miami Gatos. They are owned by Garo Yepremian of Miami Dolphins fame. President of the club was John Bilotta. General manager was Norman Sutherland. They struggle at the gate and also in the standings.

Stadium: Miami Dade North Stadium

Players of Note: Warren Archibald, and Roberto Aguirre, 1972 Willie Evans 1st team all star
Team Colors: purple and white
North American Soccer League (Division I)
W T L Finish
1972 Miami Gatos 3 3 8 4th in Southern Division


The team changes name to Miami Toros, colors and ownership. The gate and standing are getting better. They have 4 people listed as General Partners most notably was Elizabeth Robbie. She was listed in this position as a rule prohibited her husband Joe Robbie from owning a second professional sports franchise. The 1974 team makes it all the way to the championship game losing to the Los Angeles Aztecs on penalty kicks 4-3. The game was played in the Orange Bowl and sadly was the closest we would come to winning the N.A.S.L. Championship. 1973 Warren Archibald wins MVP award.

Stadium: Orange Bowl and Tamiami Stadium
Player of Note: Ronnie Sharp and Steve David. 1973 David Sadler, Warren Archibald 1st team all stars, 1974 Ronnie Sharp, Roberto Aguirre 1st team all stars.
1973,1974 Team Colors: red and white

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W T L Finish
1973 Miami Toros 8 6 5 3rd in Eastern Div.
1974 Miami Toros 9 6 5 1st in Eastern Div.

Early in 1975 the New York Cosmos failed in an attempt to sign George Best.
June 3, 1975 was to be the biggest day in professional soccer history in the United States as the New York Cosmos of North American Soccer League signed Pele.This was international news and led to many major signings in the league. Even though he had yet to play for any team in the N.A.S.L., his signing lead to many international stars joining the league. On a lesser note the N.A.S.L. did away with tie games and the Miami Toros changed colors. 1975 Steve David wins MVP and scoring title. Steve David goes to the Los Angeles Aztec, Warren Archibald goes to Rochester Lancers and Bill Nuttal plays for 2 years than leaves to coach at F.I.U.

Player of Note: Bill Nutttal, Ronnie Sharp, Steve David 1st team all stars
Team Colors: 1975 maroon and white
1976 fire engine red and white
Played in the Orange Bowl

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1975 Miami Toros 14 8 2nd in Eastern Div.
1976 Miami Toros 6 18 5th in Eastern Div.

Coming Up Next : Part III Pro Soccer Leaves Miami
and Comes to Ft. Lauderdale

Credit the following for help on this article: " The History of American Soccer " by Steve Holroyd and Dave Litterer. Also of help was www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com a site hosted by Jeffrey Duly.

Stay Tuned for PART III: Pro Soccer Leaves Miami...