Portland Timbers (1975–82)
Full name | Portland Timbers | ||
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Nickname(s) | Timbers | ||
Founded | 1975 | ||
Dissolved | 1982 | ||
Stadium |
Civic Stadium Portland, Oregon Memorial Coliseum (indoor) | ||
Capacity |
35,000 10,407 (indoor) | ||
Manager | Vic Crowe (1975–1977, 1980–1982) | ||
League | NASL | ||
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The Portland Timbers were an American professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon that competed in the original North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by three other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL, Portland Timbers of the USL and the current team which began play as part of Major League Soccer in 2011.
History
In January 1975, the NASL awarded an expansion franchise to Portland, Oregon. The name was selected on March 8, 1975 from more than 3,000 entries in an open contest.[1] They began play in the 1975 season and finished the year with the league's best record. They marched through the playoffs all the way to the championship game, Soccer Bowl '75. There, they lost to another expansion team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2–0. It was during this season that the Timbers endeared themselves to the City and Portland became known as "Soccer City USA". While the Timbers boasted some of the league's best fan support, they sometimes struggled on the field. After such a strong start, they missed the playoffs in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, they went to the Conference Finals before falling to the eventual champion Cosmos. The team folded at the end of the 1982 season as player salaries outpaced team revenue. These Timbers established soccer as a sport in the greater Portland area. Their legacy lives on in the current Timbers following and the many thousands who continue to play and follow the game. Many of these Timbers continued to live in the area after their playing careers and helped establish the soccer as a vital local sport.
Year by Year
Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Avg. Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | NASL | 16 | 6 | — | 138 | 1st, Western Division | Won Quarterfinal (Seattle) Won Semifinal (St. Louis) Lost Soccer Bowl '75 (Tampa Bay) |
14,503 |
1976 | NASL | 8 | 16 | — | 71 | 4th, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 17,429 |
1977 | NASL | 10 | 16 | — | 98 | 4th, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 13,216 |
1978 | NASL | 20 | 10 | — | 167 | 2nd, National Conference, Western Division | Won 1st Round (Washington) Won Conference Semifinal (Vancouver) Lost Conference Championship (Cosmos) |
11,803 |
1979 | NASL | 11 | 19 | — | 122 | 4th, National Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 11,172 |
1979–80 | NASL Indoor | Did not enter | ||||||
1980 | NASL | 15 | 17 | — | 133 | 4th, National Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 10,210 |
1980–81 | NASL Indoor | 10 | 8 | — | — | 2nd, Western Division | Lost 1st Round (Chicago) | 5,229 |
1981 | NASL | 17 | 15 | — | 141 | 3rd, Northwest | Lost 1st Round (San Diego) | 10,516 |
1981–82 | NASL Indoor | 7 | 11 | — | — | 2nd, National Conference, West Division | Did not qualify | 5,073 |
1982 | NASL | 14 | 18 | — | 122 | 4th, Western Division | Did not qualify | 8,786 |
Coaches
- Vic Crowe (1975–1976), (1980–1982)
- Brian Tiler (1977)
- Don Megson (1978–1979)
Honors
NASL Championships
NASL Regular Season Premierships Division Titles
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame[3]
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All-Star First Team Selections
All-Star Second Team Selections
All-Star Honorable Mentions
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External links
References
- ↑ "New soccer team to be 'Timbers'". Eugene Register-Guard. 1975-03-10. p. 3C.
- ↑ "Kasey Keller, Sigi Schmid and Glenn "Mooch" Myernick Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame".
- ↑ http://www.indoorsoccerhall.com/