Bermuda Hogges were a Bermudian football team based in
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and the main settlement of Pembroke Parish. A port city, Hamilton is Bermuda's financial and commercial centre, and a popular tourist destination. Its population of ...
. Founded in 2006, the team played in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
(PDL), the fourth tier of the
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur association football, soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Although sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are no ...
, in the Mid Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. On 28 May 2013, the club announced it pulled out of the USL's Premier Development League due to financial difficulties.
The team played its home games at the
Bermuda Athletic Association Stadium in
Pembroke, Bermuda. The team's colours were red, green and white.
History
The Hogges were announced as an expansion team in the
USL Second Division
The USL Second Division (commonly referred to as USL-2) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was at the third tier of soccer in the United States, behind Major League Soccer ...
in 2007, owned by
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
legend
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater (born 25 February 1970) is a Bermudian former professional Association football, footballer, coach and pundit who is currently part of the coaching staff at Aston Villa W.F.C., Aston Villa Women.
As a player he was a Forwa ...
, fellow former professional
Kyle Lightbourne, and local businessman
Paul Scope. The stated aim of the team was to develop the overall level of play in Bermuda due to increased regular international competition for the top Bermudan players, which it was hoped would also result in a more competitive national team. The name "Hogges" was suggested by the team's owners following a fan contest; it comes from the
hog's long association with Bermuda, and the toughness of the animal.
The initial first team squad included a number of full
Bermudian international players, notably
Stephen Astwood,
Domico Coddington,
Darius Cox,
Devaun DeGraff,
Timothy Figureido,
Damon Ming,
John Barry Nusum,
Michael Parsons,
Jelani Scott and
Kwame Steede, all of whom had represented their country in various
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
and
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup () is an association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for men's senior national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament is held every two ...
qualifying games.
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater (born 25 February 1970) is a Bermudian former professional Association football, footballer, coach and pundit who is currently part of the coaching staff at Aston Villa W.F.C., Aston Villa Women.
As a player he was a Forwa ...
and
Kyle Lightbourne were also Bermudian internationals until their retirement from international football, making the Hogges' by far the most experienced
USL2 team in terms of international competition.
The team's first game took place on 27 April 2007, at home against the
Harrisburg City Islanders, in front of over 1,500 fans. The Islanders won the game 1–0 off a goal from
Chad Severs, setting in motion a difficult first season for the Hogges. Bermuda won just three of their 20 regular season games – a 2–1 over
New Hampshire Phantoms
The Seacoast United Phantoms (formerly the New Hampshire Phantoms) are an American association football, soccer team based in Epping, New Hampshire. The team was originally based in Manchester, New Hampshire, before moving to Portsmouth, New Ha ...
at the end of June in what was the franchise's first ever victory, a 3–2 over
Cincinnati Kings in July in which
Stephen Astwood hit two goals, and a 1–0 victory in August, again over New Hampshire.
Lloyd Holder scored the Hogges' first ever goals in the 1–1 draw with Cincinnati in May; elsewhere, however, the Hogges struggled to find form.
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles is an American amateur soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at the ...
hit four goals past them in two separate occasions,
Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...
hammered them 4–0 in mid-June, while the season's nadir came in the astonishing 8–1 demolition they suffered at the hands of
Crystal Palace Baltimore in late July. The season ended with the Hogges in last place in the USL2 table, one point behind the
New Hampshire Phantoms
The Seacoast United Phantoms (formerly the New Hampshire Phantoms) are an American association football, soccer team based in Epping, New Hampshire. The team was originally based in Manchester, New Hampshire, before moving to Portsmouth, New Ha ...
, but 29 points behind regular season champions Richmond.
Stephen Astwood had the honour being the Hogges' top scorer in the debut season, with four goals, while
Damon Ming contributed four assists.
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater (born 25 February 1970) is a Bermudian former professional Association football, footballer, coach and pundit who is currently part of the coaching staff at Aston Villa W.F.C., Aston Villa Women.
As a player he was a Forwa ...
made 8 appearances for his team, scoring three goals along the way.
The Hogges' form improved slightly in the 2008 season, and although they finished the year with a losing record, and out of the playoffs for a second year, they did improve to a 5–13–2 record, and finished ahead of
Real Maryland Monarchs in the final standings. The year began with a disappointing 6–0 loss to
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles is an American amateur soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at the ...
on the opening day of the season, but the Hogges quickly recovered to register back-to-back victories for the first time in franchise history with wins over
Wilmington Hammerheads and
Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Further wins over
Western Mass Pioneers (3–1 in mid-June),
Real Maryland Monarchs (2–1 on the road in late July off a late goal from
Kevin Richards), and
Crystal Palace Baltimore (3–1 on the penultimate game of the season) provided the year's bright spots; however, they also suffered a number of comprehensive losses, falling 5–1 to Wilmington in early July, 5–1 to eventual USL2 champions
Cleveland City Stars later in the month, and being annihilated 7–1 at home by the
Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...
, with Richmond striker
David Bulow scoring a hat trick.
Damon Ming was Bermuda's sophomore season top performer, with four goals and four assists.
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater (born 25 February 1970) is a Bermudian former professional Association football, footballer, coach and pundit who is currently part of the coaching staff at Aston Villa W.F.C., Aston Villa Women.
As a player he was a Forwa ...
made just four appearances, registering just 18 minutes of play for the year.
On 22 December 2009, following the exodus of teams from the USL to the new
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
, the Hogges announced that they would self-relegate, and play in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
in 2010.
On 28 May 2013 club management announced they would not field a team in the PDL for the 2013 season. The team's owner Paul Scope said Hogges had failed to raise sufficient funds to cover the cost.
Players
Notable former players
''This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional football after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.''
*
Logan Alexander
*
Stephen Astwood
*
Tyrell Burgess
*
Devaun DeGraff
*
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater (born 25 February 1970) is a Bermudian former professional Association football, footballer, coach and pundit who is currently part of the coaching staff at Aston Villa W.F.C., Aston Villa Women.
As a player he was a Forwa ...
*
Freddy Hall
*
Kyle Lightbourne
*
John Barry Nusum
*
Kevin Richards
*
Marlon Rojas
Marlon Rojas (born November 11, 1979, in Arima) is a Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidadian association football, footballer who currently is a player/coach at Bermudian side Somerset Eagles.
Career
College
Rojas came to the United States to play Col ...
*
Antwan Russell
*
Nahki Wells
Nahki Michael Wells (born 1 June 1990) is a Bermudian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Bristol City F.C., Bristol City and the Bermuda national football team, Bermuda ...
*
Damon Ming
Year-by-year
Head coaches
*
Kyle Lightbourne (2007–2009)
*
Scott Morton (2010)
*
Maurice Lowe (2011–2012)
Stadia
*
Bermuda National Stadium,
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and the main settlement of Pembroke Parish. A port city, Hamilton is Bermuda's financial and commercial centre, and a popular tourist destination. Its population of ...
(2007–2009)
*
Bermuda Athletic Association Stadium,
Pembroke, Bermuda (2010–2012)
Average attendance
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20100105175057/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.
* 2007: 756
* 2008: 532
* 2009: 744
* 2010: 254
References
External links
Official PDL site(archived 17 March 2011)
{{BermudaFootball
Football clubs in Bermuda
Association football clubs established in 2006
Expatriated football clubs
USL Second Division teams
Defunct Premier Development League teams
2006 establishments in Bermuda
Association football clubs disestablished in 2013