Boston Shamrock Rovers (also known as Boston Rovers) were an American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team that competed in the United Soccer Association (USA) league in 1967. The team was based in

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...

and played their home games at the Manning Bowl. The team folded when the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the

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 ...

History

In 1966 several groups of entrepreneurs were exploring the idea of forming a professional soccer league in United States. One of these groups, United Soccer Association (USA) led by

Jack Kent Cooke Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and new ...

, selected 12 cities for team locations and Weston Adams, owner of the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

, was awarded the Boston franchise. The USA originally planned to start play in the spring of 1968; however the rival National Professional Soccer League, which secured a TV contract from CBS, announced it was ready to launch in 1967. Not wanting to let the rival league gain an advantage, the USA decided to launch early. Not having secured any player contracts, the league imported teams from Europe, Brazil, and Uruguay. Shamrock Rovers F.C. of the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...

were brought over to represent the city of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Rovers opened the season at home against the Detroit Cougars in a 1 – 1 draw. A disallowed goal by the Cougars due to an offsides call led to an argument with the linesman who was hit in the face by a Detroit player. Shamrock Rovers finished the season in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 2 wins 3 ties and 7 loses, the worst in the league, and with an average attendance 4,171. Prior to the 1968 season the

United Soccer Association The United Soccer Association (USA) was a professional association football, soccer league featuring teams based in the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League ( ...

merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the

. The merged league decided not to have two-team cities and, as such, the incoming Boston Beacons from the NPSL would be Boston's NASL franchise.

Year-by-year

Match results

Notes

Sources

* ''The Hoops'' by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins ()

References

General

* *

External links

Boston Rovers stats

on nasljerseys.com {{North American Soccer League (1968–84) Defunct soccer clubs in Massachusetts Shamrock Rovers F.C. Soccer clubs in Massachusetts Sports in Lynn, Massachusetts United Soccer Association franchises 1966 establishments in Massachusetts 1968 disestablishments in Massachusetts Association football clubs established in 1966 Association football clubs disestablished in 1968 Sports clubs and teams in Essex County, Massachusetts