The Calgary Boomers were a Canadian soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1980–81 Indoor and 1981 outdoor seasons. The team was based in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

and played their home games at

Stampede Corral The Stampede Corral was a multi-purpose venue (ice hockey, professional wrestling, rodeo, tennis) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located on the grounds of Stampede Park, the arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million ($ million to ...

during the indoor season and

McMahon Stadium McMahon Stadium is a Canadian football stadium in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium is owned by the University of Calgary and operated by the McMahon Stadium Society. The stadium is between the downtown core and the University of Calgary, north of ...

for outdoor matches. Originally founded as the

Memphis Rogues The Memphis Rogues were a professional soccer team in the former North American Soccer League. They operated in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 seasons and played their home games in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. They also played indoor ...

, the team relocated to Calgary when it was purchased by

Nelson Skalbania Nelson Mathew Skalbania (born February 12, 1938) is an engineer and businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia who is best known for signing a then 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky to the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association, and for his ...

after the 1980 season. After loses of over $2 million during its operations, the team was placed into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...

and its assets sold.

History

Founded as the

in 1978, the team was purchased for $1.2 million by

, during the

1980 North American Soccer League season Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1980. This was the 13th season of the NASL. Overview The league comprised 24 teams; for the only time in NASL history, the lineup of teams was identical to the year before, with no clubs joinin ...

with the intention of moving the team to

, as Skalbania did the

Atlanta Flames The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along wi ...

which he purchased five months previously. The team debuted in the

1980–81 NASL Indoor season The 1980–81 season was the North American Soccer League's second indoor soccer season. Overview A total of 19 of a possible 21 NASL teams participated. New York and Montreal (who was moving from Philadelphia) were the only hold-outs this indoo ...

finishing its initial campaign with a record of 10 win and 8 losses with an average attendance of 4,672 and only missing out of a playoff berth base on goals scored. The Boomers finished the 1981 outdoor in second place in Northwest Division with 17 wins and 15 loses and a season average attendance of 10,501. The number 8 seed in the playoffs, the Boomers lost to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in best of three games first round 3–1 on 23 August and 2–0 on 26 August. At a press conference on 16 September 1981, owner Nelson Skalbania announced that unless the team could sell 6,500 indoor season tickets and a local ownership group found to purchase the team, the organization would cease operations the following Monday. The next day, the league announced the Boomers were one of five teams that failed to post the required $150,000 bond to participate in the

1981–82 NASL Indoor season The 1981–82 season was the North American Soccer League's third indoor soccer season. Overview Thirteen of a possible 14 NASL teams participated. Fort Lauderdale was the only non-participant in the 18-game regular season. The Los Angeles Aztec ...

. The following week, it was reported that GM Rudi Schiffer had delivered the $150,000 performance bond nine days after the deadline while attending the NASL meetings in Toronto and that a group of local businessmen had conditionally purchased the team in an effort to keep it Calgary. A few days later on 28 September 1981, it was announced that the Boomers would merge with the Edmonton Drillers with Skalbania selling his interest in the team to

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

owner

Peter Pocklington Peter Hugh Pocklington (born November 18, 1941) is a Canadian entrepreneur and vocal advocate of free-market capitalism. Peter Pocklington was known among North American hockey fans as " Peter Puck", the maverick entrepreneur from oil-rich Albe ...

. The following day, however, the team which recorded loses over $2 million, was placed into

, the deal fell through and the Boomer players were released to other team via a

dispersal draft A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team ceases to exist or is merged with another team. Like most other sports drafts, most dispersal drafts are conducted in North America. ...

. Skalbania was later order by the

Supreme Court of British Columbia Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * The Supremes, Motown- ...

to pay Memphis Rogues owner

Avron Fogelman Avron B. Fogelman (born March 1, 1940) is an American businessman and real estate developer. He was a former part owner of the Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals as well as several Memphis-based sports teams.Jim MasilaFogelman boxes up s ...

the $1.1 million balance of the team's original purchase price, having only paid the initial $125,000 down payment.

Coach

* Al Miller; Manager 1980-1981 * David Davies (Coach)

Year-by-year

Honors

All-Star Second Team Selections * 1981

Franz Gerber Franz Gerber (born 27 November 1953) is a German former professional footballer. Playing career Gerber was born in Munich. He spent most of his teenage years playing in the youth ranks at Bayern Munich, until finally making the senior squad in ...

Indoor All-Star Selections * 1980–81 Juan Carlos Molina Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame * 2011 Victor Kodelja

References

External links

Calgary Boomers roster/stats
{{Soccer in Calgary Association football clubs established in 1980 Association football clubs disestablished in 1981 Defunct soccer clubs in Canada Boo Canadian indoor soccer teams North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams based in Canada 1980 establishments in Alberta 1981 disestablishments in Alberta

it:Memphis Rogues