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 based out of
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
University of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of the University of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. The stadium ...
for the 1967 USA season and at Tiger Stadium for the 1968 NASL season, except when scheduling conflicts with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
forced the team to play at the University of Detroit Stadium. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.
History
Origins
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 a group headed by William Clay Ford, owner of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, and
John Fetzer
John Earl Fetzer (March 25, 1901 – February 20, 1991) was an American radio and television executive who was best known as the part-owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1956 to 1961 and sole owner from 1961 through 1983. Under his ownership, the 1 ...
, owner of the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, were selected to run the Detroit 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 to represent the franchise cities. Northern Irish team
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club based in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882 and has since won more than 130 major honours. They are one of three Northern Iris ...
was brought over to play as the Cougars with player-coach
John Colrain
John James Colrain (4 February 1937 – 14 July 1984) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager (association football), manager who played for Celtic F.C., Celtic, Clyde F.C., Clyde, Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town and Gle ...
hired to act in the same capacity with the team. Prior to the season, the organization announced that
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club () is a professional football club in Bermondsey, South East London, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its nam ...
center forward player-coach
Len Julians
Leonard Bruce Julians (19 June 1933 – 17 December 1993) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Leyton Orient, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Millwall and the Detroit Cougars during his footballing c ...
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 ...
, with the match ending in a 1–1 draw. The team's first home match at the
University of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of the University of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. The stadium ...
on June 4, 1967, against the
Vancouver Royal Canadians
The Vancouver Royals were a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1967 as the Vancouver Royal Canadians, they were a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA), and when the USA ...
drew 11,629 spectators and also ended in a 1–1 draw. The team's match on June 14, 1967, against the
Houston Stars
The Houston Stars were an American professional soccer team based out of Houston, Texas. The Stars were a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1967 and when the USA and rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) mer ...
, represented by Brazilian team
Bangu Atlético Clube
Bangu Atlético Clube, commonly known as Bangu, is a Brazilian professional association football club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the western neighbourhood of Bangu, Rio de Janeiro, Bangu. The team plays in Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, S ...
, ended 17 minutes before the end of regulation with the Stars winning 2–0 when Houston fullback Luiz Alberto kicked Tommy Jackson in the kidney and police were needed to restore order on the pitch. In late June 1967, Colrain announced he had sidelined himself for the season and would only continue in his capacity as head coach. The Cougars finished the 1967 season in third place of the Eastern Division with a record of 3 wins 6 ties and 3 losses and an average attendance of 5,708.
North American Soccer League 1968
With the merger of 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 ( ...
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club based in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882 and has since won more than 130 major honours. They are one of three Northern Iris ...
win the 1967–68 Irish League title. Prior to the beginning of the season, the Cougars made a tour of the Caribbean, playing
friendlies
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the playe ...
against local teams in
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...
and in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is defined by the IHSI ...
Violette AC
Violette Athletic Club is a professional association football, football club based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
History
Violette is one of the most successful clubs in the country. In 1939, Violette A.C. captured Double (association football), the ...
, and
Racing CH
Racing Club Haïtien is a professional football club based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is one of the most successful clubs in the country's history.
History
The club has won the most league championships in Haitian club history, 11, winning i ...
winning eight games and losing only one. Following the tour, the team signed three Haiti international players Edner Breton, Claude Barthélemy, and
Atlanta Chiefs
The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (1967), National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League ...
on March 30, 1968, and
Kansas City Spurs
The Kansas City Spurs were an American professional soccer team who played in the North American Soccer League, based in Kansas City, Missouri. They played their home games at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, former home of the Kansas City Chief ...
on April 10, 1968, before their first home game against the
Vancouver Royals
The Vancouver Royals were a Canadian professional association football, soccer team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1967 as the Vancouver Royal Canadians, they were a charter member of the United Soccer Association, Un ...
held at the University of Detroit Stadium due to scheduling conflicts with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
. On August 17, 1968, with the team in last place, Julians resigned and the team named Andre Nagy as the new coach. The Cougars ended the season in last place of the Lakes Division with a record of six wins, four draws and twenty-one losses and averaging 4,266 fans in attendance. Reporting losses of over $1 million during its two seasons of play, the organization folded on September 23, 1968, the first of 12 NASL teams to fold between the 1968 and 1969 seasons.
Legacy
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club based in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882 and has since won more than 130 major honours. They are one of three Northern Iris ...
's representing Detroit in 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 ( ...
, local semi-pro side
Detroit City FC
Detroit City FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan, that competes in the USL Championship. The club played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2012 to 2019 and the National Independen ...
announced that it would host Glentoran at
Keyworth Stadium
Keyworth Stadium is a 7,933 seat multi-purpose stadium located in Hamtramck, Michigan, an enclave of Detroit. It was opened by former president Franklin Delano Roosevelt on October 15, 1936, during his second campaign for president. Keyworth was ...
for an international friendly; City beat the Northern Irish visitors, 1–0.