Pedigree suggests I had no future in soccer. Our town had no youth program, let alone a high school team. So we started our own club. Then I had a mercifully brief tryout at the University of Washington. Apart from an intramural championship and several seasons in the state league, that's it.
Nevertheless, the game intrigues me to this day. Some days it's tactics and player combinations. But mostly it how the game connects the people on this planet and marks time.
Nothing has ever come easily for soccer in America. Failures abound. But if the mark of a champion is getting knocked down only to climb back to your feet, then it there's a real possibility fùtbol will not only persevere but flourish.
I've tried to do my part, be it as a paying fan, a journalist, a publicist or historian based in the nation's soccer capital, Seattle. So this blog serves as an outlet to share what I've collected from 30-some years in around the sport in these parts, as well as the shared experience of going forward together.
He calls it “God’s sense of humor.” Others contend it’s coincidence. It’s objectively known as The 47 Factor, and it somehow figured into each of Seattle Pacific University’s five NCAA Championships under coach Cliff McCrath.
McCrath adopted his lucky number upon joining the Wheaton College soccer team in 1955. He was issued an old football jersey bearing the number 47. He went on to become a three-time All- American and wore a 47 on his shirts throughout his 38 seasons as men’s coach.
In 1978, the Falcons won their first NCAA Championship, scoring a huge upset over No. 1 Alabama A&M. The time of the deciding goal: 126:47. In 1983, Seattle Pacific captured a second title by toppling top-ranked Tampa. At the time McCrath was 47 years of age. SPU took home its third trophy in ’85 by clipping Florida International, 3-2. It marked McCrath’s 470th game as coach.
The 1986 NCAA Championship game was played in Seattle, situated on the 47th latitude. In front of their hometown fans, the Falcons beat Oakland for their second straight title and fourth overall. No wonder McCrath and many SPU followers felt good about the Falcons’ ability to hold an early 1-0 lead against Southern Connecticut in 1993. The goal came 9 minutes, 47 seconds into the match.
McCrath is not alone in celebrating 47. The 47 Society on Facebook continually tracks the 15th prime number and its plentiful appearances in news and culture.
College soccer in the Pacific Northwest had only just begun. The season was short, the coaches part-time and there was precious little fan support or media coverage. There were scores and standings and not much else. Yet, as for those latter two categories, unfashionable Western Washington State College’s men’s club program cast an outsized shadow.
Now, some 55 years later, let the record show that, a) it did happen, b) it was no fluke, and c) there is a story to tell of the small but mighty Vikings and their four-year rule over frustrated varsity foes who were confounded by a band of students who funded their own trips, lined their own fields and largely picked their own lineups.
While being high achievers, the Western men of yore were never accused of taking themselves too seriously or over-training. In fact, they won admiration from opponents and Western varsity athletes who recognized their qualities, both on and off the pitch. They were more than teammates; they were tightknit friends and remain so to this day. More than anything, that might’ve been the secret to their success.
A League of Their Own
As athletic director of the state’s most established and resourced men’s soccer program, Joe Kearney must have envisioned that the new conference he was founding would only fortify that status. The University of Washington could now adjust its sights on competing for national recognition.
Ahead of the 1968 season, Kearney, the Huskies’ AD, had cobbled together the four-school Western Washington Soccer Conference, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. He also would serve as commissioner. Joining UW would be newly launched varsity programs at Seattle University and Seattle Pacific, plus the student-organized club from Western Washington.
Action from the 1969 season (Western Front archives)
All credit to Kearney, who unlike his successor, demonstrably cared about non-revenue-producing programs such as soccer. It had taken a couple years for the sport to reach critical mass to create a league. But back then, if anyone had asked Kearney or anyone else what they would predict for the formative first few years of the WWSC, it would’ve been Washington as overwhelmingly perennial favorite, with Seattle U. and Seattle Pacific to follow.
Instead, in reality, the boys from Bellingham would bolt out of the gate and turn the whole thing upside down. For the first four years of the league’s existence, Western Washington would either win outright or share the WWSC championship each year.
No Experience Needed
John Miles was Western’s assistant student activities director in 1968. He had played a little on the intramural fields as a grad student, so when students approached him about forming a club, he was receptive. A meeting was scheduled, and flyers posted; students of all abilities were welcome.
“No students came to Western to play soccer,” noted Miles. “When we practiced, you could see some who had the moves and the speed. They had come out of the woodwork and wanted to play. The American guys were more physical, if you will, and they learned from the other guys.”
Manfred Kuerstan and Glenn Hindin immediately stood out. Kuerstan, from West Germany, attacked from the wings. Hindin, who ventured down from Vancouver, operated at center forward. He came equipped with quick feet and a ferocious shot.
Pat Garrett had never played a minute of soccer before arriving on campus. He had originally come to Western to play football, but a knee injury nixed that. Garrett, possessing good hands, big size (200 pounds) and the ability to throw far downfield, was encouraged to tryout and became one of the goalkeepers.
Manfred Kuerstan (l) advances on the Washington goal in 1970. (Western Front archives)
“It was amazing who came out,” recalled Miles, who held the title of head coach but was primarily focused on providing administrative support; the players largely coached themselves. “Western had more than doubled in size and had an agreement with neighboring states and B.C. that allowed their students to pay in-state tuition. We also had foreign students on campus – from Germany, Peru and Iran – who really knew how to play.”
Quickly Finding Their Feet
A couple weeks after forming the ‘68 team came the Vikings’ first test. They would venture down nearly-completed Interstate 5 to Seattle for a mid-morning game against Washington. It was at Husky Stadium and is thought to be the first collegiate soccer match played on artificial turf. Having grown accustomed to Astroturf following a few practices, the Huskies dashed out to a 3-1 lead by halftime and won, 5-1.
Western would find firmer footing in the weeks to come, surprising Seattle University with a 1-1 draw in the home opener at Sehome High School. Five weeks after losing to UW, the Vikings hosted the return game at Shuksan Junior High. They came from 2-nil down behind Hindin’s two second-half goals for a 3-2 victory, tying the Huskies for first place in the WWSC. Hindin would finish his first season with 10 goals in six outings.
Washington’s loss forced a playoff with Seattle U. three days later to determine the Northwest’s first representative in the NCAA tournament. Western, not being a sanctioned varsity program, was not eligible. It finished the 1968 campaign with an identical league record to UW, at 3-1-2. The Huskies’ reward for an overtime win against SU was a humiliating, 16-0 loss at San Francisco.
A Club with Few Perks
Garrett claimed players were content with foregoing postseason opportunities because club status made it possible to play year-round, both in fall and a spring B.C. league.
“We didn’t have all the eligibility rules that governed varsity schools,” noted Miles. “You just had to be a Western student.”
There would’ve been advantages to varsity, of course. Equipment, transportation, field space, to name a few.
Glenn Hindin of Western splits Seattle Pacific’s defense. (Western Front archives)
“We had no place to play,” disclosed Miles. “We had no equipment, no goals, no nets, no practice field. The university gave us no money.
“We built goals; students who welded put them together, and they were portable. We used city parks for practices and schools for games, and those fields were mud toward the end of the season. We ordered uniforms in Vancouver and snuck them through customs. It was all on a shoestring.”
For road games, players would cram into Miles’s VW van, with the rest driving their own cars and chipping in for gas. The hardships were worn as a badge of honor. No rules? No worries. Besides, the lack of oversight meant players could detour to a pub on the way back home.
The comradery extended to life beyond the field. Players rented rooms and houses together in Fairhaven. They held regular poker nights. Beyond partygoers, they loved the game and sought to share it with the surrounding community.
“We tried to get a youth program going in Bellingham,” said Miles. “The guys were willing to be coaches. We weren’t able to do it on our own, but a few years later it took off. We regarded ourselves as promoters of the game, and it’s satisfying how it turned out.”
The Canadian Connection
Western Washington would only grow stronger the next season. In autumn 1969, three freshmen from Vancouver’s Winston Churchill Secondary again took advantage of the tuition break to come across the border.
Bob Mills, Bobby Hansen and George Gray no sooner moved into their dorms when they heard about tryouts. “It was great, just a fabulous group of guys,” said Mills, who was attracted to the education program. “I wanted to be a teacher, and Western’s a great school for that. I loved it.”
On the U.S. side of the border, there was an added incentive to attending college. “A lot of the guys there were on student deferment,” said Mills, “so they didn’t have to go to the Vietnam war.”
Donn James was one of the few Americans arriving in Bellingham with any relative experience. His family had lived in West Germany, and he had played three years there. After an autumn with soccer, James planned to play varsity baseball at Western in the spring.
James was a defender with a knack for slide-tackling and he had the scraped limbs to show for it. According to Miles, the players’ tactical system was heavily tilted toward attacking formation.
Miles was confident the squad would be stronger. There was greater depth and, unlike the year before, spirited competition for positions. Hansen and Gray joined Hindin and Kuerstan to form a prolific front line. The Vikings scored nearly as many goals as UW and Seattle U combined, averaging 3.25 goals per game.
“Hindin was quick, good with either foot and fun to watch,” James said, “and didn’t take any crap.”
(Western Front archives)
“Usually, Glenn would take two touches and fire,” recalled Garrett. “He was quick and hit a brutal shot.”
“For me to score 11 goals and Hindin eight goals, we had a lot of skills,” said Gray. “I wasn’t big. I anticipated where the ball was going. A lot of anticipation, a lot of luck.”
The Huskies Vikings Rivalry
After outscoring teams 13-4 in the first four outings, Western hosted Washington at Shuksan and absorbed a 4-2 loss. Ten days later came the rematch at Husky Stadium.
After being held without goals by the Huskies, Gray scored twice, Hindin once, and Bruce McLeod had a hat trick in an emphatic, 6-2 victory. “That won the league for us,” said Garrett.
“We had a good team, we won and were pretty happy about it,” beamed Mills. “I mean, it’s U-Dub, a huge school, and they had all the bells and whistles, and we were this shitty little club. So, when we played and beat UW at their place, we were in seventh heaven.”
As it turned out, the Vikings still needed to avoid a loss in their final two games to clinch the conference crown outright. Hindin scored five goals in those games, a 2-2 draw at Seattle U. and a 4-2 home win over Seattle Pacific.
“Of all the teams we played, our games with Western were the most gut-wrenching, and Glenn was an incredible player,” said Joe Zavaglia, Seattle University’s star midfielder. “I always felt it was a bigger challenge to play Western than to play UW.
“Especially their Canadian guys, they were very focused, aggressive, and had excellent ball control,” noted Zavaglia. “Their midfield was tough. They just seemed to be well conditioned. No cheap shots, just a clean, hard game. And after the game, you talked with Western guys, and they were just great.”
Washington’s Mike Cvitkovic acknowledged that while most teams had international players, Western was the most cohesive. “Their biggest problem,” said Garrett of UW, “was communication. They had better skilled players, but they never really put it together.”
“Us Canadian guys pretty much knew each other and bonded,” said Mills. “We had all these guys who saw eye to eye on the field and as friends.”
“We got along very well and had a lot of fun playing,” said Gray. “We were a small university, but we were mighty. That made a difference.”
Despite Changes, Western Keeps Winning
Gray would leave school to return home to Vancouver in 1970. Hindin remained as an attacking focal point while Mills picked up much of the scoring slack, scoring six goals.
Washington was the only opponent to defeat Western, a 3-2 win in Seattle. However, the Vikings had already secured the title after going unbeaten through the first eight matches. The spectator turnouts remained very modest yet there was a growing respect among their peers.
“Most of the (Western) athletes were aware of us because we were a winning program, but the school in general wasn’t particularly aware of us,” said James. “I had to twist my girlfriend’s arm to watch a game.”
Players would still line their field, pump-up balls and fill the gas tank for road trips. “We were certainly the school’s stepchild,” said Miles. “We had nothing, and there was some resentment. But the guys were happy to have comradery, and it was cool to be a part of something special.”
A Last Hurrah
In 1971, off-field matters had a direct effect on the Canadian connection. Boeing, the state’s largest employer, failed to receive any domestic airline orders in 1970 and the supersonic jet program’s government support ended that same year. That took a toll on state finances. Suddenly, the favorable tuition program ended, and Hansen and Mills transferred back to B.C. when, Mills said, class fees increased by five-fold (resident tuition rose 24 percent).
Still, seniors Hindin and Kuerstan returned for their fourth and final year. Greg Wesslius and Hector Perazo, an Argentine, helped compensate for offensive losses, and a defense featuring ironman James (never substituted during his career), Bill Carr and Dave Asher once more provided a firm foundation.
Western won its opener over an NCAA tournament-bound Seattle Pacific and lost only one of the first seven games, including a sweep of Washington for the first time. A brace from Wesslius helped rally the Vikings for a 3-1 win over UW in Seattle. In November, at Bloedel Donovan Park on Lake Whatcom, they pummeled the Huskies, 5-1. Carr’s long throws led to three of the goals, and Joe Peterson scored twice.
In what proved to be the final week of the Western Washington Soccer Conference’s existence, Western virtually clinched a fourth consecutive title with a scoreless draw at runner-up Seattle U. Following the season, the WWSC dissolved, to be replaced by the expanded Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference.
Lasting History, Lasting Bonds
While Western Washington would slip from contention in their remaining years as a club and the start of the varsity program in 1981, their feats from 1968-71 would be historic. In the combined, 26-year existence of the WWSC and NCSC, no other men’s program won four consecutive shared or outright championships.
Seattle University’s Zavaglia still holds great respect for his team’s adversary.
“They were a team that deserved recognition and probably never got it,” said Zavaglia. “There was a lot of admiration for Western. What I loved about them is they never gave up and had a great work ethic. I was in awe that they were so tough but great guys. You’d go drinking with them afterward.”
The bonds of those teams have held strong. There have been active, long-distance relationships between individuals and reunions. The latest reunion, organized by Gary Byron and held in Bellingham, came on the 50th anniversary of the fourth championship, in 2021. “A lot of beers drunk and lies told,” quipped Miles.
“What a great bunch of guys and really close, really tight,” said Mills, who went on to a 48-year career in radio broadcasting. “It was a tremendous atmosphere of friendship that remains to this day. We have a lot of fun, a really good time getting together, exchanging emails or texts. It brings back those days.”
Said Mills: “My two years playing for Western are still two of the best years of my life.”
Some 40 years ago, while at the University Book Store, I crossed paths with a book like none other. After consuming many a book about soccer tactics, skills and history, The Soccer Tribe was about the game’s rituals, its participants and its followers. Written by noted British zoologist Dr. Desmond Morris, it studied human beings through the footy lens.
The Soccer Tribe took a macro approach to observing people who surround the game. In Soccer Stories of Old Seattle and Around the World, it is a more nuanced, micro examination by author and Seattle native Phil Davis and co-contributor Bob Smith.
From July 23 through July 27, 2024, electronic copies of Soccer Stories of Old Seattle and Around the World will be available free of charge from Amazon. Davis asks that in lieu of a payment during that period, readers consider making a donation to Washington State Legends of Soccer, either for its scholarship fund or ongoing initiatives.
Davis shares tales of places he’s visited, people he’s met or discovered – all at the intersection of soccer and life.
Asked about his newly published book’s message, Davis writes that in a country and world that often presents itself as deeply divided, “Friendship between different kinds of people is possible. So is world peace, or at least the end of long wars,” he added. “We practice every four years with the World Cup. All that is needed is a sporting attitude, a few rules developed by Thomas Aquinas 850 years ago, and the beautiful game.”
The Characters
His book begins with the introduction of Mike Ryan. For Davis, Ryan was the volunteer coach at St. Catherine of Siena School in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood. The Dublin-born Ryan was then a youth coach and top player in the Washington State League. He would go on to coach the Washington Huskies’ men’s varsity and women’s club, then guide five local women’s teams to national titles before becoming the first U.S. Women’s National Team head coach.
Ryan was a soccer evangelist and teacher. He loved to dance, and the marriage of the sport and his ballroom footwork was evident in his first instruction to Davis and those young boys. “Soccer is more like a dance than a home run kicking contest. Listen for the music, learn the steps and watch the older players,” Davis quotes Ryan.
Mike Ryan (left) and the 1964 Seattle CYO All-Stars. (Pep Peery)
The reader meets other characters, some admirable and some more flawed.
There’s a long-ago youth coach with a self-destructive streak, and as was too often the case in the State League, combustible confrontations between clubs of different ethnicities.
There are the immigrant farmworkers in eastern Washington who become Davis’s teammates shortly after starting his teaching career. They, too, love the game and play with grace yet faced the constant threat of deportation.
In New Mexico, there arises the issue of playing rules for a co-rec league and the short- and long-term implications.
There is Davis’s trip to the 2018 World Cup in pre-war Russia. There he would be met kindly by local strangers from Siberia and traveling supporters of Peru.
We are introduced to Marbella Ibarra. During her all too short life Ibarra advocated for women, women’s football and creating teams and a Mexican national league, Liga MX Femenil. Four months after the league final attracted over 50,000 spectators, Ibarra was murdered at the age of 46.
A generation or so after being first instructed by Ryan, Davis himself was a coach. He must deal with the pressure of parents as well as the opportunity to draw out the best in a troubled youth.
From his preface, Davis writes, “Forty years of English classes did give me an eye for what good readers deserve. Literature should make us smile, cry, argue, get angry, laugh or see the world in a new way…Good sports literature should give us a nugget to chew on, so the ensuing discussion sheds light on the human condition.”
Forty years ago, the best young players in America were choosing scholarship offers over signing bonuses. Whereas three years before there had been 33 clubs paying a living wage, by 1984 there were 21.
It was an Olympic year, and the United States would play before huge home crowds – upwards of 78,000 – in California during July. But by the fall, the number of professional teams would dwindle to 12 and none of them would play outdoors, 11-a-side. Instead, the fog and lasers and thumping soundtrack of Major Indoor Soccer League showmanship ruled the day.
“Back then, soccer was imploding all over the United States,” former Seattle Sounders coach Jimmy Gabriel said in 2007. “There was no real soccer league at that time. Everything was going in the wrong direction.”
Into this bleak landscape came a wind of change: Football Club Seattle.
Once a Sounders captain and head coach, Jimmy Gabriel conceived the FC Seattle approach to development. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
One of the First FCs
Rather than sit and stew, Gabriel got busy. He and others hatched an idea to flip the script on a foreign-dominated domestic game and convinced a new convert to fund a new enterprise. In the summer of ’84, FC Seattle would go against the flow, develop their fair share of followers and, within a year, start a new league that has since morphed into the USL.
In terms of a name, FC Seattle came from the future – and the old country. It would be 21 years until FC Dallas became the MLS Burn’s rebrand, ushering in a slew of FCs and SCs. In truth, FC Seattle had been a few senior amateur teams (two men, one women’s). It also had an over-30 league entry, featuring Gabriel, the Washington Youth Soccer coaching director, and a handful of ex-Sounders, plus Cliff McCrath, then the storied coach at Seattle Pacific. Another teammate, new to the game, was Bud Greer.
The team had entered tournaments in British Columbia and faced clubs in Vancouver and Victoria that featured FC monikers. Greer, owner of Pepsi bottling plants in New York state and also a pilot, would fly several of the players to and from their playing destination. He had also been looked upon as a possible savior to the Sounders in their flagging days of the North American Soccer League. However, when Greer’s business partner unexpectedly died, he backed out. By September 1983, the Sounders folded after 10 seasons, and the NASL was reduced to nine franchises.
Going Local
FC Seattle owner Bud Greer (left), awarding the City League championship trophy in 1985. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Still Greer was open to investing in the sport, and Gabriel approached him with a novel concept, at least for most U.S. outposts. Instead of Americans being developed for supporting roles alongside international imports, FC Seattle’s roster would be almost exclusively comprised of local talent.
Recalled Greer in 2015, “(Jimmy) said, ‘Look, we’re seeing some pretty good players (around Washington), and it’s time we field a team of good American players.’ That was the impetus behind FC Seattle.”
It was about more than fielding a men’s team. FC Seattle would sponsor 23 youth and adult teams as well as tournaments. It also produced coaching videos and printed material.
Gabriel, the coaching director for FC Seattle, and coach Tom Jenkins already operated a senior amateur team that played both in the state premier league and U.S. Open Cup regionals. That team would be augmented by players attached to other clubs who would go through tryouts.
Gabriel, who had developed the Sounders’ reserve team program and signed several future first-team graduates like Jimmy McAlister and Mark Peterson, envisioned a broad feeder system, from youth to senior level, much like today’s Sounders development academy.
“There’s a gap between the amateur and professional levels,” he said at the time. “It’s too big of a jump from the high schools or colleges to the pros. It takes longer to adjust than the pros are allowing. We aim to fill that gap.”
FC Seattle’s inaugural roster included a mixture of current collegians (the club started as amateurs), state league stars and those seeking a second chance after their professional dreams were dashed. Among the latter was Bruce Raney, Seattle Pacific’s all-time scoring leader who was drafted by the Sounders but unable to make the final cut.
Roster Building
Of FC Seattle, Raney said, “With the pros, it was no longer fun to play. Now I’m having a good time again. The idols of my childhood, the Sounders, are gone. But FC Seattle could fill that void.”
Eddie Krueger had won a place in Gabriel’s Sounders starting lineup at the age of 19. A year later, following a coaching change, he was released. “For me, this is hopefully a steppingstone to get back into professional soccer again.”
Eddie Krueger during his Sounders stint. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
“I can’t recall what I weighed in terms of it making a good investment,” said Greer. “I do recall thinking that we really need to keep this game in town.” For the next seven years, some of them rather bumpy, he would fund what was the only team of stature in Seattle.
For hardcore fans, it was an alternative (or addition) to the indoor game in Tacoma. For players, dreams began flickering back to life.
“Knowing that we were being given another chance with professional soccer in Seattle, FC Seattle really holds a special place in my heart,” said Rick Blubaugh, then 19.
“It was the greatest thing that happened to me at the time,” noted Tad Willoughby, a Sounders draftee out of the University of Washington. “When the Sounders and NASL were folding, it kept hope alive.”
They were fearless from the first kick. And 45 seconds later, they began making believers of fans and foes alike.
If footy supporters around Puget Sound feared the Vancouver Whitecaps would wipe the Astroturf with the amateurs of Football Club Seattle, they were at least given pause when the local lads stormed in front in their inaugural match at Memorial Stadium.
Forty-five seconds into its challenge series versus Vancouver and two other NASL clubs, plus the U.S. Olympic Team, Bruce Raney bulged the west end netting. His former college coach, Cliff McCrath, climbed a railing and thrust his first in the air as fans, some yet to find their seats, screamed in delight.
Off and Running
FC Seattle was off and running. A win would come, and crowds would grow, albeit modestly, before that first season was finished. Soon after, a feeder system and league play, and a senior women’s team would be launched. Big name players would arrive, two overseas trips taken, and a trophy would be lifted.
Yet it was that belief may have been the biggest biproduct and most enduring legacy.
FC Seattle forward Bruce Raney scored the club’s first goal and, in 1985, first hat trick. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
Some nights, Raney’s thoughts return to that afternoon 40 years ago. “There couldn’t have been a better start”, he says. “We shocked them. There, in the first minute, (Vancouver) knew they had a struggle on their hands. We had a good crowd (6,000) and that got them behind us. And I didn’t hit a harder ball in my life.”
The Whitecaps would return fire, twice to take the lead. But in the 85th minute, Raney’s Seattle Pacific teammate, Doug Backous, would equalize and the exhibition would finish tied, 2-2.
In terms of Seattle being able to hold its own against professionals, it was no fluke. They would hold Minnesota scoreless for 77 minutes (but lose 3-0), hang with the five-time champion New York Cosmos (lose 2-1) and strike first against the Olympians (1-3) in their Summer Games sendoff in front of more than 8,000.
Second Chances
All that was remarkable, given their youth. Only a handful of players had been with pro clubs and reserve roles at that. Raney had been drafted by San Jose when Jimmy Gabriel was coach of the Earthquakes. He trained a few times with George Best, but then Gabriel was fired, and Raney released. He signed three six-month amateur contracts with his hometown Sounders but never got beyond warming-up for a first team preseason match.
The Seattle coaching staff was comprised of former Sounders whom the players have watched and idolized just a couple summers earlier. Gabriel was the coaching director, Tommy Jenkins the head coach and Pepe Fernandez the assistant.
After deciding to redshirt before his final season at SPU, Peter Hattrup joined FC Seattle for its first road game.
Esprit de Corps
“We were in the locker room at BC Place, and we were pretty darn young (an average age of 22, with Hattrup 20),” he recalls. “There were a lot of nerves. Pepe came walking out with the football first-down marker, with his underwear hiked up, and walked around the locker room like the ring girl for a boxing match. He was saying, ‘Let’s win this one!’ It lightened the atmosphere quite a bit and from that point on we went out and played pretty well. We held our own. We didn’t have our backs to the wall.”
Tad Willoughby scored early for the visitors. Hattrup’s flick-on led to Raney scoring the late winner, 2-1, over the Whitecaps.
There was definitely an esprit de corps ethos at the outset, if not the entirety of FC Seattle’s existence. “We all enjoyed playing together,” Hattrup said. “In the beginning it was all guys you grew up playing with on clubs, and a chance to play meaningful games against quality opposition.”
At 19, Rick Blubaugh was the squad’s sole teenager. He had been a devout Sounders fan and was now learning his craft under their guidance as coaches.
“I worshipped those guys, and they believed in me and believed in our team,” shared Blubaugh. “It was just extraordinary. On top of that the players and coaches were just great people. You wanted to bend over backwards in everything you did, to do anything for them. That’s why I have such a special place in my heart for them.”
A Fresh Approach
Being coached by pros who could call upon a deep reservoir of experience was a significant departure from club and college mentors. While the coaches didn’t coddle, they were positive and uplifting.
Eddie Henderson was a 20-year-old University of Washington junior standing 5 feet, 1 inch but blessed with amazing quickness, speed and technical ability. He had represented the U.S. at the U-17 and U-20 levels and been drafted by the Stars out of Seattle’s O’Dea High School. Still, playing time at FC Seattle was not a given.
Eddie Henderson, at 5-foot-1 and electrifyingly fast, instantly became an FC Seattle crowd favorite in 1988. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
“I was starting ahead of some really talented players,” recalled Henderson. “Tommy Jenkins (head coach) started me off and gave me so much freedom as a player, and it helped develop my confidence. He pushed us but he encouraged me.”
Henderson instantly became a favorite of the fans and effective at breaking down defenses, earning first team all-league as a rookie.
From Friendlies to Founding a League
Friendlies gave way to league play in the second season, and FC Seattle, who would tack-on the nickname Storm by 1986, would become a perennial championship contender. There would still be exhibitions with touring clubs, and Seattle would claim victories over England’s Norwich City and Middlesbrough and Brazil’s famed Santos, plus draw with Scotland’s Hearts.
The USL Championship has roots in the Western Soccer Alliance, which later evolved into the APSL, following a merger with the American Soccer League. FC Seattle had explored starting a regional league as early as 1983. But in 1985, the WSA was kickstarted virtually overnight. The deadly Heysel Stadium disaster resulted in FIFA banning all English teams from traveling outside Britain; West Brom and Aston Villa had been booked for Seattle and other West Coast stops.
The day of WSA’s formation, Seattle played the inaugural league match, at FC Portland, winning 6-1. Victoria Riptides and San Jose Earthquakes also joined. Each team also played a league-counting game vs. the Canadian National Team, which was approaching the final round of World Cup qualifying.
With the demise of the NASL in 1984, invention was born of necessity. In its second year the league would expand to southern California. With the ban lifted, Manchester City visited along with World Cup-bound Canada. The U.S. National Team, already eliminated, was also on the menu.
Name Recognition
The notion of returning home and pulling on an FC Seattle shirt became appealing. Twins Andy and Walter Schmetzer signed professional contracts straight out of high school and were joined by older brother Brian for 1985. Tacoma native Jeff Durgan, 1980 NASL Rookie of the Year and national team captain, opted to leave the Cosmos. FC Seattle was paying players, but not much.
“I made $250 per game for my first two games, against Santos and Dundee,” said Peter Fewing. “That’s why Bruce Rioch loved us; he knew we weren’t making a ton or sometimes any money.”
Brent Goulet had been 1987 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year before joining the Storm in 1989. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
More ex-Sounders became involved. Rioch, once an NASL Best XI sweeper, stayed one year as coach before returning to England to manage Middlesbrough and, later, Arsenal. Gabriel took over as coach but left after 1986 to join Harry Redknapp at Bournemouth. David Gillett served as general manager.
Among the 17 former NASL or current MISL players were Chance Fry, Fran O’Brien and Jeff Stock. In 1989, U.S. internationals Brent Goulet and Ricky Davis, were added. Both were bidding to make the 1990 World Cup team. Never mind that the Storm stopped paying players between 1986-89. The pros played for free, and the club’s amateur status enabled it to welcome youth internationals Eddie Henderson and Chris Henderson (no relation).
Fringe Benefits
In lieu of compensation, owner Bud Greer twice took the Storm to Great Britain for postseason tours. Rioch and Redknapp opened the gates of Boro and Bournemouth. QPR, Dundee and Portsmouth rounded out the first excursion. Stopovers at Sunderland, Boro and Hull highlighted second time around.
“When we went to England, that was huge,” said Jeff Koch, Storm goalkeeper from 1986-89. “You’re playing against all those teams you might’ve only heard and read about. To go over there and experience English professional soccer at a young age and realize we’re not that far off, that we can play. I would take that trip in a heartbeat over pay.”
Koch has said that the first trip was also a confidence-builder. Seven months later, when the team reunited, their poise was palpable.
The Championship
After runner-up finishes for three consecutive years, the Storm were frontrunners. They won 10 of 12 games during the regular season, defeated Middlesbrough and Mexico’s Neza in friendlies and then added an exclamation point by smashing San Jose, 5-0, in the final.
Said Hattrup: “We had been confident before, but we didn’t know if we should be confident. It confirmed that we can really play here and confirmed for us that we’re good enough to play at higher levels.”
FC Seattle players, coaches and staff pose with the 1988 Western Soccer Alliance championship trophy. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
All 13 players who saw action in the were American and had either attended high school or college in Washington.
By 1988, Hattrup had played two pro seasons with the Tacoma Stars, three with FC Seattle and played in an Open Cup final for Seattle Mitre Eagles. The WSA was still a couple years away from merging and playing a national final to culminate the season. “In ‘88 I wish there had been a final against the ASL winner,” he added, “because I think we were better than anybody we would’ve played.”
In the Storm’s final two summers, attendance bumped upward to 3,500 and several games both home and away were aired over cable television. The United States had been named host of the 1994 World Cup. However, costs and the level of competition were rising. Players were paid in 1990, when a new coaching regime headed by Clive Charles took over.
The End Is Near
FC Seattle was among the top teams but did not make the playoffs those final two years. Greer, who had been more than generous in funding the club that was professionally operated, would face even greater financial demands following the merger and formation of the APSL for 1991. He opted to mothball the club for 1991, but once the league was winnowed from 22 to nine to five teams for 1992, the plug was pulled.
“We didn’t have the prescience to come to the conclusion that things were going to blossom like they did (in 1994 and beyond),” said Greer in 2015. “If we had, we might have come to a very different decision. But when you attract a thousand people to Memorial Stadium, you just have to sit back and say, Is this really worth it? We felt we gave it everything we could.”
Within four months of FC Seattle shuttering, the Tacoma Stars also went down the tube. For the next year, there was no local activity above the college or senior amateur level.
For Some, the Pinnacle
For those who had worn the FC Seattle badge or ‘Storm’ emblazoned jersey, it was time to move along or focus on finding a new career. Some players would become involved in coaching, such as Peter Fewing at Seattle University or Bernie James at Crossfire. Others kept chasing their dream.
For those whose last league playing experience was with FC Seattle, there are fond memories.
Peter Fewing played more matches (75) and was credited for more assists (20) than any FC Seattle player. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
“Bud Greer deserves a ton of thanks and love for what he gave all of us,” said Fewing. “Bud made it first class and lost a lot of money on that deal.
“I may have been a role player,” he added, “but I played 27 games against foreign teams and national teams. I am grateful for the experience.”
Eddie Henderson, who play indoor before going into investment banking, learned a lot of life lessons. “Guys (who) were 3-4 years older took me under their wing. They helped steer me in the right direction and I embraced it; I was in the right environment.”
Blubaugh, who coaches youth in southern California, said, “I felt extremely fortunate. There were great people to be around and talk to.”
For Koch, it surpassed his dreams. “Growing up watching the Sounders, Tommy Jenkins and Jimmy Gabriel and Dave Gillett were huge; they were my favorite players. I absolutely loved it. That experience was the pinnacle.”
When the Sounders marched alumni out onto the Lumen Field pitch on June 15, among them were men who never cashed a paycheck or played for any team playing under that name. They played for Football Club Seattle, arguably the most ‘Seattle’ team ever, stocked almost entirely of local players.
Yet FC Seattle is largely unknown to the average fan. It falls through the cracks between two Sounders iterations, the NASL and A-League. It never played before a home sellout crowd. It lasted just even seasons and was semipro, paying players for only two of those years.
Had FC Seattle adopted the Sounders name, it would fit neatly into the narrative. Instead, it opted for ‘Storm,’ developed the next wave of players for critical roles in two championship teams and kept the lights on around Puget Sound when most of American pro soccer was going dark.
FC Seattle’s original crest. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Forty years ago, in 1984, when 11v11 professional soccer was in its death throes, FC Seattle was the future. It encompassed youth development plus women’s and men’s teams. It helped usher a new league. Without it, there would be an 11-year gap in our heritage and a few less trophies to squawk about.
What’s In a Name?
Stitching together a 50-year history in North American soccer ain’t easy. The graveyard of clubs since the first coast-to-coast league is littered with names ranging from obscure (Apollos) to flavorless (Team Hawaii) to iconic (Cosmos).
FC Seattle owner Bud Greer had at one time contemplated rescuing the NASL Sounders. After it folded and his new club took shape, he chose the name of his men’s premier league side. “The Sounders was a damaged name; it didn’t have a good reputation (in 1984),” noted Greer. A nickname was added after the second season.
FC Seattle’s final logo, from 1990. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
“The Storm name was (coach) Jimmy Gabriel’s idea,” said Greer. “He had this fixation on naming teams after the weather. We had a strong women’s team called the Rain. FC Seattle served as part of the continuum from the Sounders which went away and then came back again.”
Two other MLS clubs celebrating golden anniversaries are Vancouver and San Jose. Like Seattle, there were interim brands in B.C. and the Bay Area. When Vancouver began its Canadian Soccer League era, it was as the 86ers. San Jose’s charter MLS franchise was the Clash for the first three campaigns (1996-98).
Simply the Best
A native of Bellevue, Chance Fry played for the Sounders, both NASL and A-League, and FC Seattle. Fry led the APSL West with 17 goals in 1990 and was both the Storm and league career scoring king. He also played for the Earthquakes and their Bay Area successor, the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks. The Earthquakes included the Blackhawks alumni in their anniversary activations.
While some may discount the Western Soccer League and its semipro status, the Storm and Blackhawks were fielding teams stocked with strong players. Ricky Davis and Brent Goulet were U.S. Soccer Players of the Year in 1985 and ’87, respectively. The Blackhawks featured USMNT mainstays Marcelo Balboa, John Doyle and Dominic Kinnear.
Chance Fry scored a record total of 37 goals for FC Seattle from 1987-90. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
“People talk about (the WSL) not being first division and that, but before MLS, all the players were playing in the MISL (indoor), WSL, APSL or whatever leagues were happening at the time,” said Fry. “Those were the first American MLS players, and the Blackhawks could’ve competed at the MLS level. When MLS started, the (A-League) Sounders were doing very well.”
Sounders Success Rooted in Storm
The reason the Sounders won three trophies in their first three A-League seasons must be attributed, at least in part, to FC Seattle. Although it was shuttered six years earlier, the Storm had developed key players or, at the very least, kept them from prematurely hanging up their boots.
“It bridged that timeframe when nothing was going on outdoors,” observed Peter Hattrup. “The ‘88 season (with FC Seattle) was huge for me as a player. I had just sat my ass on the bench for two years of indoor, and to come back out and play and regain some confidence and the joy of playing outdoor made a big difference.”
Fry and Hattrup won the 1988 championship with the Storm, then reunited in 1994 with Sounders. In fact, there were nine FC Seattle alumni who eventually played for the Sounders, among them Brian Schmetzer. When the Sounders claimed their first A-League championship in 1995, Wade Webber, Fry (9 goals) and Hattrup (11 goals, 8 assists) were vital contributors, with Hattrup earning league MVP.
Peter Hattrup led the Storm with six goals during their championship season in 1988. (Joanie Komura/Frank MacDonald Collection)
“I was no better in ’95 than ’88, and Chance was still scoring goals,” Hattrup attested. “If FC Seattle was the backbone of the older group of A-League Sounders, Murphy’s Pub (1993 U.S. Amateur champions) was the backbone of the young part of the Sounders, with Marcus (Hahnemann), Jason and James Dunn and Jason Farrell. That was the nucleus.”
Fry said each stop along the way prepared him for that return. “I’d been a young kid with the first Sounders, just trying to make it,” he said. “With the Storm, I was a little bit older, and everything started coming together; by 1990 I played every minute of every game (scoring 17 goals), which is pretty rare for a striker.”
Fry won an A-League title with the Blackhawks, then returned home to win two more with the Sounders.
In the NASL era, Americans were typically deployed in supporting roles. Relying on local players, FC Seattle gave the likes of Hattrup and Fry to become the go-to guys in a league which supplied seven alumni to the 1990 U.S. World Cup squad.
“We had local players playing against good caliber players in those important positions, of attacking midfielder or forward, not just outside backs and a goalkeeper” Hattrup maintained. “We were playing all the important positions. When it came time, we were already established that way.”
Hattrup is not alone in that assessment.
“The nucleus of that Sounders team was able to keep playing competitively at a high level at FC Seattle,” said Peter Fewing.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
“FC Seattle was a great vehicle to bridge the gap until the A-League Sounders emerged on the other side,” said Bruce Raney, who played the first two seasons with the Storm. “It continued the development, to give people a semipro, serious opportunity with good coaching because they (ex-Sounders) were still around. It was a fantastic bridge between the original and the next stage which finally led to Major League Soccer.”
Our league had Kasey Keller, Chris Henderson, Chance Fry, Brent Goulet, Marcelo Balboa, Jim Gabarra; it was an impressive list,” recounted Eddie Henderson, who starred for FC Seattle from 1988-90 before focusing on an indoor career. “The quality was there.”
Seven former FC Seattle players were members of the 1995 A-League champion Seattle Sounders. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
If Henderson had one wish, it would have been a return home to play for the Sounders. The crowds had audibly buzzed when he had the ball during his FC Seattle days, and with triple the number of fans, Henderson is left to only imagine the excitement that might have been stirred.
“People want to dismiss FC Seattle and the Western Soccer League because the money wasn’t there,” said Henderson. “We were playing because we loved the game. It wasn’t about the money; it was our lifelong dream.
“The Storm’s never been really recognized because we weren’t called the Sounders. That’s all. It wasn’t because of the quality of players. I would even argue that the FC Seattle team was as good as any of the A-League Sounders teams that won championships.”
All Otey Cannon did was blaze a path, fulfill his role in a legendary squad and make American footy history.
Now, approaching the 50th anniversary of his rather grand entrance into Seattle Sounders lore, Cannon has returned to Seattle, joining other members of the 1974 NASL team to become charter inductees to the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends.
Few could rival Cannon’s ability to instantly make an impact. He was signed off waivers on June 28, 1974, and made his debut in the next game, eight days later. One particular fan took note of his warming up and was quite vocal. In the 73rd minute of a nil-nil stalemate with St. Louis, he came off the bench.
Otey Cannon celebrates scoring four minutes into his first Sounders shift, vs. St. Louis in 1974. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
“This guy in the stands was screaming my name,” and not in a good way, according to Cannon. “John (Best, head coach) told me to ignore it, to just go out there and play. Then the ball came to me, I hit it – and it went in.”
The resulting roar of the 14,000 at Memorial Stadium effectively silenced that singular loudmouth. Cannon remembers going to his knees in celebration, thinking “Damn, about time!” Beyond that, he doesn’t remember too many specifics. “I was probably just overwhelmed.”
Four minutes into his first Sounders shift, Cannon had scored what proved to be the deciding goal. After losing three straight following star Pepe Fernandez’s season-ending injury, Seattle’s expansion side won its fourth straight and was back in NASL playoff contention. Reminiscent in recent times would be Paul Rothrock’s 2023 winner at Houston – an 83’ entry and 87’ winner – in his MLS debut.
The Boom Boom Legend
For Cannon, it was a relief; he had not scored in a competitive match since his senior season at Chico State, 31 months earlier. In fact, the player once known as ‘Boom Boom’ put six goals past Seattle Pacific in an NCAA tournament game. He would score in bunches, totaling a record 42 goals in two seasons.
That scoring prowess and raw, sprinter speed prompted the Dallas Tornado to take Cannon in the NASL college draft, and all at once he became an unwitting trailblazer. He arrived in Dallas and was told he was the first American-born Black to be drafted in the NASL. When he came off the bench in the Tornado’s season-opener, he made history again, becoming the first Black American to play in a major U.S. league.
Otey Cannon (20) and Tjeert Van’t Land shown in a 1975 preseason game (Frank MacDonald Collection)
“(Tornado owner and, later, FC Dallas founder) Lamar Hunt was trying to promote the game,” recalled Cannon, “and for me to be on the squad as not only an American but a Black American, it was like a feather in their cap because I didn’t know I was the first Black to play in the league.”
Ahead of His Time
To that point, the 21-year-old Cannon had not thought about the color of his skin, at least with respect to soccer. “My old college roommate said, it was a sport that no Blacks played, and you’re basically ahead of your time. He said I was the Jackie Robinson of soccer. I laughed, because being from San Francisco, we didn’t look at it like that. We just played.”
Cannon, one of 10 siblings, would travel with the Tornado throughout Europe, playing exhibitions. There, he was a teammate of Best, the Dallas captain, assistant coach and influential in all off-field initiatives.
Whereas spectators in France, Germany and England “accepted you as a soccer player,” such was not always the case in parts of the U.S. “East of the Mississippi, it was just a different vibe, where you would hear comments,” that Cannon chooses not to repeat. “We didn’t understand racism. Once we got away from the West Coast, that’s where we started seeing and hearing things. My wife had never seen (separate) Black and White drinking fountains until we got to Dallas. This was 1972.” He says it was a time when America “was evolving.”
After two-plus seasons in Dallas, he was released. However, before Cannon could return to California, on the recommendation of Best, the Sounders called.
“Otey was as fast as lightning,” remembers David Gillett, a defensive stalwart for the Sounders their first four seasons. “He had a big, tall hairdo and was such a pleasant, nice guy.”
David Butler, who started ahead of Cannon, scoring 10 goals, does not remember the crowd insults directed toward Cannon, but he had witnessed “terrible racist remarks and actions” at his hometown club in England, West Bromwich Albion, during the Seventies.
Significance Overlooked
Without Fernandez, a Uruguayan forward, Cannon was the only other Black that first year. “There was quite a difference between an American player and an African or Caribbean player,” he said “To find a Black American was kind of a shock to them, the coaches and spectators. There were barriers that you had to knock down.”
When Cannon did make history in Seattle, becoming the first Black American to score in the league, there was scant mention of its greater significance. Rather, out came the reporters’ puns, of the goal being “shot by a Cannon.”
He would appear in each of the remaining games, starting four. He did not score again. Early in 1975, Cannon was released, just after learning he and wife Brenda would be starting their family. Daughter Nicole was born in Seattle and has returned to live here. Otey and Brenda visit regularly.
Seattle’s original 1974 Sounders. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Creating A Culture
Although the Sounders would fall just short in their playoff bid, they went 13-7 and finished with the league’s fifth-best point total. They were a close-knit group, with all of them residing in the same apartment complex, often sharing cars. Pay was nominal. He noted: “We really didn’t have any real superstars, we had players. We were all able to mesh. The English players, the Dutch and European players, we all got along. There was never any animosity or anger because of race, creed or color.”
While in Dallas, the club might send Cannon and his teammates to shopping malls to juggle a ball and attract attention from passersby. “In Seattle, we would actually go to people’s homes, have dinner. We would go meet a whole community at a community center, sit down and talk and have a barbecue.”
Otey Cannon at Sounders training, June 14, 2024
“After the end of the game, the whole team, we’d go to midfield, and we’d bow to each section of the stadium,” said Cannon. “The fans would come on the field and would mingle with them. That was the good, warm community feeling that we had up there. It didn’t happen in other places like that. But Seattle was a city that embraced the team.”
After Seattle, Cannon caught on with the Sacramento’s American Soccer League team, leading the Spirit for two seasons. While he pursued his dream, Brenda’s job with Pacific Bell, said Otey, kept them financially afloat. After he stopped playing, he joined the California Highway Patrol, serving for 30 years.
Otey Cannon, 1975 (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Only Gratitude
Cannon harbors no bitterness, only gratefulness for his opportunity to pursue a dream and see much of the country and the world while doing so. He just wanted to play, and the history-making was a bonus. He is an inductee to several other halls of fame in the Bay Area, and his feats of ‘firsts’ are now more widely known.
He and the ’74 Sounders are now recognized for creating a chemistry with fans, with winning games within a team framework and setting a high standard. Those are traits which have now been intertwined with Sounders soccer for five decades. They will not be forgotten by anyone who bore witness.
“Seattle had never seen anything like that,” said Cannon. “We loved doing these things with the fans. We didn’t need a reward, we loved doing it because the people treated us so good. Everybody was made to feel like they were at home.”
My adoration of Jimmy Gabriel is founded largely on a single half-hour shift and, really, just the first 10 minutes. My profound admiration of our first true Mr. Sounder lasts to this day.
Jimmy Gabriel may no longer walk this earth, but without question his legacy lives on. Every time Brian Schmetzer fills out a lineup sheet or delivers his team talk. Every time Bernie James addresses his kids. Every time Dean Wurzberger or Lesle Gallimore conduct a clinic. And so on and so on.
Jimmy Gabriel celebrates as the Sounders roar back to beat Portland in 1977. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Our state soccer community thrives on so many fronts: Professional, college, amateur, youth and, of course, our legion of fans. For 20-25 years, Jimmy Gabriel was instrumental in the development of all those. Head coach, coaching director, assistant coach, volunteer: No matter the role, he found a means to contribute, sometimes forcefully, often times quietly. Not much for pomp, he led with his heart, and that’s when he won me over.
It was 1977, Jimmy’s first year after being elevated to head coach, and the Sounders were stumbling mightily out of the gate. Never mind that they lost the first three matches, they didn’t even score, and down 2-nil at home to Portland, Gabriel and the lads were staring at 0-4. Then everything changed.
Never to be Replicated
As a kid watching on TV some 90 miles away, Jimmy’s next act was unforgettable. It will never be replicated, either. Against our fiercest rival, he pulled off his track jacket, un-retired, inserted himself into the match and imposed his will upon the outcome.
Within a minute or two, Jimmy went flying into a midfield tackle on the hard, unforgiving Kingdome turf. He got mostly ball, and he also got himself a rugburn and an obviously painful muscle pull. Might’ve been hamstring, maybe groin. Whatever it was, he was hurting. But he was running, he was contributing, and he wasn’t coming off. The tackle sent a message to all the other 25,000 players and fans in the Dome – and the kid watching faraway – that this fight was far from over.
Seven minutes into his shift, Jimmy headed a cross back across the crease for Davey Butler to score. A Paul Crossley penalty tied it, and with five minutes left Butler did it again, scoring the winner. The Sounders would go on to reach their first league final, and although Jimmy’s teams could be up and down, my belief in him never wavered.
That’s my Jimmy Gabriel story. I’ve listened to many more, although rarely from his lips.
The Obvious Leader
Bob Robertson, the original Voice of the Sounders, recalled how Jimmy might explain through his thick, Scottish brogue the use of physicality: “It’s a man’s game, is it not?”
FC Seattle owner Bud Greer credited Jimmy not only with the impetus for launching the team but later adding the nickname. “He said, ‘Look, we’re seeing some pretty good players (and) it’s time we fielded a team of good American players. Interestingly enough, the Storm nickname was his. He had this fixation on naming teams after weather.” So, Jimmy’s only quarrel with our NWSL team might be that it’s not spelled Rain.
Coaching FC Seattle in 1986 (Frank MacDonald Collecction)
Dave Gillett and John Best were among those who noted his instant credibility and command of respect once Jimmy brought a player to the Sounders. “He’s obviously a leader,” said Best. Added Gillett: “Players like me really looked up to him…you just learned the game from him.”
Jimmy McAlister played for Jimmy with the Sounders and San Jose, where his biggest feat may have been getting the notoriously troublesome yet immensely talented George Best to play 30 games after missing a combined 17 the previous two years.
Jimmy Gabriel resigned from that job. He did the same with the Sounders and FC Seattle. Never fired, he had the strength and conviction of character to know when either he needed a change of scenery, or the club did. One of his greatest gifts was working with young, emerging talent. He could tailor his message to motivate American kids, as opposed to a less gentle approach to British kids. He could lift the level of those players because he truly believed in them, often times more than they believed in themselves.
‘Are you kidding, in a reserve game?’
His commitment to the team was never in question. McAlister told the story of Jimmy, at age 40, playing in a reserve game with the younger players. “He broke his nose and had to have it strapped to his face for the rest of the game,” recalled McAlister. “People in the stands are going, ‘Are you kidding me, he’s doing this in a reserve game?’”
McAlister played in that ’77 Portland game and could immediately see Jimmy was injured. “On the field he was as animalistic as anyone, but he was also very intelligent. Most guys who get stuck in, like the goon on a hockey team, there’s not a lot going on with them. Jimmy was different from them.” Which takes us back to that night in 1977.
I’ve talked to Jimmy about that game several times. His memory of it remained sharp. “I knew that if I could get out there and show them we needed more effort, more energy; if we did that, we would get the crowd behind us, even though we might not win the game.
Jimmy Gabriel working with Tony Chursky in training (Frank MacDonald Collection)
“I told myself I had to stay on,” he continued. “Then I got in a few tackles and a few things happened. The kids and the new players got a bit lifted, and they started to play better.”
The Greatest Guy
“He’s probably the greatest guy I was ever around, for feeling confident and good about yourself,” said McAlister. “Jimmy was the best coach in terms of motivating players and you wanting to play for your coach. He’s just a great human being. He cares about everything.”
In some ways, Jimmy Gabriel was a man of the times, in terms of his courageous play. But he may have been ahead of his time as a coach. His caring, sympathetic and rejuvenating ways play much like Pete Carroll’s.
It’s a man’s game, yet Jimmy appeals to your heart, and when players exhibit heart, everything gets lifted. The challenge to all of us who knew Jimmy or knew stories of Jimmy, is to find new and different ways to lift others up, to make them their best.
What’s your Jimmy Gabriel story?
Note: Jimmy Gabriel died July 10, 2021 at the age of 80. Gabriel came to Seattle in 1974 already a legend at Everton, where he won league and FA Cup winners’ medals. He served as captain, assistant coach and head coach of the NASL Sounders. In 1983 he became Washington Youth Soccer’s first coaching director. From 1984-86 Gabriel was coaching director and head coach of FC Seattle. After returning to Seattle in 1997 he was an assistant to both the University of Washington men’s and women’s programs. During the first few seasons of Sounders FC, Gabriel was a member of the radio broadcast team.
What if Seattle’s initial MLS bid had been successful in securing a charter team? And how would that bizarro world script play out?
First the Bad News
Alan Rothenberg no doubt had a lot on his mind. There were fewer than 48 hours between this press conference and the World Cup’s opening match at Chicago’s Soldier Field. As president of U.S. Soccer and Chairman/CEO of World Cup USA, Rothenberg had a lot of balls in the air on June 15, 1994, and here he was, before the almighty FIFA brass and a hoard of international media, announcing the first wave of charter cities for Major League Soccer.
Following a slew of salutations and greetings, Rothenberg got down to the business at hand, naming names as the rebirth of top-tier American professional soccer took a giant step toward reality. He said these would be the first seven, with another three cities to be determined later, with the MLS launch two years away, instead of 1995, as first proposed.
An unexpectedly big crowd for USA vs Russia opened the door to MLS. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Boston, Columbus, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, San Jose and Washington, D.C. Back in Seattle, a roomful of soccer and sports community leaders listened in, hoping for some kind of miracle.
Five months before, there had been no Seattle bid committee. The lack of a suitable stadium nor a local investor/owner made the effort a non-starter. However, as so often has happened since the mid-Seventies, the Puget Sound fans spoke volumes. Over 43,000 came to the Kingdome to see a friendly between the World Cup-bound national teams of the United States and Russia.
Hank Steinbrecher, the U.S. Soccer secretary-general, was on hand in the Kingdome press box. Witnessing not only the numbers but the noise and knowledge of the throng, Steinbrecher told reporters that Seattle must submit a bid; it’s too great of a soccer city to be sitting on the sidelines. By the following week a committee formed, the state youth association fronted operating funds and despite some pushback from leadership of the budding A-League Sounders, the business of building a bid plowed forward.
Nearly 1,500 families purchased season-ticket deposits as a show of faith. Locations for potential stadiums were visited and scrutinized as were stop-gap solutions, where a Seattle team might play for the first few seasons. Rothenberg was asked if the MLS Seattle bid committee and Sounders could join forces, creating a united front and combining season ticket sales/deposits. Could these born-again Sounders be granted promotion into MLS in two years? Rothenberg’s reply: No and no.
And so, by June 15 any high hopes for Seattle becoming a charter city in MLS were waning. Rothenberg had named his seven names and, barring some breakthrough with either an owner or venue in the next few months, this bid was DOA.
But Then This Happened
But then Rothenberg suddenly placed his hand over the mic. He paused to confer with an aide and removed a folded page from the inner breast pocket of his navy blazer. Rothenberg glanced at the paper, nodded to the aide and turned back to the mic.
“I apologize; I misspoke,” he explained. “I meant to say New Jersey slash New York (or New York/New Jersey); it’s all one market. And our seventh city, giving us regional representation to the entire Pacific Northwest, America’s once and future great soccer city, Seattle is, in fact, our seventh charter team.”
It was a shocker, no matter the audience. Potential sponsors were wishing for another major market, such as Chicago, Philadelphia or Dallas (which nabbed a charter team in the second stage). But Rothenberg was advised that Seattle had no more obstacles than Columbus or other frontrunners. Besides, nationally televised soccer games always garnered high ratings in Seattle-Tacoma – and there was a track history of pro soccer support, with big crowds coming out for the NASL and now the national team. MLS would find a way to make Seattle work.
Lamar Hunt would operate the team, one of eventually four in his MLS portfolio. He would oversee Dallas and his sons would be hands-on with Columbus and Kansas City. Seattle would be managed by a Hunt-entrusted triumvirate of Al Miller, Bill Nuttall and John Best, the latter being the original NASL Sounders head coach and, later, general manager. Miller and Best had been together under Hunt at the Dallas Tornado. Nuttall was a former U.S. National Team GM. All were longtime friends and associates of Cliff McCrath, the MLS Seattle committee co-chair. Miller, incidentally, had recruited Sounders coach and president Alan Hinton from England to America when he coached the Tornado.
It’s All About the Fans
If its initial response to a bid had been relatively tepid, once MLS was a certainty, the soccer community was all-in. With TV advertisements running throughout the World Cup, season ticket deposits quickly tripled, then increased incrementally as the Sounders started A-League play, then surged to the top of the table and finally sold-out Memorial Stadium for the final regular season game. The MLS team’s business had barely plugged in a fax machine and already there were 6,500 commitments to watch a nameless team at a yet-to-be-determined location.
In its prime the Kingdome was an acceptable venue, but by 1995 both the Seahawks and Mariners were trying to leave it. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Over the two years leading up to the start of MLS in Seattle, there was a great deal of volatility in the market. At the newly-renovated KeyArena, the Sonics were at the height of their popularity and averaging over 60 wins per season. Down south at the Kingdome, its two tenants were troubled. In 1995, the Mariners were finally proving competitive yet there was the threat of them leaving town. After the Kingdome’s ceiling tiles began dropping, prompting the cancellation or relocation of both Sounders and Mariners games, Seahawks owner Ken Behring demanded a new stadium. When rebuffed, in early 1996 the team’s headquarters was moved to Anaheim.
As stated in the original bid package, there were multiple options for playing soccer around Puget Sound, none of them good. With two tenants already, the Kingdome was too crowded, not to mention in need of repair. The Tacoma Dome accommodated 20,000 seats and a full, FIFA-regulation field but located 30 miles south of Seattle. The University of Washington was already averse to hosting the World Cup at Husky Stadium. Hinton’s Sounders started their first season at the Tacoma Dome, then settled at Memorial, which was increasingly showing its age (49, by 1996). A proposed soccer-specific stadium in Kent was an option, but no sooner than the end of the decade.
Portable seating was added, much like here in 1974, to boost Memorial Stadium capacity to 18,000. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Whereas most other MLS teams elected to play in big stadiums with greater than 50,000 capacity, Seattle leaders favored the intimacy of Memorial, augmented by investment in new bleachers and additional portable seating. Much like the original Sounders, capacity would reach 18,000 and a new artificial carpet installed, albeit only 60 (crowned) yards wide.
Branding Arrives with Thud
John Best believed the franchise would benefit from using the Sounders nickname, but once again MLS nixed it. As in the other former NASL markets, this was a new age, a new league and a fresh start was sought. Seattle’s newest team, said the league, would be known as the Voyage. Singular, cold, no alliteration and, like most of the other charter team nicknames, almost no clear association with its location. Although the vibrant green zig-zag jerseys would turn some heads (and cause static TV screens), the Seattle Voyage brand was met with a collective shrug.
A crude, early concept of Nike’s Seattle Voyage jersey for the inaugural season. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
The Sounders, meanwhile, won the 1995 A-League championship with a roster stocked predominantly with homegrown players. At first majority owner Scott Oki and Hinton were determined to march forward, going head-to-head with the MLS entity. However, dwindling crowds, expiring player and stadium contracts eroded their ability to leverage. When Best and Miller offered the Voyage head coaching role to Hinton several days after his team lifted the trophy, the Sounders’ fate was sealed.
In the allocation of MLS-signed foreign talent and U.S. National Team members, Hinton swooped for two of his former players at the Tacoma Stars, Preki and Roy Wegerle. He also targeted signing Everett’s returning son, Chris Henderson and young Vancouver super striker Domenic Mobilio. He drafted or bought-out the contracts of 10 Sounders, including A-League MVP Peter Hattrup and goalkeeper of the year Marcus Hahnemann. Hinton reasoned that playing at home, before family and friends, local lads could strengthen the connection with fans and instantly create a continuity no other team could claim.
It may not have been much in the way of a marquee-name squad, but they played as one and, bolstered by international acquisitions from the league, Seattle Voyage finished runner-up to Tampa Bay during the inaugural regular season before being eliminated by LA in the semifinals.
Alan Hinton tapped to becomeSeattle’s first MLS head coach. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Attendance, while limited by capacity, was impressive at just under 18,000. Season-ticket renewals for 1997 ran about 75 percent. However, walk-ups and continued on-field success helped bridge the gap. While Seattle crowds dipped, it was far less than the league average slide of 2,800 in the second season.
A Place to Call Home
Of greater consequence than any given match in 1997 was Seattle’s future in the game. Memorial Stadium lacked the magical atmosphere of the Sounders’ Camelot era, when fans and players held fewer or more modest expectations. It was cramped, just as much for players as crowds.
Construction had begun on a new Mariners stadium, and prospective Seahawks owner/savior Paul Allen was proposing that the Kingdome be demolished, and a football shrine erected in its place. When polling indicated the statewide proposition was in jeopardy, Hunt got on board, insisting this would also become the new home of MLS. Thanks to the soccer vote the measure passed, barely.
Midway through 2002, the Voyage moved from Memorial to Seahawks Stadium, and it came none too soon. The team remained competitive (after all eight teams always made the playoffs), but had the stadium dilemma remained, Seattle might have been one of the two contracted teams, instead of Tampa Bay or Miami. Hinton was retired, as were most of the players he brought with him. With forgettable player names and few staying for more than a couple seasons, the bloom of MLS had withered.
attendance to near 20,000, with nearly 30,000 for the inaugural match. Preki, at age 40, benefitted from greater operating room, and Henderson still exhibited the engine of a player 10 years younger. The one true drawback: Allen decided that instead of grass, the stadium playing floor would be artificial.
Hunt began listening to offers for two of his MLS holdings, including Seattle. The threatened exodus of both the Mariners and Seahawks had made fans of teams wary of out-of-state owners. Allen, more focused on reshaping the Seahawks’ image, wasn’t interested. Among locals, most were only open to becoming a partner. Investment groups began bargaining with Hunt. In 2005 he sold the Voyage to a group of California investors for $11M, just above the Salt Lake and Toronto’s expansion fees.
How to Bring Back the Buzz
Crowd support, once the new stadium buzz subsided, leveled off around 17,000, still respectable and among the MLS top five. The crowds, which were largely families in the first seven seasons, were morphing, with more millennials. A drum-banging bunch began growing in the southeast corner. Although Seattle continued to make the playoffs year after year, there were no trophies and there’s a sense of general impatience with the bland (they were now wearing all-white home kit with green trim) brand that was the Voyage.
In 2005, owners of the USL Tacoma Tugs, used their connections to bring Real Madrid to Qwest Field, to play the Voyage in a friendly. It was the first major international tour to stop (Manchester United opted for Vancouver in 2003), and the turnout of 55,000 indicated there was an untapped audience that didn’t fancy MLS.
Tod Leiweke
One of the Tacoma owners, Adrian Hanauer, initiated conversations with Seahawks president Tod Leiweke and VP Gary Wright. All three shared a passion for soccer and a vision for what pro soccer could once again become in Puget Sound. The Voyage ownership group wasn’t interested in advice on the business front. They reminded the community that fans should support their endeavor because ticket prices were reasonable, the team regularly qualified for the playoffs and would soon play in Superliga, the new competition featuring MLS versus LigaMX clubs. Furthermore, they were exploring the signing of a first Designated Player in 2008.
At that point, the Great Recession applied the brakes to all MLS expansion plans. Hollywood exec Joe Roth’s proposed Vancouver start date was pushed back to no sooner than 2012. Voyage owners wanted out; their investment portfolio had cratered. Hanauer cobbled together a group to buy a majority stake for $16M. Among the partners was Paul Allen’s Vulcan Sports, which would now manage the business side. They soon recommended a rebrand. The Californians had rejected such suggestions and the Sounders name in particular, claiming that brand was ancient history and would no longer resonate with fans who were in their youth back in the NASL and A-League days.
Yet in 2009, the Voyage came to an end; the Sounders re-emerged. Hanauer was unsuccessful in prying Sigi Schmid loose from Columbus, but he hired Paul Mariner and convinced him to bring aboard Brian Schmetzer, the Tacoma coach, as the top assistant and Chris Henderson as technical director. Local hero Kasey Keller, after solid career in Europe, was signed to a two-year deal. Leiweke claimed it all to be a reboot, an unshackling from MLS 1.0. There was now a vision of reaching the crowd levels of the NASL days and a more vibrant, loud stadium atmosphere.
The reborn Sounders did not make the 2010 playoffs, yet led the league attendance at just over 23,000. It had taken 14 years, an ownership change, a new vision, but Seattle and MLS – now with David Beckham added – seemed to start the new decade on an ambitious trajectory. Once Roth’s Vancouver comes online, Cascadia might produce a combustible rivalry, one that Portland might someday join. Practically everything was falling into place: local ownership, front office expertise, a likeable brand, a major-league stadium and the prospect of local rivalries.
If only all that had been the case in 1996. Timing, it proved, can be everything.
If there is to be a monument celebrating John Rowlands, it must stand tall and strong. It must exude tenacity, cunning and somehow exhibit a pinch of mischief.
For John Rowlands must be known for far more than just the goal that sounded our soccer community’s collective awakening. He was a buoyant, forceful personality; someone who would lead you headlong into the fray yet elicit some hardy laughs along the way. He was adventurous, striking out from his homeland for this faraway port to play for a side that had no prior existence. Here he would join, and in many ways lead, likeminded lads who blazed a path for what has become a thriving, footballing realm. He was a beacon.
John Rowlands, who led the line and, in many ways set the carefree tone of those first Sounders teams of the Seventies, has died, a victim of Coronavirus earlier this month in his native northwest England. He was 73.
John Rowlands, ca. 1974 (Frank MacDonald Collection)
Yet to the vast majority of contemporary footy followers around Seattle, the name Rowlands may fail to resonate. You might find a fuzzy image of him on YouTube or the black and white photographs such as those on this page. However, that’s all two-dimensional, and if one really wants to identify themselves a Sounder for life, let’s learn a bit about the late, great Sounder, John Rowlands.
Once John Best got a look at the narrow, crowned and unforgivingly hard Astroturf of Memorial Stadium, Seattle’s first coach envisioned the cast best equipped to win games in those cozy confines while at the same time winning fans. The plan: Those first Sounders would go direct, straight down the middle.
