Boston Shamrock Rovers

Boston Shamrock Rovers
Full name	Boston Shamrock Rovers
Nickname(s)	Rovers
Founded	1966
Dissolved	1968
Stadium	Manning Bowl,; Lynn, Massachusetts
Capacity	21,000
Owner	Weston Adams
Head coach	Liam Tuohy
League	United Soccer Association
1967	United Soccer Association, Eastern Division, 6th
Home colors	Away colors

Boston Shamrock Rovers (also known as Boston Rovers) were an American soccer team that competed in the United Soccer Association (USA) league in 1967. The team was based in Lynn, Massachusetts and played their home games at the Manning Bowl. The team folded when the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League.

History

In 1966 several groups of entrepreneurs were exploring the idea of forming a professional soccer league in United States. One of these groups, United Soccer Association (USA) led by Jack Kent Cooke, selected 12 cities for team locations and Weston Adams,^[1] owner of the Boston Bruins, was awarded the Boston franchise. The USA originally planned to start play in the spring of 1968; however the rival National Professional Soccer League, which secured a TV contract from CBS, announced it was ready to launch in 1967. Not wanting to let the rival league gain an advantage, the USA decided to launch early. Not having secured any player contracts, the league imported teams from Europe, Brazil, and Uruguay. Shamrock Rovers F.C. of the League of Ireland were brought over to represent the city of Boston.^[2]^[3]

Rovers opened the season at home against the Detroit Cougars^[a] in a 1 – 1 draw. A disallowed goal by the Cougars due to an offsides call led to an argument with the linesman who was hit in the face by a Detroit player.^[4]^[5] Shamrock Rovers finished the season in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 2 wins 3 ties and 7 loses, the worst in the league, and with an average attendance 4,171.^[6]

Prior to the 1968 season the United Soccer Association merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. The merged league decided not to have two-team cities and, as such, the incoming Boston Beacons from the NPSL would be Boston's NASL franchise. ^[7]

Year-by-year

Season	Regular season												Playoffs	Top scorer
Season	League	Div	G	W	T	L	F	A	Pts	%	Pos	Attend.	Playoffs	Name	Gls	Pts
1967	USA	E	12	2	3	7	12	26	7	.292	6th	4,171	–	Frank O'Neill	3	10

Match results

Win Draw Loss

May 28	Boston Shamrock Rovers	1–1	Detroit Cougars	Lynn, MA
	Mick Leech (30')		John Colrain (85')	Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 7,343 Referee: Dan Graven

May 31	Boston Shamrock Rovers	0–0	New York Skyliners	Lynn, MA
				Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 3,850

June 4	Boston Shamrock Rovers	0–1	Cleveland Stokers	Lynn, MA
			Maurice Setters (88')	Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 5,250

June 7	Detroit Cougars	1–0	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Detroit, MI
	Arthur Stewart (footballer) (79')			Stadium: Tiger Stadium (Detroit) Attendance: 648

June 11	Vancouver Royals	1–0	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Vancouver
	John O'Hare (21')			Stadium: Empire Stadium (Vancouver) Attendance: 7,616

June 14	Chicago Mustangs	5–0	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Chicago, Illinois
	Francesco Rizzo (footballer) (7') Roberto Boninsegna (20'), (67') Giuseppe Longoni (29') Bruno Visentin (37')			Stadium: Comiskey Park Attendance: 3,016

June 18	Boston Shamrock Rovers	3–4	San Francisco Golden Gate Gales	Lynn, MA
	Liam Tuohy (footballer) Frank O'Neill (footballer) Paddy Mulligan		Henk Houwaart (2) René Pas Harry Heynen	Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 853

June 21	Boston Shamrock Rovers	1–4	Dallas Tornado	Lynn, MA
	Liam Tuohy (footballer) (39')		Finn Seemann (22') Mogens Berg (29'), (82') Jackie Graham (36')	Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 1,929

June 25	Los Angeles Wolves	1–1	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Los Angeles, California
	Terry Wharton (81')		Frank O'Neill (footballer) (21')	Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Attendance: 6,936

July 2	Boston Shamrock Rovers	3–1	Houston Stars	Lynn, MA
	Bobby Gilbert Billy Dixon Liam Tuohy (footballer)		Jaime Corrêa Freitas	Stadium: Manning Bowl Attendance: 5,800

July 5	Toronto City	6–1	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Toronto, Ontario
	Colin Grant (footballer) (3) Jim Scott (footballer) Peter Cormack Colin Stein		Mick Leech	Stadium: Varsity Stadium Attendance: 3,152

July 8	Washington Whips	1–2	Boston Shamrock Rovers	Washington, D.C.
	Frank Munro		Frank O'Neill (footballer) Billy Dixon	Stadium: D.C. Stadium Attendance: 9,760

Notes

^ The Northern Irish team Glentoran F.C. had been brought over to represent Detroit

Sources

The Hoops by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins (ISBN 0-7171-2121-6)

References

General

Litterer, Dave. "North American Soccer League I (NASL) 1967–1984". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
Severino, Carlos. "North American Soccer League 1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 2, 2012.

^ "Shamrock Rovers Elect". The Norwalk Hour. April 21, 1967. p. 32. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
^ Seese, D.J. (2015). The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442238954.
^ Hannigan, Dave (May 31, 2017). "Summer of soccer: when Shamrock Rovers conquered America". The Irish Times. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
^ "Cougars Open With Tie". The Owosso Argus-Press. May 27, 1967. p. 13. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
^ Wangerin, Dave (2006). Soccer in a Football World. WSC Books, Limited. p. 134. ISBN 9780954013479. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
^ "North American Soccer League". RSSSF. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
^ "Beacons Survive Rovers In Major Soccer Merger". The Telegraph. December 8, 1967. p. 14. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

External links

[4] The Northern Irish team Glentoran F.C. had been brought over to represent Detroit

[1] "Shamrock Rovers Elect". The Norwalk Hour. April 21, 1967. p. 32. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

[Seese-2] Seese, D.J. (2015). The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442238954.

[3] Hannigan, Dave (May 31, 2017). "Summer of soccer: when Shamrock Rovers conquered America". The Irish Times. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

[5] "Cougars Open With Tie". The Owosso Argus-Press. May 27, 1967. p. 13. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

[6] Wangerin, Dave (2006). Soccer in a Football World. WSC Books, Limited. p. 134. ISBN 9780954013479. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

[NASL-7] "North American Soccer League". RSSSF. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

[8] "Beacons Survive Rovers In Major Soccer Merger". The Telegraph. December 8, 1967. p. 14. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

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v t e North American Soccer League (1968–1984)
Broadcasters USSF CSA Portal NASL (2011–2017) First overall draft picks
Seasons	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Soccer Bowls	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Predecessors	USA 1967 Final NPSL 1967 Final
Indoor seasons	1971 1975 1976 1978 1979 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1983 1983–84
Conferences	1968 East West 1976–1977 Atlantic Pacific 1978–1980 American National
Related	Soccer Bowl broadcasters NASL Indoor Championship
Clubs	Atlanta Apollos Atlanta Chiefs Baltimore Bays Baltimore Comets Boston Beacons Boston Minutemen Boston Shamrock Rovers† Calgary Boomers California Surf Chicago Mustangs Chicago Spurs² Chicago Sting Cleveland Stokers Caribous of Colorado Connecticut Bicentennials Dallas Tornado Denver Dynamos Detroit Cougars Detroit Express Edmonton Drillers Fort Lauderdale Strikers Golden Bay Earthquakes Hartford Bicentennials Houston Hurricane Houston Stars Jacksonville Tea Men Kansas City Spurs Las Vegas Quicksilvers Los Angeles Aztecs Los Angeles Wolves Memphis Rogues Miami Gatos Miami Toros Minnesota Kicks Minnesota Strikers Montreal Manic Montreal Olympique New England Tea Men New York Cosmos New York Generals New York Skyliners¹ Oakland Clippers Oakland Stompers Philadelphia Spartans² Philadelphia Atoms Philadelphia Fury Pittsburgh Phantoms² Portland Timbers Rochester Lancers San Antonio Thunder San Diego Jaws San Diego Sockers San Diego Toros San Francisco Golden Gate Gales¹ San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders St. Louis Stars Tampa Bay Rowdies Team America Team Hawaii Toronto Blizzard Toronto City¹ Toronto Metros Toronto Metros-Croatia Tulsa Roughnecks Vancouver Royals Vancouver Whitecaps Washington Darts Washington Diplomats Washington Whips
¹ United Soccer Association team that did not join NASL upon merger with NPSL. ² National Professional Soccer League team that did not join NASL upon merger with USA.