The original Vancouver Whitecaps were a professional soccer team founded on December 11, 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s they played in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
The Whitecaps of that era included international players such as Alan Ball, Ruud Krol and Bruce Grobbelaar, but also British Columbian stars like Bobby and Sam Lenarduzzi, Buzz Parsons, and Bruce Wilson.
In 1979, the team from the "Village of Vancouver" (a reference to ABC TV sportscaster Jim McKay's observation that "Vancouver must be like the deserted village right now", with so many people watching the game on TV) beat the powerhouse New York Cosmos in one of the most thrilling playoff series in NASL history to advance to the 1979 Soccer Bowl. Saturday, September 8, 1979, they triumphed against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at the Giants Stadium before a crowd of 50,699 (66,843 tickets had been sold for the game).
It was during this short period that soccer interest peaked in Vancouver. The Whitecaps attendance at Empire Stadium grew to an average of 28,000 per game with playoff matches reaching the 32,000 capacity. The team also recorded two tracks, with "White Is the Colour" (a takeoff on Chelsea's "Blue Is the Colour") becoming a hit on local radio during the run-up to their championship win.
The Whitecaps kit starting in 1978 featured a new two-tone blue design created by Vancouver-based graphic designer Dick Martin, who also re-designed the logo and jersey for the CFL team BC Lions.
After playing at Vancouver's 32,000-seat Empire Stadium for most of their existence, the team moved into the new 60,000-seat BC Place Stadium in 1983.
The team played indoor soccer on and off during their existence. The Pacific Coliseum served as the home field for their 1980–81 and 1983–84 NASL indoor seasons. However, for the 1981–82 indoor season the Whitecaps used the much smaller PNE Agrodome, as the Pacific Coliseum became unavailable.
History
Vancouver was announced as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League on December 11, 1973, set to enter the league in 1974 alongside Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Jose. The seven-person ownership group was led by Herb Capozzi and included several businesspeople from the Lower Mainland. The city had previously hosted the Vancouver Royal Canadians, a United Soccer Association team that played for the 1967 season with players from Sunderland A.F.C and in 1968 as the Royals before folding. The team announced their name, the Whitecaps, in February 1974 and signed their first player, former West Bromwich Albion striker and Vancouver native Glen Johnson.
Year-by-year
This is a complete list of seasons for the NASL club. For a season-by-season history including the current MLS franchise, see History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For solely MLS results, see List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC seasons.
SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffsContinentalAverage attendanceTop goalscorer(s)DivLeaguePldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGDiv.Conf.OverallNameGoals1974 1 NASL 20 5 11 4 29 31 –2 70 3.50 4th — 12th DNQ Ineligible 10,098 Brian Gant 61975 NASL 22 11 11 0 38 28 +10 99 4.50 4th 11th 7,579 Glen Johnson 81976 NASL 24 14 10 0 38 30 +8 120 5.00 3rd 5th 9th R1 8,655 3 players 51977 NASL 26 14 12 0 43 36 +7 124 4.77 2nd 4th 7th R1 11,897 Derek Possee 111978 NASL 30 24 6 0 68 29 +39 199 6.63 1st 2nd 2nd QF 15,736 Kevin Hector 211979 NASL 30 20 10 0 54 34 +20 172 5.73 1st 3rd 4th W 22,962 Kevin Hector 151980 NASL 32 16 16 0 52 47 +5 139 4.34 3rd 7th 14th R1 26,834 151981 NASL 32 21 11 0 74 43 +31 186 5.81 1st — 3rd R1 23,236 Carl Valentine 101982 NASL 32 20 12 0 58 48 +10 160 5.00 3rd 5th QF 18,254 Ray Hankin 111983 NASL 30 24 6 0 63 34 +29 187 6.23 1st 2nd QF 29,166 David Cross 191984 NASL 24 13 11 0 51 48 +3 117 4.88 2nd 4th SF 15,190 Peter Ward 16 Total – – 302 182 116 4 568 408 +160 1573 5.21 – – – – –Unknown 167 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only. 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, League Playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
Indoor SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffsLeaguePldWLGFGAGDConf.Overall1975 NASL 2 1 1 18 11 +7 2nd 6th DNQ1976 NASL 2 0 2 8 29 −21 4th 12th1980–81 NASL 18 11 7 91 96 −5 1st 5th SF1981–82 NASL 18 10 8 93 94 −1 3rd 6th R1 Total 40 22 18 210 230 −20
Honours
NASL Championship 1979
Conference titles 1979 National Conference Champions
Division titles 1978 Western Division (National Conference) 1979 Western Division (National Conference) 1981 Northwest Division 1980–81 Northwest Division (indoor) 1983 Western Division
NASL attendance leader 1983 (29,164 per game) 1984 (15,208 per game)
NASL coach of the year 1978 Tony Waiters 1982 Johnny Giles
North American player of the year 1978 Bob Lenarduzzi 1983 Tino Lettieri
NASL playoff MVP 1979 Alan Ball
NASL leading goalkeeper 1978 Phil Parkes (GAA: 0.95, Wins: 23, SO: 10) 1979 Phil Parkes (GAA: 0.96, SO: 7) 1982 Tino Lettieri (GAA: 1.23) 1983 Tino Lettieri (GAA: 0.86, GA: 25, SO: 11)
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame members 2003: Bob Lenarduzzi, Arnie Mausser, Bruce Wilson
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame members 2014 Dale Mitchell
Indoor All-Star game 1983–84 Reserves: Carl Valentine, Peter Ward, Tino Lettieri
All-Star First Team selections 1977 Bruce Wilson 1979 Phil Parkes 1980 Rudi Krol 1983 David Watson, Frans Thijssen 1984 Frans Thijssen, Peter Ward
All-Star Second Team selections 1977 Buzz Parsons 1978 John Craven, Kevin Hector 1979 Alan Ball, Bob Lenarduzzi 1981 Peter Lorimer, Pierce O'Leary 1983 Tino Lettieri 1983–84 Carl Valentine (indoor) 1984 Bob Lenarduzzi, Fran O'Brien
All-Star honourable mentions 1976 Tommy Ord 1982 Carl Valentine, John Wile 1983 Peter Beardsley, David Cross, Fran O'Brien 1984 Paul Bradshaw, Carl Valentine
Indoor All-Stars 1980–81 Carl Valentine, Gerry Gray, Bruce Grobbelaar
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame members 2000 Sam Lenarduzzi, Luigi Moro, Bruce Wilson 2001 Gerry Gray, Bob Lenarduzzi, Tino Lettieri, Tony Waiters 2002 Dale Mitchell, Mike Sweeney 2003 Ian Bridge, Buzz Parsons, Carl Valentine 2004 Bob Bolitho 2005 Garry Ayre 2006 Brian Robinson, Randy Samuel 2007 Herb Capozzi, Glen Johnson 2008 Bruce Twamley, Les Wilson 2009 Neil Ellett 2011 Victor Kodelja, Soccer Bowl '79 Champions 2014 Chris Bennett
Statistics
Attendance The record home attendance for a Whitecaps game was on June 20, 1983. 60,342 came to watch the caps take on the Seattle Sounders in the first game at BC Place Stadium. It was also the largest crowd to ever see a club soccer match in Canada until the Montreal Impact surpassed the mark with 60,860 on May 12, 2012.
Average yearly attendance 1974 10,098 1975 7,579 1976 8,656 1977 11,897 1978 15,724 1979 22,962 1980 26,834 1981 23,236 1982 18,251 1983 29,164 1984 15,208
See also Vancouver Royals History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC
References