St. Louis Steamers (1979–1988)
The original St. Louis Steamers played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 through 1988. Their home fixtures were held at the St. Louis Arena. The Steamers were popular for a number of years, with average attendance exceeding 12,000 for each season from 1980–81 through 1984–85, and outdrawing the NHL's St. Louis Blues for four consecutive seasons from 1980–81 through 1983–84.
 Logo of the original St. Louis Steamers | |
| Founded | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1988 |
| Ground | St. Louis Arena St. Louis, Missouri |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| League | Major Indoor Soccer League |
Ownership
- Marvin Mann (1979–1980)[1]
- Stan Musial & Partnership (1980–83)[2]
- Thomas M. Bowers & Partnership (1983–87)
- Bing Devine (1987–88)
History
The Major Indoor Soccer League awarded St. Louis a franchise on July 31, 1979.[3] The home opener on December 14, 1979 drew over 18,000 fans to the Arena.[4] Part of the Steamers' attraction was that their roster was drawn in large part from local talent.[5]
The Steamers' popularity reached its peak during the 1981–82 season, when the team averaged 17,107 fans per game, including 19,298 fans in the Steamers' match at the Arena against the Denver Avalanche.[6] In 1981–82, the Steamers won their second straight division title, and reached the MISL Championship finals, where they lost to New York in a five-game series.
The Steamers played their final match on April 15, 1988 in front of 4,839 fans.[7] Following the 1987–88 season, the club folded, and the MISL terminated the Steamers' franchise.
Year-by-year
| League Champions | Runners-Up | Division Champions* | Playoff Berth |
| Year | League | Reg. Season | G.F. | G.A. | Percent | Finish | Playoffs | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | MISL I | 12–20 | 177 | 184 | .375 | Did not qualify | 14,060 | |
| 1980–81 | MISL I | 25–15 | 122 | 196 | .625 | Central Division champions | Lost in MISL Finals to New York | 15,219 |
| 1981–82 | MISL I | 28–16 | 128 | 182 | .636 | Central Division champions | Lost in MISL Finals to New York | 17,107 |
| 1982–83 | MISL I | 26–22 | 234 | 234 | .542 | Lost in 1st round to Wichita | 14,693 | |
| 1983–84 | MISL I | 26–22 | 220 | 202 | .542 | Western Division champions | Lost in MISL Finals to Baltimore | 13,992 |
| 1984–85 | MISL I | 24–24 | 211 | 207 | .500 | Lost in the Wild Card to Kansas City | 12,711 | |
| 1985–86 | MISL I | 23–25 | 223 | 233 | .479 | Lost in 1st round to San Diego | 10,189 | |
| 1986–87 | MISL I | 19–33 | 122 | 196 | .365 | Did not qualify | 7,038 | |
| 1987–88 | MISL I | 18–38 | 195 | 224 | .321 | Did not qualify | 6,440 | |
Retired numbers
- #30 Slobo Ilijevski
- #7 Daryl Doran
Coaches
Pat McBride (1979–81) (1985–87)- Al Trost (1981–83)
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Dave Clements (1983–85)
Tony Glavin (1987–88)
Yearly Awards
MISL Rookie of the Year
- 1980–81 – Don Ebert
MISL Goalkeeper of the Year
- 1981–1982 – Slobo Ilijevski
- 1983–1984 – Slobo Ilijevski
MISL All-Star Team Selection
- 1980–1981 – Steve Pecher
- 1980–1981 – Tony Glavin
- 1981–1982 – Slobo Ilijevski
- 1983–1984 – Slobo Ilijevski
- 1983–1984 – Sam Bick
MISL Coach of the Year
- 1979–80 – Pat McBride (Jointly held)
See also
- Soccer in St. Louis
- St. Louis Stars
- St. Louis Storm (1989–92)
- St. Louis Ambush (1992–2000)
- AC St. Louis (2010)
- Record attendances in United States club soccer
References
- "History". Official Website of the St. Louis Ambush Professional Soccer Team. St. Louis Ambush. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- "History". Official Website of the St. Louis Ambush Professional Soccer Team. St. Louis Ambush. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- Our St. Louis Steamers
- Our St. Louis Steamers
- Our St. Louis Steamers
- Our St. Louis Steamers
- Our St. Louis Steamers