Friday 30 October 2009

Rowdies Memorabilia - Rowdies Satin Jacket


A Rowdies' satin jacket, made by Speedline Sports.

Signed Cards - 1990 Rowdies Ray Hudson

Ray Hudson's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Memorabilia - 1975 Rowdies Bumper Sticker

A 1975 Rowdies bumper sticker.
Many thanks to Andy Northern.

Monday 19 October 2009

Rowdies Press Photos - Petar Baralic

Petar Baralic lets fly against the Cosmos at Giants Stadium in 1979.
Thanks to Jan Reinertsen.

Pierre Morice 1993

Pierre Morice was born March 25th, 1962 in Saint-Brieuc, France. He started his professional career at the age of 16, with French first division side Nantes, making his debut at the age of 18, during the 1980-81 season, against Lille on September 12th, 1980, he would make 5 appearances in his first season. He would go onto make another 149 appearances and scoring 7 goals before leaving after the 1986-87 season. He played on their 1982-83 French Championship team, and was a member of their 1982-83 Finale Coupe de France team. He also played in the European Cup with Nantes.
In 1987, he would start his travels in soccer, he joined French first division side Niort, making 37 appearances and scoring 6 goals. Then half way through the 1988-89 season, he joined Saint-Étienne on loan, where he would make 21 appearances and scored 2 goals. He returned to Niort for the 1989-90 season, now in the second division, he would make another 34 appearances and scoring 9 goals. He was then on the move again for the 1990-91 season, to Nice, making 9 appearances, he would leave them in 1991.
Pierre then went to Minnesota because his wife, Rikke, is a native Minnesotan. They met in France and lived there for six years while Pierre was playing. A car buff, Pierre felt his future was in autos and for a while, he sold cars in St. Paul. But the Hunger for the game hadn't left him. While training at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Mn., Pierre caught the eye of Bruce Miller, a former player with the Ft. Lauderdale and Minnesota Strikers, who ran the magnificent complex outside the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Miller was a former team-mate and good friend of Rowdies Coach Ken Fogarty.
Pierre joined the Rowdies in what was to be their last year, 1993. He scored on his debut against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers on May 1st in a 2-3 loss, with his first shot at goal. He then scored in his next two games. Was injured in the game against the Toronto Blizzard, which resulted him in missing two games. He played in a total of 22 games, and scored 9 goals.
To round out his playing career, he joined the Minnesota Thunder in 1994, still an amateur club under its first year of affiliation with the USISL, now the USL. He played left midfield in a 4-4-2 formation for both of his years with the team. He helped the team finish its regular season undefeated at the top of the Midwest Division. It eventually lost out to Greensboro in the league championship match. In 1995, Pierre scored 6 goals with 20 assists during the year, helping the Thunder to again reach the league final, which they lost to Long Island. After the 1995 season, Pierre announced his retirement as a player.
Today, Pierre and Rikke reside in Minneapolis, Mn.
Thanks to S.A. Kerssen.

Rowdies Press Photos - Wes McLeod

Wes McLeod about to take a shot against the Cosmos in 1979.
Thanks to Jan Reinertsen.

Rowdies Press Photos - Rodney Marsh

Rodney Marsh's last minute winning goal against the Memphis Rogues in 1979, that sparked a benchclearing brawl in which three players were ejected and Rodney was one of them. Watched by John Gorman and Manny Andruszewski.
Many thanks to Rodney for this information.

Signed Cards - 1979 Rowdies Manny Andruszewski

Manny Andruszewski's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Press Photos - Jurgen Stars

Jurgen Stars teaches the kids, during a Camp Kikinthagrass session.
Thanks to Vickie Moxley.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Monday 5 October 2009

Rowdies Press Photos - Mike Connell

Mike Connell rises above Strikers' Gerd Muller in 1980.
Many thanks to Mike Connell for this photo.

Signed Cards - 1990 Rowdies Mark Abboud

Mark Abboud's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Memorabilia - 1976 Rowdies vs Thunder Poster

A poster for the Rowdies' game against the San Antonio Thunder, June 12th, 1976 at Tampa Stadium.

Friday 2 October 2009

Rowdies Press Photos - Jan Van Der Veen

Jan Van Der Veen 1980.
Thanks to Dave Morrison.

Rowdies Press Photos - Rodney Marsh

Rodney Marsh goes into a tackle with his studs showing against the San Jose Earthquakes' Kemp in 1976.
Many thanks to Dave Morrison.

Rowdies Snap Shots - Jan Van Der Veen


Jan Van Der Veen, during a training session.
Many thanks to Vickie Moxley.

Doug Wark 1975, 1976; 1975 (id), 1976 (id), 1980 (id)

Doug Wark was born December 24th, 1951 in Scotland. He attended Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY, where he played two seasons of soccer in 1972 and 1973. He earned second team All American recognition in 1973 as Hartwick went to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Doug left Hartwick after his sophomore season to sign with the Rochester Lancers. He spent only one season in Rochester before being traded to the Rowdies.
In 1975, the NASL ran an indoor tournament. Doug scored seven goals in two games with the Rowdies making him the tournament’s second leading scorer behind Paul Child. Doug was selected to the all tournament team. In the 1975 outdoor season, he appeared in 13 games. Was a memeber of the Rowdies 1976 NASL indoor Tournament Champions, but only after 4 games in the outdoor season he was traded to the San Diego Jaws where he would appear in 7 games and scoring 4 goals.
In 1977, the Jaws moved to Las Vegas where they were renamed the Las Vegas Quicksilver, he went onto play in 17 games and scoring 2 goals.
After the 1977 season, the team was back in San Diego, now known as the San Diego Sockers. He again began the season with one team only to be traded by the Sockers to the San Jose Earthquakes during the 1978 season. After only eight games in San Jose, and he was again traded, this time to the Chicago Sting making only 2 appearances.. He finished the 1978 NASL season in Chicago, then left the league.
In 1978, he signed with the Cincinnati Kids for the inaugural MISL season. He scored twenty-nine goals in twenty-two games.
Then in October 1980, he returned to the Bay Area, when he re-signed to play for the Rowdies in the 1980 indoor season, where he played in 8 games and scored 6 goals, with 2 assists.
Doug Wark earned one cap with the U.S. national team in a June 24th, 1975 loss to Poland. He started the game, then came off in the 84th minute for Kevin Walsh.


Doug today enjoying a relaxing drink.

Rowdies Press Photos - Peter Nogly

Peter Nogly gets a foot in against the Tulsa Roughnecks in 1982.

Signed Cards - 1979 Rowdies Petar Baralic

Petar Baralic's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Memorabilia - Rowdies II 1982 Outdoor Schedule

The 1982 outdoor schedule for the Rowdies II team.
Can anyone help with results, lineups etc. Please email me if you can.

Rowdies Press Photos - Rodney Marsh

Rodney Marsh, Ken Adam and George Best 1977.

Rowdies Memorabilia - Tommy Smith 1971-72 FKS Publishers Card

Tommy Smith's 1971-72 FKS Publishers card, whilst he was at Liverpool.

Rowdies Press Photos - Mike Connell

Mike Connell is totally outnumbered by the Cosmos defence in1979.
Thanks to Jan Reinertsen.

Rowdies Press Photos - Sandje Ivanchukov

Sandje Ivanchukov 1980 indoor.

Eddie Engerth 1975 (id)

Edward "Eddie" Engerth was born November 8th, 1951 in Southampton, Pennsylvania. He was the Rowdies first American signee in 1975. Attended William Tennant High School, before going onto Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY. He was blessed with phenominal speed, which left defenders stranded. He was selected to the US Olympic Team, which toured Japan for three games in August, 1974.
He appeared in 4 games and scored 3 goals during the 1975 NASL indoor tournaments. In 1976, he played in 7 games for the Philadelphia Atoms.
Today, Eddie lives in New Paris, Pennsylvania.
Thanks to Ken Gilbert for his help.

Signed Cards - 1990 Rowdies Chris Charles

Chris Charles' signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Press Photos - Jan Van Der Veen

Jan Van Der Veen in action against Dynamo Moscow, during an Exhibition Game in 1979.

Signed Cards - 1975 Rowdies John Boyle

The original captain of the Rowdies, John "The Bull" Boyle's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Press Photos - Petar Baralic

Petar Baralic takes on Cosmos' Morais in 1979.

Rowdies Press Photos - Zeljko Bilecki

Zeljko Bilecki makes a catch during Soccer Bowl '79, against Whitecaps' Kevin Hector.
Thanks to Dave Morrison.

Thursday 1 October 2009

Rowdies Press Photos - Washington Olivera

Washington Olivera 1981.

Rowdies Snap Shots - Rodney Marsh

Rodney Marsh with fan Mike Bagley in 1979.
Thanks to Rodney for this photo.

Arnold Mausser 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986; 1976 (id), 1977 (id), 1983 (id), 1984 (id), 1986-87 (id)

Arnold "Arnie" Mausser was born February 28th, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. Considered one of the finest goalkeepers the United States has ever produced. He is known as the trailblazer for future US goalkeepers such as Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, and Brad Friedel. He was a big man (standing 6' 5") who threw with his right hand, but kicked with his left foot.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, with two younger brothers,he played numerous sports, his favorite being basketball. However, in the eighth grade, he began playing goalkeeper because of his size. As he got older, he trained with numerous local teams, eventually catching the eye of the coach of the Rhode Island Oceaneers of the American Soccer League. He signed with the team in 1974 and played a single season before moving to the NASL. In 1975, Arnie joined the Hartford Bicentennials, he appeared in 22 games, before joining the Rowdies for the 1976 season. His excellent play with the Rowdies (6 shutouts and 28 goals scored against him in 24 games) led to his selection as a first team NASL All Star.
Despite his success with the Rowdies, coach Eddie Firmani preferred English goalkeeper Paul Hammond who had spent the 1975 season with the Rowdies. As a result, Firmani traded Arnie in 1977 to the Vancouver Whitecaps after the Rowdies signed Hammond. Although this move was not the result of Arnie's actions, a pattern had been set which continued throughout his career and earned him a reputation as a mercenary playing for whoever offered the best pay. From Vancouver, he moved to Colorado Caribous, again after only a single season, making 28 appearances. After only one season in Colorado, he moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, playing in 36 games. Then was traded from the Strikers to the New England Teamen during the 1980 season, but only played in 2 games. At the end of the season, the Teamen moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he spent the next two seasons as part of the Jacksonville Tea Men, making a total of 50 appearances.
In 1983, he joined Team America, the short lived USSF attempt to form the United States men's national soccer team into a quasi-professional team. In 1984, he played the NASL's last outdoor season back with the Rowdies, with another 23 games under his belt.
When the NASL folded, he briefly played with the Kansas City Comets of the MISL. He would also play a season with the Buffalo Stallions, also of the MISL. In 1986-87, he again returned to the Rowdies to play in the AISA.
He moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, now of the American Soccer League in 1988, but then to the Albany Capitals of the American Professional Soccer League for the 1990 season. He ended his career back with the Strikers for another two seasons before retiring in 1992.
Arnie's strong play earned him the starting goalkeeper position for the national team with which he earned 35 caps between 1975 and 1985. He generally played well for the national team, earning 10 shutouts. However, he had a hand in one of the worst fiascos in U.S. national soccer team history. In 1985, the U.S. was a tie away from going to the 1986 FIFA World Cup. They had one game left, a home match with Costa Rica in Torrance, California. The U.S. had beaten Costa Rica 3-0 at the 1984 Summer Olympics and had tied them 1-1 in Costa Rica five days before the match in Torrance. However, the U.S. team played disjointed and in the 35th minute, he weakly punched away a cross he could have caught. The ball flopped to the feet of Evaristo Coronado who easily scored the goal which eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup contention and sent Costa Rica to the finals instead. He played one more game for the national team, a 5-0 thrashing by England on June 16th.
Arnie Mausser was inducted in the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.

Rowdies Press Photos - Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson gets a header towards the washington Diplomats goal in 1978.

Rowdies Press Photos - Wes McLeod

Wes McLeod 1983.
Thanks to Dave Morrison.

Rowdies Press Photos - Oscar Fabbiani

Oscar Fabbiani takes on the Cosmos in 1979.
Thanks to Jan Reinertsen.

Rowdies Press Photos - John Boyle

John Boyle is lifted in the air by Clyde Best in 1975.

Rowdies Press Photos - Mike Connell

Mike Connell on the ball against the Detroit Express in 1980.

Rowdies Press Photos - Derek Smethurst

Derek Smethurst 1977.

Rowdies Press Photos - Farrukh Quraishi

Farrukh Quraishi 1980.

Rowdies Press Photos - Steve Wegerle

Steve Wegerle 1980.

Rowdies Snap Shots - Terry Moore

Terry Moore relaxing away from the field in 1981.
Thanks to Vickie Moxley.

Signed Cards - 1990 Rowdies Phillip Gyau

Phillip Gyau's signed Rowdies card.

Rowdies Press Photos - Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson rises above a San Diego Socker in 1979, with Mike Connell.

John Boyle 1975; Coach 1977

John Boyle was born 25th December, 1946 in Motherwell, Scotland. "Boylers" was my childhood hero, my bedroom walls were adorned with posters of him. I even had the privalige of meeting him many years ago, and he was a gentleman, signing alot of my memorabilia.
His career started when he signed for Chelsea Football Club, as a 15-year-old whilst on holiday in the city. Boylers was one of the lesser-known, but nevertheless important, members of the successful Chelsea side of the period, usually playing in the midfield ball-winner role.

He was recommended to Chelsea by his uncle, who happened to be a second cousin of Manager Tommy Docherty. A month later he arrived on a train from Scotland - and there was Docherty at the station to meet him and to take him to his digs. Boylers" says, "It was incredible: I was in London, playing football every day, and at the end of the week I was given money. It was like being in heaven."
A tough-tackling fetch and carry midfielder, he captained the youth team for a year before finding himself thrown into first-team action just days before his 18th birthday. And not just any old game, but a League Cup semi-final away to Aston Villa.
"It was a terrible pitch, covered in snow, mud and sand," he says, "but it was wonderful to be playing. Then with five minutes to go, I got the ball about 30 yards out and whacked it into the corner of the net for the winning goal. Incredible."
He ultimately picked up a winners medal in that competition the same year after also playing in Chelsea's two-legged final victory over Leicester City. Having played in the 1967 FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley and been a first-team regular under Docherty, he became more of a marginal figure when Dave Sexton took over as Chelsea boss a few months later.
"Dave appreciated my energy and willingness, but I don't think he really fancied me as a player. Basically, I became an odd-job man, filling in here and there, and in football it doesn't help to get that reputation." Typically, though he makes a joke out of a situation which would surely have tempted less loyal players to slap in a transfer request.
Perhaps, too Boylers' enthusiastic membership of the Chelsea unofficial drinking club didn't impress his new boss. "I remember one day when myself, Charlie Cooke, Peter Osgood and Alan Birchenall were all slightly injured, and to stop us from swinging the lead, we had to report for treatment every few hours. Anyway, we went to Barbarella's - the restaurant just outside Stamford Bridge - for lunch and somebody said, 'Why not have a bottle of wine with your meal?' So we had a bottle - which inevitably, led to another one." he reflects. "Meanwhile, Dave Sexton had already been in, had his lunch and left. When a third bottle of wine arrived, Birch actually went back for treatment; then a few minutes later he came running back and told us that Harry Medhurst was doing his nut. But, we had another bottle of wine on, so we didn't want to leave." He pauses for effect. "Fourteen bottles of wine later, there's Charlie waving a pen around, trying to sign a cheque. He needn't have bothered - the bank sent it back later because it was illegible!" "Unfortunately, one of the newspapers got hold of the story and Dave left us all out for the next match."
Being left out of the team was something Boylers had to become accustomed to in 1970, when he failed to appear at all in the Blues' FA Cup-winning run - with the result that his wholehearted contribution to the Chelsea cause over nine seasons is often overlooked entirely. He also suffered another disappointment in 1970, when he missed out on a chance to line up against Pele's club, Santos, when the Blues played the Brazilians in a summer friendly in Jamaica.
"Yes, that was disappointing," he agrees, "and I remember really hoping at the time that Dave would bring me on, just so I could say that I played against Pele. But I met him after the game in a club with the rest of the Santos players and a few years later I met him again when I was coach with the Rowdies and we played his New York Cosmos team."
The following year, however, was happier, as Boylers fought his way back into the Chelsea team and gave a series of sterling performances at either right or left back. The high spot of the season, of course, came in Athens when Chelsea won the European Cup Winners Cup, defeating Real Madrid in a replay.
As ever, Boylers was right at the heart of the post-match celebrations, leading his team-mates on a trail of ouzo-guzzling and plate throwing which is no doubt still remembered in many of the old tabernas beneath the Acropolis.
There were more high jinks the following year when the squad recorded that old Chelsea favourite 'Blue is the Colour' to mark their appearance in the 1972 League Cup Final against Stoke City at Wembley.
"It made the top ten, so we got a call to go on Top of the Pops. When we got there, a guy told us to sing along to the music - but we made an awful racket, just terrible. So Eddie McCreadie said to him: 'Look, do you want a good song? Well, what we need is four bottles of vodka and a couple of crates of lager - then come back later on.' S0 we went back on stage quite a bit later, and suddenly it was like having 16 Frank Sinatras!"
Maybe Boylers sang a bum note, though, because he didn't make the team for the final and was soon leaving the Bridge - just a year short of completing a 10-year stint at Chelsea that would have put him in line for a well-earned testimonial.
After a loan spell at Brighton - where manager Brian Clough advised him to always buy two halves instead of a pint "or people will think you you're a drinker" - John moved on to Leyton Orient, a move which at the time broke my heart as a kid.
In 1975, he tried his luck in America, with the newly formed Rowdies. He was instantly made captain. He would lead them onto the Soccer Bowl '75 Championship. He played in a total of 24 games that year, scoring 4 goals and coming up with 4 assists. He throughly enjoyed his time in the NASL, and was looking forward to returning for the 1976 season. But, due to poor financial contact talks, it never happened.
Returning to England, he briefly managed Dartford, but did return to the Rowdies as interim coach when Eddie Firmani resigned in 1977. He would finish the year with a 7-9 record, taking them to the playoffs.
Then he found himself falling out of love with the game. He says that these days he'd rather watch cricket than football. It's a sad thing to hear, especially when he was the only one of the 1970's Chelsea team to gain a coaching badge while at the Bridge, but he doesn't seem to have any regrets. "I had a wondeful, wonderful time," he says, "and I haven't got any complaints."

In 2001, John was working as an overnight security guard at the Office of Science and Technology in central London.

Boylers with his scrapbook of memories.
Thank you for my great memories and a happy childhood.