Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984)


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.
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" 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 .
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" 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.
1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.

2. Top goalscorer includes all goals scored in League, League Playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

Honours

NASL Championship
Conference titles
Division titles
NASL attendance leader
  • 1983
  • 1984
NASL coach of the year
North American player of the year
NASL playoff MVP
NASL leading goalkeeper
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame members
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame members
Indoor All-Star game
All-Star First Team selections
All-Star Second Team selections
All-Star honourable mentions
Indoor All-Stars
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame members'''

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