The Boston Bulldogs were a soccer club originally founded in 1996 as the Worcester Wildfire. The team debuted in the USISL and would play in the A-League from 1997 to 2000. Before folding, the team played its final season in the USL D3 Pro Soccer League

USL Second Division

The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...

 in 2001.

The club played its games at Bowditch Stadium in Framingham, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

.

History

The first year in the A-League

A-League (1995–2004)

The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division...

 was fraught with financial problems and lack of a regular training facility. The owner was John Curtis from Cape Cod

Cape Cod

Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...

 who also owned the Cape Cod Crusaders

Cape Cod Crusaders

Cape Cod Crusaders were an American soccer team based in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1994, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...

 and the new women's franchise the Boston Renegades

Boston Renegades

Boston Renegades was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2003. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference...

. Curtis was forced to sell the club before the start of the second season. The first coach of the A-League Wildfire was Nigel Boulton

Nigel Boulton

Nigel Boulton is a former Welsh football player who currently coaches in the United States.-Playing career:Boulton played semi-professionally for Sully A.F.C., a three-time Wales Premier League champion and three time Senior Cup Winner. In 1988, he joined the coaching ranks with Sully and took...

, a native of Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. Boulton resigned following the completion of the first year to take up the State Director of Coaching position in Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

. He now coaches the men's program at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...

, . The Wildfire were the official 'farm team' for the New England Revolution

New England Revolution

The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...

 of Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

. Notable former players on the Wildfire/Bulldogs roster include Jon Busch

Jon Busch

Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

 (1997) (who would go on to play for the US National Team in 2005) and Steve Nicol

Steve Nicol

Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...

, both of whom have found success in Major League Soccer.

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1996	2	USISL Pro League	9th Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1996/97	N/A	USISL I-League	Played limited schedule	Did not qualify	N/A
1997	2	USISL A-League	6th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1998	2	USISL A-League	5th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Third Round
1999	2	USL A-League	6th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2000	2	USL A-League	5th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2001	3	USL D3-Pro League	1st, Northern	Semifinals	Semifinals

Notable former players

Stephen Grant

Stephen Grant (footballer)

Stephen Grant is a former professional footballer who played as a striker.During his career he played for Athlone Town, Sunderland, Shamrock Rovers , Stockport County, Burnley, Finn Harps, Waterford United Boston Bulldogs, Galway United and Shelbourne.After playing for Athlone and Sunderland...

 (1999-00) Tony McPeak

Tony McPeak (footballer)

Tony McPeak is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a striker.-Career:When he was seventeen, McPeak joined Chelsea F.C. as a youth player. After sixth months, he returned to Glasgow where he graduated from school. He worked for an insurance company for over two years, playing...

 (1998 as Worcester Wildfire) Steve Nicol

Steve Nicol

Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...

 (1999; 2000–01) Elias Bladimir Montes

Elias Bladimir Montes

Elías Bladimir Montes Alfaro is a Salvadoran professional football player, who currently plays for Atlético Marte in the Salvadoran Premier Division.His position is striker or forward.-Club career:...

 (2000–01) Willian Renderos Iraheta

Willian Renderos Iraheta

William Alexander Renderos Iraheta is a retired Salvadoran professional footballer. He currently the coach of FAS.He represented his country throughout the 90's. In 2000, he began playing for the Boston Bulldogs-References:...

 (2000–01) John Kerr (1998–99) Simon Elliott

Simon Elliott

Simon John Elliott is a New Zealand International footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Semi-Professional & College career:...

 (1999)

Coaches

Nigel Boulton

Nigel Boulton

Nigel Boulton is a former Welsh football player who currently coaches in the United States.-Playing career:Boulton played semi-professionally for Sully A.F.C., a three-time Wales Premier League champion and three time Senior Cup Winner. In 1988, he joined the coaching ranks with Sully and took...

: 1997 John Kerr

John Kerr (soccer)

John Kerr, Jr. is an American retired soccer midfielder who played professionally in the United States, Canada, England, France and Northern Ireland during a much traveled and varied playing career. He is currently head coach of the Duke University men's soccer team. Kerr was named the 1986...

: 1998-99 Steve Nicol

Steve Nicol

Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...

: 1999, 2000–01