The Carolina Lightnin' was an American soccer club based in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

 that was a member of the American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

. The Lightnin' played home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium

American Legion Memorial Stadium

American Legion Memorial Stadium is 21,000-capacity stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Stadium is mainly used for high school sporting events and also serves as a public venue...

. Attendance at home games averaged 6,000 spectators. More than 20,000 attended the September 1981 match against the New York United in which the Lightnin' won the American Soccer League championship by a score of 2-1.

After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League

United Soccer League

The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...

 as the Charlotte Gold. However, the team folded at the end of the 1984 season. Pro soccer returned to the city in the form of the Charlotte Eagles

Charlotte Eagles

Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....

 in 1993.

Honors

ASL Champions

• 1981

ASL Rookie of the Year

• 1981 Tony Suarez
  Tony Suarez
  Antonio Jose "Tony" Suarez was a Cuban-American soccer forward. He played professionally in the American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League and was the 1981 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year.-Youth:...
  
  

ASL First Team All Star

• 1981 Don Tobin
  Don Tobin
  Don Tobin is a retired English football midfielder. Since 1995 he has been Director of Coaching at the Dunedin Stirling Soccer Club in the US. He is also assistant coach of the University of Tampa's soccer team, the Tampa Spartans....
  
  , Tony Suarez
  Tony Suarez
  Antonio Jose "Tony" Suarez was a Cuban-American soccer forward. He played professionally in the American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League and was the 1981 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year.-Youth:...
  
  

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	U.S. Open Cup
1981	2	ASL	1st, Freedom	Champion	Did not enter
1982	2	ASL	4th	Semifinals	Did not enter
1983	2	ASL	3rd, Eastern	Semifinals	Did not enter
1984	N/A	USL	2nd, Southern	Did not qualify	Did not enter

Notable players

  Paul Child (1982)   Pat Fidelia

Pat Fidelia

Pat Fidelia is a retired Haitian-American soccer forward who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the American Soccer League and one in the United Soccer League. He also earned one cap playing with/for the national team.-Youth:Fidelia was born in Haiti and at some point...

 (1982-84) Matt Kennedy

Matt Kennedy

Matt Kennedy is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer Leaggue....

 (1983) Stuart Lee

Stuart Lee

Stuart Lee is a former English football forward. He played professionally in England, Wales and the United States.-Player:...

 (1983) 25 Apps 11 Goals Scott Manning

Scott Manning (soccer)

Scott Manning is a retired American soccer goalkeeper. He spent four seasons in the American Soccer League where he was the 1980 league leading goalkeeper...

 (1981-82) Stuart Metcalfe

Stuart Metcalfe

Stuart Metcalfe is an English footballer who played as a central midfielder.Metcalfe, a talented midfielder, began his career with his local club Blackburn Rovers in 1967...

 (1981-82)http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/crewe/crewe.htm Dave Philpotts

Dave Philpotts

Dave Philpotts is a retired professional football defender from England.Philpotts began his career with Coventry City in 1972. He played only three games with the first team over two seasons. He went on loan to Southport FC during the 1973-1974 season...

 (1978-83) Mal Roche

Mal Roche

Mal Roche is a retired English football forward who played seven seasons in the American Soccer League and at least one in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the 1977 ASL Rookie of the Year and the 1980 ASL Leading Scorer....

 (1981) 22 Apps 8 Goals Derek Smethurst

Derek Smethurst

Derek Smethurst is a retired South African soccer forward who played professionally in South Africa, England and the United States.-Bio:...

 (1982) 6 Apps Don Tobin

Don Tobin

Don Tobin is a retired English football midfielder. Since 1995 he has been Director of Coaching at the Dunedin Stirling Soccer Club in the US. He is also assistant coach of the University of Tampa's soccer team, the Tampa Spartans....

 (1981) Tony Suarez

Tony Suarez

Antonio Jose "Tony" Suarez was a Cuban-American soccer forward. He played professionally in the American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League and was the 1981 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year.-Youth:...

 (1981-83) 22 Apps 15 GoalsDave Power (1981-83) CaptainHugh O'Neill (1981-82) Winning goal ASL Final 1981