Los Angeles Skyhawks
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles Skyhawks was a professional soccer
club based in Los Angeles, California
that was a member of the American Soccer League
. Founded as part of the American Soccer League's expansion to the west coast in 1976, they were the first professional sports team to be based in the San Fernando Valley
area of Los Angeles. The ASL, under commissioner Bob Cousy
, had expanded in an attempt to compete with the North American Soccer League. Coming into the league with the Skyhawks were the Oakland (later Golden Bay) Buccaneers, Tacoma Tides
, Sacramento Spirits
, and the Utah Pioneers
(later Golden Spikers). These teams formed the Western Division, while the Eastern Division had the established teams New York Apollo
, Connecticut Yankees, Rhode Island Oceaneers
, Chicago Cats
, New Jersey Americans, and Cleveland Cobras
.
The Skyhawks played their games at Birmingham High School Stadium for the 1976 and 1977 seasons. At the time, Birmingham was the largest stadium in the valley with a capacity of 10,000, and it was centrally located. Many of the players commented that the field conditions and lighting were better than that at many lower division European stadiums. After 1977, the Skyhawks moved to Shephard Stadium at Los Angeles Pierce Community College.
as their head coach, and he assembled a roster consisting of a number of young players from England's second and third divisions. Many of these players also had some limited first division experience; players such as goalkeeper Brian Parkinson (Everton), Midfielder Tony "Wheels" Whelan (Manchester City and Manchester United), and forwards Jimmy Rolland and Jimmy "the Price" Hinch (York, Arsenal), were the stars of the team. In addition, U.S. college player of the year Steve Ralbovsky
(Brown University) spurned the N.A.S.L. and signed with the Skyhawks. The defense was anchored by 38 year old sweeper and former Scottish International Ron Yeats
("the Colussus"), a veteran of the English First Division, where he was Liverpool's captain when Liverpool rose to glory in the 1960s. Hinch ended up as the A.S.L.'s leading scorer and Parkinson had the lowest goals against average (0.78) among A.S.L. goalkeepeers. Led by these stars and a strong supporting cast, the Skyhawks had the league's best record (13 wins, 6 draws, 2 defeats) and regularly drew upwards of 4,000 fans per game, easily leading the ASL in attendance.
The 1976 ASL playoff format had the top 3 teams in each division qualifyng for the playoffs, with the 1st place teams earning a first round bye while the 2nd place team hosted the 3rd place team.
After earning a first round bye, the Skyhawks faced the 2nd place Tacoma Tides, who had defeated Utah 2-1 in the first round. The Skyhawks took a 1-0 lead, but midway through the second half, goalkeeper Brian Parkinson suffered a head injury in a collision, and Tacoma equalized against backup keeper Marine Cano to force overtime. Facing the prospect of going into a penalty kick shootout without their #1 keeper, the Skyhawks won the game in the second 10 minute overtime period on a goal by Jimmy Rolland.
In the ASL championship game, the Skyhawks faced Eastern Division winner and defending champion New York Apollo. Over 9,000 fans showed up at Birmingham Stadium and saw the Skyhawks fall behind early, 1-0. Then late in the first half, Skyhawk defender Alty McKenzie was controversially sent off with a red card so L.A. had to play a man down the remainder of the game. But Hinch equalized early in the second half, and late in the game Ralbovsky was tripped from behind in the penalty area while on a breakaway. Skyhawk forward Ane Mihailovich buried the penalty kick into the back of the net past N.Y. keeper Gerard Joseph, and the Skyhawks were ASL champs, making Ron Newman the only man to coach an ASL and NASL champion. Hinch was named MVP, and Newman was coach of the year.
MVP
Leading Scorer
Leading Goalkeeper
Coach of the Year
First Team All Star
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
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...
. Founded as part of the American Soccer League's expansion to the west coast in 1976, they were the first professional sports team to be based in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
area of Los Angeles. The ASL, under commissioner Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
, had expanded in an attempt to compete with the North American Soccer League. Coming into the league with the Skyhawks were the Oakland (later Golden Bay) Buccaneers, Tacoma Tides
Tacoma Tides
The Tacoma Tides was an American soccer club based in Tacoma, Washington that was a member of the American Soccer League. Although not long-lived, the club is remembered today for its backup goalkeeper--well-known American soccer coach Bruce Arena....
, Sacramento Spirits
Sacramento Gold
The Sacramento Gold was an American soccer club based in Sacramento, California that was a member of the American Soccer League.Prior to the 1977 season the team was known as the Sacramento Spirits....
, and the Utah Pioneers
Utah Golden Spikers
The Utah Pioneers was an American soccer club based in Salt Lake City, Utah that was a member of the American Soccer League.The team was renamed the Utah Golden Spikers halfway through their only season.-Year-by-year:...
(later Golden Spikers). These teams formed the Western Division, while the Eastern Division had the established teams New York Apollo
New York Apollo
The New York Greeks was an American soccer club based in New York City that was a member of the American Soccer League.The team began as the amateur Greek-Americans. The club played lower Premier Division of the German American Soccer League which was based in the New York metropolitan area...
, Connecticut Yankees, Rhode Island Oceaneers
Rhode Island Oceaneers
The Rhode Island Oceaneers was an American soccer club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island that was a member of the American Soccer League.-History:...
, Chicago Cats
Chicago Cats
The Chicago Cats was an American soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that was a member of the American Soccer League. Played games at Hanson Stadium.-Year-by-year:-Players:*1975-1976 Pete Kouratos*1975-1976 Chris Swain-External links:**...
, New Jersey Americans, and Cleveland Cobras
Cleveland Cobras
The Cleveland Stars were an American soccer club based in Cleveland, Ohio and a member of the American Soccer League in 1972-73. Before the 1974 season, the name was changed to the Cleveland Cobras. The Stars' colors were blue and white...
.
The Skyhawks played their games at Birmingham High School Stadium for the 1976 and 1977 seasons. At the time, Birmingham was the largest stadium in the valley with a capacity of 10,000, and it was centrally located. Many of the players commented that the field conditions and lighting were better than that at many lower division European stadiums. After 1977, the Skyhawks moved to Shephard Stadium at Los Angeles Pierce Community College.
1976: The magical first season
The Skyhawks managed to obtain the services of the renowned Ron NewmanRon Newman (footballer)
Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
as their head coach, and he assembled a roster consisting of a number of young players from England's second and third divisions. Many of these players also had some limited first division experience; players such as goalkeeper Brian Parkinson (Everton), Midfielder Tony "Wheels" Whelan (Manchester City and Manchester United), and forwards Jimmy Rolland and Jimmy "the Price" Hinch (York, Arsenal), were the stars of the team. In addition, U.S. college player of the year Steve Ralbovsky
Steve Ralbovsky
Steve Ralbovsky is a retired Yugoslav-American soccer player. He was the 1975 Hermann Trophy winner as the outstanding collegiate soccer player of the year. He then had an extensive professional career including time in the North American Soccer League and the American Soccer League II and...
(Brown University) spurned the N.A.S.L. and signed with the Skyhawks. The defense was anchored by 38 year old sweeper and former Scottish International Ron Yeats
Ron Yeats
Ronald 'Ron' Yeats is a Scottish former footballer. He was the captain of the first great Liverpool team of the 1960s.-Life and playing career:...
("the Colussus"), a veteran of the English First Division, where he was Liverpool's captain when Liverpool rose to glory in the 1960s. Hinch ended up as the A.S.L.'s leading scorer and Parkinson had the lowest goals against average (0.78) among A.S.L. goalkeepeers. Led by these stars and a strong supporting cast, the Skyhawks had the league's best record (13 wins, 6 draws, 2 defeats) and regularly drew upwards of 4,000 fans per game, easily leading the ASL in attendance.
The 1976 ASL playoff format had the top 3 teams in each division qualifyng for the playoffs, with the 1st place teams earning a first round bye while the 2nd place team hosted the 3rd place team.
After earning a first round bye, the Skyhawks faced the 2nd place Tacoma Tides, who had defeated Utah 2-1 in the first round. The Skyhawks took a 1-0 lead, but midway through the second half, goalkeeper Brian Parkinson suffered a head injury in a collision, and Tacoma equalized against backup keeper Marine Cano to force overtime. Facing the prospect of going into a penalty kick shootout without their #1 keeper, the Skyhawks won the game in the second 10 minute overtime period on a goal by Jimmy Rolland.
In the ASL championship game, the Skyhawks faced Eastern Division winner and defending champion New York Apollo. Over 9,000 fans showed up at Birmingham Stadium and saw the Skyhawks fall behind early, 1-0. Then late in the first half, Skyhawk defender Alty McKenzie was controversially sent off with a red card so L.A. had to play a man down the remainder of the game. But Hinch equalized early in the second half, and late in the game Ralbovsky was tripped from behind in the penalty area while on a breakaway. Skyhawk forward Ane Mihailovich buried the penalty kick into the back of the net past N.Y. keeper Gerard Joseph, and the Skyhawks were ASL champs, making Ron Newman the only man to coach an ASL and NASL champion. Hinch was named MVP, and Newman was coach of the year.
Roster
1977 Season
The Skyhawks were again led offensively by Jimmy Hinch and Jimmy Rolland (who finished 2nd and 3rd in the league in scoring) and in goal by Brian Parkinson (who finished 2nd in GAA). While they couldn't duplicate their dominance of the 1976 season, they finished 2nd in the West and 4th overall with 13 wins, 4 draws, and 7 defeats. After a 3-2 first round playoff win over the California Sunshine, they lost to Western Division champion Sacramento in the Western Division playoff finals, 2-1.Roster
1978 Season
By 1978, the ASL was in severe financial difficulty, with every team losing money. On the field, the Skyhawks, led by ASL leading scorer and MVP Jimmy Rolland and goalkeeper Brian Parkinson (again 2nd in GAA), returned to the top of the Western Division and with a record of 17-6-1. They made it to the championship game for the 2nd time in 3 years, but lost in the final, 1-0 to the New York Apollo, who had the league's best record at 18-5-1.Roster
1979 Season
The Skyhawks lost much of their scoring punch with the departures of Jimmy Hinch and Jim Rolland. Despite it all, the Skyhawks managed to place 3rd in the West with a 13-11-4 record. But the season ended with a first round playoff loss to Sacramento by a score of 3-2, in what proved to be the final Skyhawk game ever.The Skyhawks also played a friendly that season in Los Angeles Jackie Robinson Stadium against the 1980 US Men's Olympic Team in March losing the match 2-1. Due to financial difficulties, the team folded at the end of the 1979 season.Roster
Honours
Champions- 1976
MVP
- 1976: Jimmy HinchJimmy HinchJames “Jim” or “Jimmy” Hinch was an English Association football forward who spent most of his career in the lower English divisions...
- 1978: Jimmy RollandJimmy RollandJimmy Rolland was an English football forward who spent four seasons in the American Soccer League. He was the 1978 league leading scorer and MVP....
Leading Scorer
- 1976: Jimmy HinchJimmy HinchJames “Jim” or “Jimmy” Hinch was an English Association football forward who spent most of his career in the lower English divisions...
- 1978: Jimmy RollandJimmy RollandJimmy Rolland was an English football forward who spent four seasons in the American Soccer League. He was the 1978 league leading scorer and MVP....
Leading Goalkeeper
- 1976: Brian ParkinsonBrian ParkinsonBrian Parkinson is a retired English professional goalkeeper who played five seasons in the American Soccer League.Parkinson began his football career with Everton F.C., . In 1976, he moved to the Los Angeles Skyhawks where he had the lowest goals against average among American Soccer League...
Coach of the Year
- 1976: Ron NewmanRon Newman (footballer)Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
First Team All Star
- 1977: Jimmy HinchJimmy HinchJames “Jim” or “Jimmy” Hinch was an English Association football forward who spent most of his career in the lower English divisions...
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | West | ASL | 1st, West | Champion | Did not enter |
| 1977 | West | ASL | 2nd, West | Semifinals | Did not enter |
| 1978 | West | ASL | 1st, Western | Final | Did not enter |
| 1979 | West | ASL | 3rd, Western | 1st Round | Did not enter |
Coaches
- 1976
Ron NewmanRon Newman (footballer)Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
(Head coach) - 1978
Doug McMillanDoug McMillanDouglas “Doug” McMillan is a former Scottish-American soccer forward. He was both the 1973 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year and the 1974 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He earned two caps with the U.S. national team in 1974....
(Head coach) - 1979 Geoff DaviesGeoff DaviesGeoffrey Peter "Geoff" Davies is an English retired professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a midfielder.-Playing career:...
(Intern coach)
Skyhawk Trivia and Notes
- Colors: Black and Gold. The home uniforms featured gold jerseys with black shorts and gold socks, while the away uniforms were black jersey with black shorts and black socks.
- First game: April 17, 1976 at Birmingham Stadium. Score: Sacramento 0 Skyhawks 0 Attendance: 4,108
- First goal: April 24, 1976 scored by Leif Werneid in a 1-1 tie vs. Oakland in the second game of the season.
- Ron Newman is the only man to coach an NASL champion (Dallas Tornado), ASL champion (L.A. Skyhawks) and MISL champion (San Diego Sockers). He also coached the Kansas City Wizards to a division title in the MLS.
- Skyhawk alum Marine Cano currently runs "Mr. Soccer" Soccer camps in southern California. In addition, he has been a highly successful college women's soccer coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills and UC Irvine.
- The Skyhawks played a friendly in March 1979 against the 1980 US Olympic team at Jackie Robinson stadium losing the match 2-1. Jimmy Rolland scored the only goal for the Skyhawks before his departure to the California Sunshine.