| Full name | Oakland Stompers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Stompers | ||
| Founded | 1978; 48 years ago (1978) | ||
| Dissolved | 1978; 48 years ago (1978) | ||
| Stadium | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | ||
| Capacity | 50,000 | ||
| Chairman | Milan Mandarić | ||
| General Manager | Dick Berg[1] | ||
| League | NASL | ||
TheOakland Stompers were asoccer team based out ofOakland, California that played the 1978 season in theNorth American Soccer League (NASL). The Stompers played in the Western Division of the American Conference and finished the year with a 12–18 record, in third place and out of playoff contention.
The name is also used by aNational Premier Soccer League club, active since 2021.
At the end of the 1977 NASL season,Silicon Valley businessman (and former owner of theSan Jose Earthquakes)Milan Mandarić bought theConnecticut Bicentennials and relocated them toOakland.[2] The club, renamed the Stompers, hiredMirko Stojanović as head coach and signed a 10-year lease at theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum,[3] previously home of the NASL'sOakland Clippers in 1967–68.[4] The team signedShep Messing for $100,000 making him the highest-paid American soccer player at the time.[5][6]
The club drew 32,104 in their home opener against cross-Bay rivalsSan Jose Earthquakes on April 2, 1978, with about half of those in attendance being supporters of the visiting team. (At the time, it was the largest crowd ever to see a club soccer match in California.)[7][5] After eight games and a record of 4-4, the team fired Stojanović and replaced him on an interim basis with Jack Hyde.[1] Hyde was in turn replaced byKen Bracewell who had previously coached theDenver Dynamos.[8] In July, the team was averaging 12,200 fan in attendance,[9] but ended the season in third place and with a slight dip in attendance, 11,929 fans at seasons end.[10] (The Coliseum was a lonely place in the summer of '78: the Stompers' co-tenants, baseball'sOakland Athletics, attracted just 7,218 fans per home date.)
Following the season, the team moved toEdmonton,Alberta where they were renamed theEdmonton Drillers.[11]
| Year | League | W | L | Pts | Regular season | Playoffs | Avg. Attend. | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NASL | 12 | 18 | 103 | 3rd, American Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 11,929 | [10] |
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame
