Vancouver Whitecaps

Full name	Vancouver Whitecaps
Nickname(s)	The 'Caps
Founded	December 11, 1973[1]
Dissolved	1984; 40 years ago (1984)
Stadium	Empire Stadium (1974–1983) BC Place (1983–1984) Indoor: Pacific Coliseum (1980–81, 1983–84) PNE Agrodome (1981–1982)
Capacity	30,000 (Empire) 60,000 (BC Place) 15,613 (Coliseum) 3,200 (Agrodome)
League	NASL
1984	2nd, West Division Playoffs: Semifinals
Home colours Away colours

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 (NASL).

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" (a reference to ABC TV sportscaster Jim McKay's observation that "Vancouver must be like the deserted village right now", with so many people watching the game on TV) 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 (66,843 tickets had been sold for the game).^[2]

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.^[3] The team also recorded two tracks, with "White Is the Colour" (a takeoff on Chelsea's "Blue Is the Colour") becoming a hit on local radio during the run-up to their championship win.

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.^[4]

With the demise of the NASL in 1984 the Whitecaps, along with many other teams in the NASL, were forced to fold.

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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

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.

Season	League											Position			Playoffs	Continental		Average attendance	Top goalscorer(s)
	Div	League	Pld	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts	PPG	Div.	Conf.	Overall					Name	Goals
1974	1	NASL	20	5	11	4	29	31	–2	70	3.50	4th	—	12th	DNQ	Ineligible		10,098	Brian Gant[8]	6
1975		NASL	22	11	11	0	38	28	+10	99	4.50	4th		11th				7,579	Glen Johnson[9]	8
1976		NASL	24	14	10	0	38	30	+8	120	5.00	3rd	5th	9th	R1			8,655	3 players[10]	5
1977		NASL	26	14	12	0	43	36	+7	124	4.77	2nd	4th	7th	R1			11,897	Derek Possee[11]	11
1978		NASL	30	24	6	0	68	29	+39	199	6.63	1st	2nd	2nd	QF			15,736	Kevin Hector[12]	21
1979		NASL	30	20	10	0	54	34	+20	172	5.73	1st	3rd	4th	W			22,962	Kevin Hector[13]	15
1980		NASL	32	16	16	0	52	47	+5	139	4.34	3rd	7th	14th	R1			26,834	Trevor Whymark[14]	15
1981		NASL	32	21	11	0	74	43	+31	186	5.81	1st	—	3rd	R1			23,236	Carl Valentine[15]	10
1982		NASL	32	20	12	0	58	48	+10	160	5.00	3rd		5th	QF			18,254	Ray Hankin[16]	11
1983		NASL	30	24	6	0	63	34	+29	187	6.23	1st		2nd	QF			29,166	David Cross[17]	19
1984		NASL	24	13	11	0	51	48	+3	117	4.88	2nd		4th	SF			15,190	Peter Ward[18]	16
Total	–	–	302	182	116	4	568	408	+160	1573	5.21	–	–	–	–		–	Unknown	167

^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, League Playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

Indoor

Honours