The Baltimore Blast were a longtime member of the
Major Indoor Soccer League. From 1978 to 1980, the team played as the
Houston Summit
Houston Summit were a professional indoor soccer team that operated from 1978 to 1980. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1980, the franchise was moved to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Blast. Their roster mainly include ...
, but moved prior to the 1980–81 season. The team won the league's championship in the 1983–84 season. The team folded when the MISL ceased operation in the summer of 1992.
History
The aggressive promotion of the team by radio partner
WFBR (then 1300 AM) was instrumental in the Blast's popularity. Art Sinclair and
Charley Eckman
Charles Markwood Eckman Jr. (September 10, 1921 – July 3, 1995) was an American basketball head coach and professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was also a sports broadcaster.
Early life
Eckman was b ...
handled the play-by-play.
The team was owned by
Bernie Rodin
Bernie may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Bernie, Missouri, a city
* Griffithsville, West Virginia, also called Bernie
People
* Bernie (given name)
** Bernie Sanders, United States senator and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candi ...
, who also owned the
Rochester Lancers and the
New York Arrows. Mike Zolotorow was the long-time Equipment Manager for 20 years.
In 1991, the Blast contested the Trans-Atlantic challenge, a one-off indoor soccer game at the
Sheffield Arena
Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre.
Opened in 1991 ...
in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, England. They beat English
First Division team
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
to win the trophy. Wednesday had American international
John Harkes
John Andrew Harkes (born March 8, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former professional player who is the head coach of Greenville Triumph SC.
A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Harkes was the first American ever to play in the ...
in their ranks. The game was the one and only occasion that
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (; ; born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer, and former professional footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Cantona is credited as having made Manchester United a d ...
played for Sheffield Wednesday during his infamous trial.
Year-by-year
Head coach
*
Kenny Cooper
Kenneth Scott Cooper Jr. (born October 21, 1984) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. He began his soccer career with Manchester United but failed to break through to the first team. He went on to play for clubs in Port ...
1980–1992
Players
*
Robert Prentice 1981-1983
Arenas
*
Baltimore Arena
CFG Bank Arena (originally the Baltimore Civic Center and formerly Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore Arena and 1st Mariner Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This venue is located about one block away from the Baltimore Convention ...
1980–1992
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltimore Blast (1980-1992)
Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) teams
Soccer clubs in Baltimore
Soccer clubs in Maryland
1980 establishments in Maryland
1992 disestablishments in Maryland