The original Cleveland Force was one of six charter franchises in the original
Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The team played from 1978 to 1988 at the
Richfield Coliseum
Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,27 ...
, the home of the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
, and regularly drew crowds in excess of 12,000 in the mid-1980s.
Akron businessman Eric J. Henderson, who had been involved in ownership of the
Cleveland Cobras of the
American Soccer League in 1977, was the Force's first owner. He sold controlling interest to Cleveland multi-millionaire
Bert Wolstein in 1979. Under Wolstein and his son Scott's direction, the club became a rarity in America — a professional soccer team that turned a profit.
The team's nickname was a reference to
the Force
The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
, a mystical power used by the
Jedi Knights in the then recently released film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. The team theatrics originally included
Darth Vader
Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...
and
''Star Wars '' music until the team faced litigation and had to change the "mascot". Scott Wolstein worked out an agreement with
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
and a year later, the mascot and music returned.
Despite its popularity and success, Wolstein folded the team on July 22, 1988, after repeated frustrations in trying to get concessions from the MISL Players Association (MISLPA).
History
The Force started off the '78–'79 season by splitting their first two games. That turned out to be the high point of the season. The team lost 13 of its last 14 games to finish in sixth place, one game behind the Pittsburgh Spirit. Only Brian Budd and Roy Sinclair managed to break double digits in goals, netting 24 and 10 respectively.
The MISL expanded to 10 teams and a 32-game schedule in '79–'80. The Force was placed in the Central Division with Houston, which finished the previous year with the best record, and expansion teams in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
and
Wichita. Cleveland's roster was almost entirely new with only four players from the previous season returning. The result was pretty much the same as the Force tied for last place in the division with the
St. Louis Steamers
Cleveland made it to the playoffs for the first time the following season with a 21–19 record, then fell back again in 1981–82. Wolstein then hired Timo Liekoski as coach. Liekoski brought in several players from the
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
, and the Force had its first truly successful season. Still, Wolstein was not happy with attendance until a flash crowd of 19,106 jammed the
Richfield Coliseum
Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,27 ...
for a playoff game against the
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...
. The team was an overnight success. That success continued through the remainder of the team's existence, as it qualified for the playoffs each year and averaged at least 11,000 fans per game each year until the team folded in 1988.
Big crowds were commonplace for the next few years as the Force displayed a fan-pleasing high-powered offense. Despite success on the field and at the turnstiles, Wolstein grew increasingly displeased with other MISL owners failing to put as much time, effort and money into their franchises as he did. With other clubs folding and Cleveland's attendance starting to tumble, he gave up the quest in the summer of 1988. It was one month after the club reached the championship round for the first time, being swept in four games by the
San Diego Sockers.
Year-by-year
Honors
Pass Master
* 1986–1987
Kai Haaskivi
Kai Haaskivi (born 28 December 1955) is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the Unit ...
Defender of the Year
* 1982–1983
Bernie James
Rookie of the Year
* 1984–1985
Ali Kazemaini
* 1986–1987
John Stollmeyer
John Michael Stollmeyer (born October 25, 1962, in Pittsburgh) is an American former soccer player. He played two seasons in Major Indoor Soccer League and one each in both the American Soccer League and the American Professional Soccer Leagu ...
First Team All-MISL
* 1980–81
Ian Anderson
Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician best known for being the chief vocalist, Flute, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also p ...
, D
* 1983–84
Kai Haaskivi
Kai Haaskivi (born 28 December 1955) is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the Unit ...
, M
* 1986–87
Kai Haaskivi
Kai Haaskivi (born 28 December 1955) is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the Unit ...
, M
Second Team All-MISL
* 1978–79 Alan Hamlyn, D
* 1982–83
Kai Haaskivi
Kai Haaskivi (born 28 December 1955) is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the Unit ...
, F
* 1983–84 Craig Allen, F
* 1985–86 Craig Allen, F
* 1986–87 Bernie James, D
Honorable Mention All-MISL
* 1981–82 Keith Furphy, F
* 1982–83 Bernie James, D
* 1984–85 Benny Dargle, D
* 1987–88
Kai Haaskivi
Kai Haaskivi (born 28 December 1955) is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the Unit ...
, M
Head coaches
*
Gordon Fearnley (1978–79) 2–4 (.333)
* Peter Terry (1979) 3–15 (.167)
*
Eddie McCreadie
Edward Graham McCreadie (born 15 April 1940) is a Scottish former footballer who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea. He later became a football manager.
Career
McCreadie started his footballing career with amateur Scottish side Drumchapel ...
(1979–82) 48–68 (.414); Playoffs: 1–2 (.333)
*
Timo Liekoski
Timo Liekoski (born June 30, 1942) is a Finnish soccer coach who managed teams in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and Major League Soccer. He currently holds a variety of coachi ...
(1982–88) 178–122 (.593); Playoffs: 27–29 (.482)
Players
External links
Cleveland Force/Crunch tribute/stats/rosters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland Force (1978-1988)
Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) teams
F
Soccer clubs in Ohio
1978 establishments in Ohio
1988 disestablishments in Ohio
Sports in Richfield Township, Summit County, Ohio
Football clubs established in 1978
Football clubs disestablished in the 1980s