The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
team based in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
founded in 2006, that last played in the
North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the
American soccer pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur association football, soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Although sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are no ...
in 2016. The majority of their home games were played in
Lockhart Stadium. The Strikers were named after the original
Strikers, who played in the
old North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983.
The team was known as Miami FC from 2006 until 2011 before re-branding as the Strikers in 2011. They had an in-state rivalry with the
Tampa Bay Rowdies.
History
1977–1997: Fort Lauderdale Strikers legacy
The original Fort Lauderdale Strikers were founded in 1977 when the Robbie family relocated the
Miami Toros north to Fort Lauderdale and rebranded the team. The team competed in the old
North American Soccer League and played its home matches at Lockhart Stadium. Between 1977 and 1983, the Strikers fielded some the world's best players including
Gerd Müller,
Teófilo Cubillas,
Elías Figueroa,
George Best
George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...
and
Gordon Banks.
The team was captained by
Ray Hudson, who led the Strikers to the playoffs in each of their seven seasons in Fort Lauderdale. In 1984, the Strikers relocated to Minneapolis as the Minnesota Strikers.
Following the Strikers departure to Minnesota, former Striker
Ronnie Sharp launched the Fort Lauderdale Sun of the newly formed
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
in
1984. The team featured numerous former Strikers. In 1988, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers returned to professional soccer as part of the
American Soccer League. During this period the Strikers enjoyed great success, including a national championship in the
1989 season, the only major trophy the Strikers have won. In 1991, the team merged with the
Orlando Lions.
In 1994, another team began play in the
United States Interregional Soccer League as the Fort Lauderdale Kicks. The next year, with the folding of the American Professional Soccer League Strikers, the Kicks took the name Fort Lauderdale Strikers for themselves. This only lasted one year as the team changed names again, becoming the Florida Strikers before the 1996 season. The team folded in 1997.
2006–2010: Miami FC
After
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
side
Miami Fusion were folded in 2001, professional soccer returned to South Florida in the form of a
United Soccer Leagues team in 2006 when
Traffic Sports USA founded Miami FC. The club made headlines when former
World Cup winners
Romario and
Zinho signed for the team.
In 2007, the team held a contest through public schools in the greater Miami-Dade area for a nickname and mascot. Shia Moreno, an elementary school student won for her nickname "Blues". Daniel Townsend, a senior at Robert Morgan Educational Center won for his mascot creation "Hotshot", a flaming Sonic-the-Hedgehog-like character.
In 2009, the team moved to Fort Lauderdale to play out of
Lockhart Stadium. In summer 2010, Miami FC announced its intention to 'pay homage' to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the former NASL by incorporating 'Strikers' into the team name from 2011. They rebranded themselves the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on February 17, 2011, and joined the newly established
North American Soccer League.
2011–2016: Return of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Tim Robbie, son of original Strikers owner Joe Robbie, was named president of the Strikers ahead of the inaugural season. In their first season as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, the club reached the
2011 NASL Championship Series, losing 3–1 on aggregate to the
NSC Minnesota Stars (now Minnesota United FC).
In his second full season in charge, head coach
Daryl Shore led the Strikers to the playoffs the following season. After a fifth place regular season finish in 2012, the Strikers were bounced from the first round of postseason action by
Carolina RailHawks.
Ahead of the 2013 season, the Strikers named
Tom Mulroy president of the club. Following a 2–2–7 record, coach Shore was let go by the club before the final match of the 2013 Spring Season. His replacement was Austrian
Günter Kronsteiner, who led the club to a fifth-place finish in the Fall Season with a 5–3–6 record.
2014 was a momentous year in the history of the Strikers. A new ownership group was announced on September 19, 2014. On the field, Kronsteiner took the Strikers to a place in the NASL Championship, finishing runner-up to the
San Antonio Scorpions.
The club made global headlines announcing that Brazil soccer icon
Ronaldo had joined the ownership of the club on December 11, 2014.
In a press release, Ronaldo was quoted as saying, "I will be very involved with the management of the team and have already started to make introductions that will certainly help us to turn the Strikers into a global powerhouse." It was announced on January 15, 2015, that, if he could get fit, Ronaldo would begin playing for the Strikers.
On September 22, 2016
ESPN FC
ESPN FC (formerly ESPN SoccerNet) is a website and a U.S. television studio program covering soccer that is broadcast daily over the streaming service ESPN+. ESPN FC's origin was a website owned by ESPN Inc. Originally established in 1995 as Soc ...
reported that "The Fort Lauderdale Strikers are in serious financial jeopardy, while the future of the entire National American Soccer League is also in doubt, according to reports."
As reported by WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina, and confirmed by ''Sun-Sentinel'' and the ''Miami Herald'', Strikers principal owner Paulo Cesso stopped funding the team on September 1.
On January 6, 2017, the NASL announced that the 2017 season would move forward with eight teams. Fort Lauderdale was not one of the teams listed.
2017: Summary judgement and public sale
In November 2016,
Tampa Bay Rowdies owner, Bill Edwards, filed a complaint against the Strikers' holding company, Miami FC, LLC, over money loaned to the struggling club. Edwards claimed that the team had failed to pay him back $300,000 in loans. He sought damages and foreclosure on the Strikers’ assets in the lawsuit. A signed promissory note showed that the collateral they put up to secure the loans included the team's patents, copyrights, trademarks, rights to use of the name "Ft Lauderdale Strikers" along with other tangible assets.
In May 2017 Edwards was awarded a summary judgement in the case, and after a June 20 public sale, gained control of the copyrights, trademarks and any rights to the use of the name "Fort Lauderdale Strikers" or any variation for $5,100. He has yet to announce what he plans to do with Strikers brand in the future. Since then, a new and unrelated team based in Ft. Lauderdale,
Inter Miami CF II, has begun operations as the reserve team of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
club
Inter Miami CF
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (M ...
.
Colors and badge
The official colors of the Strikers are red, gold, charcoal gray, metallic gold and "beach sand". According to a press release issued just prior to the beginning of the 2011 season, the color palette is intended to "connecting with the heart and passion of the players and fans of the beautiful game while symbolizing the warmth of the Sunshine State and City of Fort Lauderdale." The team's shirts, which feature red and gold hoops paired with black shorts, intentionally mirror those worn by the old NASL Strikers in the 1980s.
According to the same press release, the logo incorporates "a contemporary seven-pointed sun with ball signifying the golden era of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers from 1977 to 1983", has a "distinctive tie to the City of Fort Lauderdale's landmark wave wall columns of
Las Olas Boulevard that bookend the memorable Strikers jersey hoops", and features a unique script and typeface.
The old Miami FC colors were tropical blue, gold and white, and its logo was a simple shield featuring a stylized soccer ball, the Miami FC wordmark, and shading in the team's color palette.
Venue
*
Tropical Park Stadium;
Olympia Heights, Florida (2006–08)
*
Lockhart Stadium;
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
(2009–2016)
*
Central Broward Stadium;
Lauderhill, Florida (2016)
[
The Strikers currently play their home games at Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida. Built in 1959 as an athletic facility for local high schools, Lockhart Stadium was the home of the original Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the original North American Soccer League, as well the now-defunct Miami Fusion of ]Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
. The Strikers announced in December 2012 that they would like to see Lockhart Stadium renovated, or build their own soccer specific stadium. The Strikers moved to Central Broward Stadium after their lease with Lockhart ended in 2016; the Striker's final game at Lockhart was a 1–0 win over Jacksonville Armada FC on July 30, 2016.
During their five years in the USL, the old Miami FC played at various stadiums in the greater Miami area, including Tropical Park Stadium, Miami Orange Bowl and FIU Stadium.
In a historical note, the Strikers have hosted the first NASL games for FC Edmonton in 2011 and Ottawa Fury FC in 2014. Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale also hosted the first road game for the Indy Eleven
Indy Eleven is an American professional association football, soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League (2011–2017), North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2014, b ...
expansion team (after playing their first two matches at home in Indianapolis).
Club culture
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers had strong support among young people in South Florida. The "Club of supporters" was growing in the last years, mainly in some universities of Broward County.
Miami FC used to use cheerleaders from FIU. The Strikers did not have cheerleaders, though the club had an official dance team that performed before games and at halftime.
Rivalries
The Strikers' main rivalry is with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The rivalry began in 1977 between the original Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the original Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League, In recent times, the rivalry between both fans and the media has been dubbed the ''Florida Derby'', referencing the two clubs' locations in South Florida. The heart of the rivalry between the two sides exists primarily within the two clubs' supporters groups. Presently, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers are supported by the former "Miami Ultras", whom also supported the Miami Fusion.
Coastal Cup
The Coastal Cup (est. 2010) originally was contested between the Strikers and Rowdies, but with Jacksonville Armada FC's entry into the league in 2015, the competition has become triangular. In the 2016 season a new Miami FC team joined the NASL. This addition made the Coastal Cup a quadrilateral competition for one season.
Supporters group
*Flight 19: Based in Fort Lauderdale, the group formed in late 2010/early 2011 in anticipation of the return of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. It is named after the famous Flight 19 incident where five TBM Avenger aircraft disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle after taking off from NAS Fort Lauderdale (now Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport) in 1945.
Players and staff
Notable former players
''This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.''
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
* Eduardo Coudet (2011)
* Léo Moura (2015)
* Pecka (2011–14)
* Andy Herron (2012–13)
* Gerson Mayen (2011)
* Martyn Lancaster (2011)
* Mark Anderson (2012–14)
* Toni Ståhl (2011–13)
* Marius Ebbers (2014)
* Lance Laing (2011–12)
* Shavar Thomas (2013)
* Oka Nikolov (2014)
* Bryan Arguez (2011)
* Matt Glaeser (2010–13)
* Darnell King (2012–14)
* Fafà Picault (2014)
* Walter Restrepo (2011–13)
* Brian Shriver (2011)
* Abe Thompson (2011–12)
Miami FC
* Diego
* Romário
Romário de Souza Faria (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário (), is a Brazilian politician and former professional association football, footballer who is currently a Senator for Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro and the presi ...
* Zinho
* Cristiano
* Alex Afonso
* Júnior Baiano
* Leo Inacio
* Paulo Jr.
* John Pulido
* Diego Serna
* Mario Rafael Rodríguez
* Sean Cameron
* John Paul Rodrigues
* Walter Ramírez
* Sean Fraser
* Josh Saunders
* Avery John
* Eric Brunner
* Jarryd Goldberg
* Luchi Gonzalez
Head coaches
Miami FC
* Chiquinho de Assis (2006–07)
* Zinho (2008–09)
* Victor Pastora (2010)
* Daryl Shore (2010)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Achievements
Club
NASL Championship
*Runner-up: 2011; 2014
Coastal Cup
*Winners: 2014, 2015
Ponce De Leon Cup
*Winners: 2008
Individual
Golden Boot Award
*2015: Stefano Pinho
NASL Best XI
*2011: Lance Laing, Toni Ståhl
*2012: Mark Anderson, Walter Restrepo
*2014: Darnell King, Fafà Picault
*2015: James Marcelin, Stefano Pinho
Record
Year-by-year
Most appearances
Last updated: October 19, 2015.
Bolded players are currently on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers roster.
List only includes stats from 2011 to present
Top goal scorers
Last updated: October 20, 2015.
Bolded players are currently on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers roster.
List only includes stats from 2011 to present
See also
* Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)
* Fort Lauderdale Sun (1984–1985)
* Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994)
*Florida Strikers (1994–1997)
* Miami Fusion (1997–2001)
References
External links
Official website
(archived)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Lauderdale Strikers
North American Soccer League (2011–2017) teams
Defunct soccer clubs in Florida
Association football clubs established in 2006
Soccer clubs in Miami
Soccer clubs in Florida
USL First Division teams
2006 establishments in Florida
Soccer clubs in South Florida
Association football clubs disestablished in 2016
2016 disestablishments in Florida
Phoenix clubs (association football)