The Boston Beacons started their only NASL season on the road, their home-opener a 3-0 win over the Detroit Cougars at Fenway Park on April 23, 1968. Note: Cardinal Cushing “threw out the first ball” and Gov. Volpe was in attendance, according to Leigh Montville’s story in The Boston Globe. [Read more…] about Jan. 22, 1968 – Boston Beacons’ GM Joe McKenney announces team will open season at Fenway Park on March 31, 1968
Peter Simonini became a starter in his first season with the Tea Men, who moved to Jacksonville from 1981-83. Simonini helped the Tea Men win the ASL title and was named league MVP in 1983. [Read more…] about Dec. 10, 1979 – New England Tea Men select Peter Simonini in 1st round of NASL draft
Wes McLeod’s 63rd-minute finish past Arnie Mausser, who had bobbled the initial shot, made the difference in the opener of a two-game North American Soccer League playoff series. Keita had six shots and U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Ringo Cantillo (Tea Men captain) and Bob Newton four as the Tea Men outshot the Rowdies, 27-12, and had a 16-1 corner kick edge. [Read more…] about Aug. 27, 1980 – Tea Men 0:1 Tampa Bay, final NASL game at Schaefer Stadium (Att.: 17,121)
U.S. national team forward Benny Brewster’s 79th-minute goal made the difference. Brewster, born in Newton, Mass., played at Brown University, then played professionally with the Boston Astros, Wildcats, Boston Minutemen, Tacoma Tides and New England Tea Men before going on to a success coaching career with Boston College. [Read more…] about Aug. 22, 1973 – Connecticut Wildcats 1:0 Boston Astros at Dillon Stadium (Att.: 10,093)
The Tea Men squandered several chances to equalize, the best a Keith Weller off-target 76th-minute penalty kick after Salif Keita had been taken down. Keita, playing with a pulled hamstring, had been inserted after halftime in place of Gerry Daly, the Tea Men’s regular penalty taker, who had sustained a neck injury. [Read more…] about July 7, 1979 – New England Tea Men 1:2 New York Cosmos at Nickerson Field (Att.: 15,763)
This was the start to a productive week for Mike Flanagan, who scored eight goals as the New England Tea Men won three successive games. Flanagan would go on to be named NASL Most Valuable Player, totaling 30 goals in 28 games. Flanagan, 24 when he joined the Tea Men on loan from Charlton Athletic, was transferred to Crystal Palace after the NASL season, then went to Queens Park Rangers (1980-82), returning to Charlton, then concluding his career with Cambridge United. [Read more…] about July 2, 1978 – Mike Flanagan-led New England Tea Men kick off winning streak, blank Sockers, Cosmos
Salif Keita’s 35-yard free kick past Hubert Birkenmeier made the difference with 1:04 left in OT (104th minute) as the Tea Men snapped a five-game losing streak. The Cosmos opened the scoring, Johan Neeskens heading in a 22nd-minute Franz Beckenbauer free kick. Kevin Keelan saved a Neeskens header off a Vladislav Bogicevic cross and a late first-half Beckenbauer shot. Chris Turner equalized off an Artur cross in the 47th minute. Giorgio Chinaglia was red-carded in 71st minute.
The day before the New England Tea Men’s inaugural home game at Schaefer Stadium, the Boston Globe noted: “The football field lines have been erased. The soccer field has been laid out – 110 yards long and 65 yards wide – and the eight-foot high, 24-foot wide goal posts (sic) are in position. Next to seeing what the potential is in this hastily assembled 17-man English-dominated roster, the second question is: Who’s going to show up?”
On April 9, 1978, the Tea Men lost, 2-1, to the Tampa Bay Rowdies before an 11,360 crowd that included “1,000 Lipton Tea employees bussed in from New Jersey.’’ Both Tampa Bay goals were chipped over Kevin Keelan, Jim Fleeting heading in from Rodney Marsh, then Dave Robb breaking a 1-1 deadlock in the 87th minute. The Tea Men’s Roger Gibbins finished a header after Lawrie Abrahams headed on a Dennis Wit corner in the 86th minute.
The Tea Men had to put things together quickly – they had been awarded a NASL franchise three months previously. Noel Cantwell and assistant coach Dennis Viollet (whose 32 goals in 36 games in the 1959-60 season remains a Manchester United record — documentary film “A United Man” recently released) guided the Tea Men to a 19-11 record and a first-round playoff appearance.
Two American citizens were required to start for the Tea Men: Dave D’Errico at left back and Harvard assistant coach Kevin Welsh at left wing. The Tea Men also signed former Brown University star Ben Brewster, who was coaching Boston College, three days before the match. Mike Flanagan made his NASL debut as a late replacement for Ringo Cantillo, then went on to be named the league’s MVP, scoring 30 goals in 28 games.
In 2003, Fleeting’s daughter, Julie, would score for the San Diego Flash in a 1-1 draw with the Boston Breakers in a WUSA match – making the Fleetings the only father-daughter combination to convert goals at the professional level in Foxborough.
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY
The New England Tea Men struggled to a 2-10 record during the North American Soccer League indoor season, playing home games at the Providence Civic Center before an average 3,249 attendances. In this match, David Byrne scored five goals and former Brown University star Fred Pereira added three. South African Pat Wasmuth and Billerica’s Peter Simonini faced 61 shots in goal for the Tea Men.
This would be the team’s final season in New England before moving to Jacksonville. Stadium dates were probably the Teas’ greatest obstacle to success. On Jan. 22, 1980, the Tea Men reached an agreement for home games to be played at Schaefer Stadium. But conflicts with the race track forced several games to be scheduled on Monday – meaning the team would often have Saturday-Monday dates for a week. Yet, their final two games drew 25,132 and 17,121 crowds five days apart in late August. The move south would not be announced until November.
TODAY IN NE SOCCER HISTORY
