List of Washington Diplomats players

The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club based in Washington, D.C. The club was formed in 1974 when the North American Soccer League (NASL), itself founded in 1968, granted a franchise to a Washington, D.C.–based business group. The team played all their home games at RFK Stadium in 1974, but in 1975 and 1976 they played most of their games at W.T. Woodson High School in Northern Virginia, including all of their 1976 games. They played indoor home matches at the neighboring D.C. Armory.[1][2] After a lackluster beginning to the franchise, the Diplomats qualified for the playoffs and increased average game attendance in each of their last three years of existence. Additionally, in their final year, the Diplomats were able to sign the future European Player of the Century Johan Cruyff. After the 1980 season the Diplomats folded when then owner, the Madison Square Garden Corp., had accumulated losses of $6 million and team president Steve Danzansky could not gather enough money to keep the team alive.[3]

After the original Diplomats folded following the 1980 season, the Detroit Express moved to Washington to become the new Diplomats. This team only lasted for one season.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of players who played at least one league match for the Diplomats.

## Key

[edit]

* GK = Goalkeeper
* DF = Defender
* MF = Midfielder
* FW = Forward

## Regular season players

[edit]

Name | Country | Position | Years | Notes

|
|
|
|

Joseph Agyemang-Gyau |  Ghana | MF  | 1974  | –
Sonny Askew |  United States | FW  | 1977-80  | –
Mike Bakić |  Canada | MF  | 1978-79  | –
Petar Baralić |  Yugoslavia | MF/FW  | 1981  | –
Mike Barry |  Wales | MF  | 1975  | –
Ivan Belfiore |  Canada | DF  | 1981  | –
Barney Boyce |  United States | DF/MF  | 1980  | –
David Bradford |  England | MF  | 1981  | –
Jim Brown |  Scotland | GK  | 1981  | –
Paul Cannell |  England | FW  | 1976, 78-79, 81  | –
Peter Carr |  England | DF  | 1981  | –
Clive Clarke |  England | MF  | 1974  | –
Eddie Colquhoun |  Scotland | DF  | 1981  | –
Tony Crescitelli |  United States | FW  | 1979-80  | –
Johan Cruyff |  Netherlands | FW  | 1979-81  | –
Benny Dargle |  England | DF  | 1981  | –
Gary Darrell |  Bermuda | DF/MF  | 1974-80  | –
Windsor del Llano |  Bolivia | MF  | 1974  | –
Leroy DeLeon |  Trinidad and Tobago | FW  | 1974-77  | –
Mike Dillon |  England | DF  | 1978-79  | –
Don Droege |  United States | DF  | 1979-80  | –
Roy Ellam |  England | DF  | 1976  | –
Trevor Franklin |  England | DF  | 1981  | –
Sepp Gantenhammer |  United States | GK  | 1978  | –
Randy Garber |  United States | MF  | 1977-78  | –
Ray Graydon |  England | MF  | 1978  | –
Alan Green |  United States | FW  | 1977, 79-80  | –
Bertrand Grell |  Trinidad and Tobago | MF  | 1974-75  | –
Clive Haywood |  England | FW  | 1981  | –
Trevor Hebberd |  England | MF  | 1978  | –
Guus Hiddink |  Netherlands | MF  | 1978  | –
Kenny Hill |  England | DF  | 1977  | –
Randy Horton |  Bermuda | FW  | 1975  | –
József Horváth |  Hungary | MF  | 1979-80  | –
Robert Iarusci |  Canada | DF  | 1979-80  | –
Gerry Ingram |  England | FW  | 1975-76  | –
Bill Irwin |  Northern Ireland | GK  | 1978-80  | –
Wim Jansen |  Netherlands | DF/MF  | 1980, 81  | –
Derek Jefferson |  England | DF  | 1976  | –
Ross Jenkins |  England | FW  | 1981  | –
John Kerr Sr. |  Canada | MF  | 1976-77  | –
Kurt Kuykendall |  United States | GK  | 1974, 78  | –
Mike Lester |  England | MF  | 1977  | –
Kevin Lewis |  England | MF  | 1974  | –
Mark Liveric |  United States | FW  | 1977  | –
Juan Lozano |  Spain | MF  | 1980  | –
Alain Maca |  United States | DF  | 1974-76  | –
Tony Macken |  Ireland | DF  | 1976-77  | –
Carmine Marcantonio |  Canada | MF  | 1978-80  | –
Eric Martin |  Scotland | GK  | 1975-79  | –
Andries Maseko |  South Africa | MF  | 1978-80  | –
Don McAllister |  England | DF  | 1977  | –
Tommy McConville |  Ireland | DF  | 1974-76  | –
Charlie McCully |  United States | FW  | 1976  | –
David McGill |  Canada | MF  | 1981  | –
Ane Mihailovich |  United States | DF/FW  | 1978-79  | –
Ole Mikkelsen |  United States | FW  | 1981  | –
Gus Moffat |  Scotland | MF  | 1981  | –
Ken Murphy |  United States | DF/MF  | 1981  | –
Donato Nardiello |  Wales | FW  | 1981  | –
Ney Marques de Sousa |  Brazil | MF  | 1974  | –
Tommy O'Hara |  United States | MF  | 1978-80  | –
Alex Pringle |  Scotland | DF  | 1977-78  | –
Dragan Radovich |  Yugoslavia | GK  | 1979-80  | –
Jimmy Redfern |  England | MF  | 1977  | –
Thomas Rongen |  Netherlands | MF/FW  | 1980  | –
George Ross |  Scotland | DF  | 1974  | –
Peter Silvester |  England | FW  | 1977  | –
Maurice Slater |  Ireland | DF  | 1974  | –
Alan Spavin |  England | MF  | 1974-75  | –
Jim Steele |  Scotland | DF  | 1977-80  | –
Bob Stetler |  United States | GK  | 1977-79  | –
Bobby Stokes |  England | FW  | 1978-80  | –
George Taratsides |  Greece | GK/FW  | 1974-75  | –
Peter Thomas |  Ireland | GK  | 1975  | –
Trevor Thompson |  England | DF  | 1976  | –
Art Welch |  Jamaica | FW  | 1977, 80  | –
Heinz Wirtz |  West Germany | DF  | 1981  | –
Robbie Zipp |  United States | DF/MF  | 1981  | –

### By nationality

[edit]

Country  | Number of
players

|

Bermuda | 2
Bolivia | 1
Brazil | 1
Canada | 6
England | 23
West Germany | 1
Ghana | 1
Greece | 1
Hungary | 1
Ireland | 4
Jamaica | 1
Netherlands | 4
Northern Ireland | 1
Scotland | 7
South Africa | 1
Spain | 1
Trinidad and Tobago | 2
United States | 17
Wales | 2
Yugoslavia | 2

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
2. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
3. ^ Feinstein, John (December 9, 1980). "Death of the Diplomats". Washington Post. p. D1.