Philadelphia Atoms

Defunct American soccer club

This article is about the original Philadelphia Atoms of the NASL. For the ASL team, see Philadelphia Atoms SC.

Soccer club

Philadelphia Atoms

Full name| Philadelphia Atoms
Nickname(s)| Atoms
Founded| 1973
Dissolved| 1976; 49 years ago (1976)
Stadium| Veterans Stadium (1973–75)
Franklin Field (1976)
Philadelphia
Owner(s)| Thomas McCloskey
Head Coach| Al Miller
League| NASL

Home colors

Away colors

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The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors were blue and white. The club was succeeded by the Philadelphia Fury in 1978.

## History

[edit]

The Atoms were founded by Philadelphia construction mogul Thomas McCloskey in 1973 at the urging of Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Tornado owner Lamar Hunt. Playing a largely American line-up, they won the NASL title in their first year of existence by defeating Hunt’s Dallas club 2–0. After this championship match, Philadelphia goalkeeper and Ridley Park, Pennsylvania native Bob Rigby became the first soccer player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

The Atoms could not sustain the success of their first season as the club missed the playoffs in each of their remaining three NASL campaigns. Attendance began to flag and, after the 1975 season, the team was sold to a group of Mexican clubs, which included Club Deportivo Guadalajara. Fielding a primarily Mexican side (almost 30 years before Chivas USA would try a similar approach in Major League Soccer), attendance continued to wane and the club folded after the 1976 season.

Although Clive Toye reports in his recent book that the franchise was sold to an ownership group from Montreal, he apparently confuses the fate of the next Philadelphia NASL team for that of the Atoms; the Atoms were, in fact, going to be relocated to San Antonio by their Mexican owners, who planned to replace the San Antonio Thunder franchise (which itself had just relocated to Honolulu to play as Team Hawaii). This plan never came to fruition, and the Philadelphia franchise was placed into receivership by the NASL.

The franchise was removed from receivership two years later when the Philadelphia Fury began their three-year run in Philadelphia in 1978.

The Atoms were also part of what is considered by soccer historians to be the birth of modern indoor soccer in the United States. On February 11, 1974, they hosted the Soviet Red Army team at the Spectrum in an exhibition match. That night, 11,790 roaring fans watched the reigning league champions hold their own into the final period before the Russians finally pulled away for a 6–3 victory.[1][2][3] The following year the NASL staged its first league-wide indoor tournament, and within a few years both the NASL and the MISL were playing full indoor seasons.

In 2017 a new team began play in the American Soccer League called Philadelphia Atoms SC. The club claims the heritage and colors of the original Atoms.[4]

## Year-by-year

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Full Atoms logo Year  | Record  | Regular Season Finish  | Playoffs  | Avg Attendance

|
|
|
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1973 | 9–2–8  | 1st, Eastern Division  | NASL Champions  | 11,501
1974 indoor  | 1–1  | friendlies only | n/a | 9,057
1974 | 8–11–1  | 3rd, Eastern Division  | Did not qualify | 11,784
1975 indoor | 1–1  | 3rd, Region 1  | Did not qualify | no home games
1975 | 10–12  | 4th, Eastern Division  | Did not qualify | 6,848
1976 indoor | 1–0  | friendly only | n/a | 4,234
1976 | 8–16  | 4th, Eastern Division, Atlantic Conference  | Did not qualify | 5,912

## Honors

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NASL championships

* 1973

NASL Division Titles

* 1973 Eastern Division

NASL Rookie of the Year

* 1975 Chris Bahr

NASL Coach of the Year

* 1973 Al Miller

NASL Leading Goaltender

* 1973 Bob Rigby (GAA: 0.62)

U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

* 1990 Manfred Schellscheidt
* 1995 Al Miller
* 2007 Bobby Smith

All-Star first team selections

* 1973 Chris Dunleavy, Jim Fryatt, Andy Provan
* 1974 Chris Dunleavy
* 1975 Bobby Smith

All-Star second team selections

* 1973 Roy Evans, Bob Rigby, Bobby Smith, Derek Trevis
* 1974 Bob Rigby, Derek Trevis
* 1975 Bob Hope, Tony Want
* 1976 Bobby Smith

All-Star honorable mentions

* 1973 Barry Barto, George O'Neill
* 1974 Jim Fryatt, Bobby Smith

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## Head coaches

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* Al Miller (1973–1975)

## See also

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* Philadelphia Fury
* Philadelphia Spartans
* Philadelphia Union

## References

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1. ^ YouTube, a Google company. YouTube.
2. ^ "Red Army | SoccerStats.us". Archived from the original on May 18, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
3. ^ "History of Indoor Soccer in the USA". Rsssf.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
4. ^ "IIS Windows Server".

## External links

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* NASL Jerseys: Philadelphia Atoms

* v
* t
* e

Philadelphia Atoms

* Founded 1973
* Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Club history|

* Philadelphia Atoms (1973–1976)

Sports facilities|

* Veterans Stadium
* Franklin Field

Important figures|

* Thomas McCloskey
* Al Miller
* Chris Bahr
* Chris Dunleavy
* Jim Fryatt
* Andy Provan
* Bob Rigby
* Manfred Schellscheidt
* Bobby Smith

Other topics|

* Related articles

Honors

NASL Championship (1)|

* 1973 (Champions)

NASL Division titles (1)|

* 1973 (Eastern Division)

Seasons

North American Soccer League
(1966–85)|

* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976

North American Soccer League
Indoor (1975–84)|

* 1975

* v
* t
* e

North American Soccer League (1968–1984)

* Broadcasters
* USSF
* CSA
* Portal
* NASL (2011–2017)
* First overall draft picks

Seasons|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984

Soccer Bowls|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984

Predecessors|

* USA 1967
* Final
* NPSL 1967
* Final

Indoor seasons|

* 1971
* 1975
* 1976
* 1978
* 1979
* 1979–80
* 1980–81
* 1981–82
* 1983
* 1983–84

Conferences|

1968
East
West
1976–1977
Atlantic
Pacific
1978–1980
American
National

Related|

* Soccer Bowl broadcasters
* NASL Indoor Championship

Clubs|

* Atlanta Apollos
* Atlanta Chiefs
* Baltimore Bays
* Baltimore Comets
* Boston Beacons
* Boston Minutemen
* Boston Shamrock Rovers†
* Calgary Boomers
* California Surf
* Chicago Mustangs
* Chicago Spurs2
* Chicago Sting
* Cleveland Stokers
* Caribous of Colorado
* Connecticut Bicentennials
* Dallas Tornado
* Denver Dynamos
* Detroit Cougars
* Detroit Express
* Edmonton Drillers
* Fort Lauderdale Strikers
* Golden Bay Earthquakes
* Hartford Bicentennials
* Houston Hurricane
* Houston Stars
* Jacksonville Tea Men
* Kansas City Spurs
* Las Vegas Quicksilvers
* Los Angeles Aztecs
* Los Angeles Wolves
* Memphis Rogues
* Miami Gatos
* Miami Toros
* Minnesota Kicks
* Minnesota Strikers
* Montreal Manic
* Montreal Olympique
* New England Tea Men
* New York Cosmos
* New York Generals
* New York Skyliners1
* Oakland Clippers
* Oakland Stompers
* Philadelphia Spartans2
* Philadelphia Atoms
* Philadelphia Fury
* Pittsburgh Phantoms2
* Portland Timbers
* Rochester Lancers
* San Antonio Thunder
* San Diego Jaws
* San Diego Sockers
* San Diego Toros
* San Francisco Golden Gate Gales1
* San Jose Earthquakes
* Seattle Sounders
* St. Louis Stars
* Tampa Bay Rowdies
* Team America
* Team Hawaii
* Toronto Blizzard
* Toronto City1
* Toronto Metros
* Toronto Metros-Croatia
* Tulsa Roughnecks
* Vancouver Royals
* Vancouver Whitecaps
* Washington Darts
* Washington Diplomats
* Washington Whips

1 United Soccer Association team that did not join NASL upon merger with NPSL.
2 National Professional Soccer League team that did not join NASL upon merger with USA.
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