Boston Shamrock Rovers

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Use American English|date=March 2023}} {{Short description|Defunct American soccer club}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Boston Shamrock Rovers | image = Boston Rovers logo.png | image_size = 150 | fullname = Boston Shamrock Rovers | nickname = ''Rovers'' | founded = 1966 | dissolved = {{end date and age|1968}} | stadium = [[Manning Bowl]], [[Lynn, Massachusetts]] | capacity = 21,000 | | owner = [[Weston Adams (ice hockey, born 1904)|Weston Adams]] | mgrtitle = Head coach | manager = [[Liam Tuohy (footballer)|Liam Tuohy]] | league = [[United Soccer Association|USA]] | season = [[United Soccer Association|1967]] | position = 6th. of Eastern Division | American = true  | pattern_la1 = _white_hoops | pattern_b1 = _whitehoops | pattern_ra1 = _white_hoops | pattern_sh1 = | pattern_so1 = _hoops white | leftarm1 = 009900 | body1 = 009900 | rightarm1 = 009900 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = 009900 }}

'''Boston Shamrock Rovers''' (also known as '''Boston Rovers''') were an American [[Association football|soccer]] team that competed in the [[United Soccer Association|United Soccer Association (USA)]] league in 1967. The team was based in [[Lynn, Massachusetts]] and played their home games at the [[Manning Bowl]]. The team folded when the USA merged with the [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]] to form the [[North American Soccer League (1968)|North American Soccer League]].

== History == In 1966 several groups of entrepreneurs were exploring the idea of forming a professional soccer league in United States. One of these groups, [[United Soccer Association|United Soccer Association (USA)]] led by [[Jack Kent Cooke]], selected 12 cities for team locations and [[Weston Adams (ice hockey, born 1904)|Weston Adams]],<ref>{{cite news| title=Shamrock Rovers Elect| publisher=The Norwalk Hour| date=April 21, 1967| page=32| access-date=December 9, 2021| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2OogAAAAIBAJ}}</ref> owner of the [[Boston Bruins]], was awarded the Boston franchise. The USA originally planned to start play in the spring of 1968; however the rival [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]], which secured a TV contract from CBS, announced it was ready to launch in 1967. Not wanting to let the rival league gain an advantage, the USA decided to launch early. Not having secured any player contracts, the league imported teams from Europe, Brazil, and Uruguay. [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.]] of the [[League of Ireland]] were brought over to represent the city of [[Boston]].<ref name="Seese">{{cite book |last=Seese|first= D.J.|date= 2015|title= The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3wxBwAAQBAJ|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn= 9781442238954}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Summer of soccer: when Shamrock Rovers conquered America| url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/summer-of-soccer-when-shamrock-rovers-conquered-america-1.3102684| first=Dave| last=Hannigan| date=May 31, 2017| publisher=The Irish Times| access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref>

Rovers opened the season at home against the [[Detroit Cougars (soccer)|Detroit Cougars]]{{efn|The Northern Irish team [[Glentoran F.C.]] had been brought over to represent Detroit}} in a 1 – 1 draw. A disallowed goal by the Cougars due to an offsides call led to an argument with the linesman who was hit in the face by a Detroit player.<ref>{{cite news| title=Cougars Open With Tie| publisher=The Owosso Argus-Press| date= May 27, 1967| page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVYlAAAAIBAJ| access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Soccer in a Football World |page=134 |last=Wangerin |first=Dave |year=2006 |publisher=WSC Books, Limited|isbn=9780954013479 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mK2xw1E6dAC&dq=Boston+Shamrock+Rovers&pg=PA129 |access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref> Shamrock Rovers finished the season in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 2 wins 3 ties and 7 loses, the worst in the league, and with an average attendance 4,171.<ref name="NASL">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/usadave/nasl.html|title=North American Soccer League|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref>

Prior to the [[1968 North American Soccer League season|1968 season]] the [[United Soccer Association]] merged with the [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]] to form the [[North American Soccer League (1968)|North American Soccer League]]. The merged league decided not to have two-team cities and, as such, the incoming [[Boston Beacons]] from the NPSL would be Boston's NASL franchise. <ref>{{cite news| title=Beacons Survive Rovers In Major Soccer Merger | page=14| publisher=The Telegraph | date=December 8, 1967 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wK4rAAAAIBAJ| access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref>

==Media Coverage==

The Rovers were among the few United Soccer Association sides with television and radio coverage. [[WWDJ|WCOP]] carried three live home matches. [[WLVI|WKBG-TV]] covered four matches, all on tape delay, 3 home and one (at Chicago) away. [[Fred Cusick]] and [[Seamus Malin]] provided TV commentary.

== Year-by-year ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=12|Regular season !rowspan=2|Playoffs !colspan=3|Top scorer |- !League !Div !G !W !T !L !F !A !Pts !% !Pos !Attend. !Name !Gls !Pts |- |[[United Soccer Association|1967]] |USA |E |12 |2 |3 |7 |12 |26 |7 |.292 |bgcolor="#FFCCCC"|[[United Soccer Association|6th]] |4,171 |– |align="left"|[[Frank O'Neill (footballer, born 1940)|Frank O'Neill]] |3 |10 |}

===Match results=== {{legend2|#CCFFCC|Win|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|#FFFFCC|Draw|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|#FFCCCC|Loss|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{football box collapsible |date = May 27 1967 |report=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVYlAAAAIBAJ|team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 1–1 |team2 = [[Detroit Cougars (soccer)|Detroit Cougars]] |result = D |goals1 =[[Mick Leech]] (30') |goals2 = [[John Colrain]] (85') |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 7,343 |referee = Dan Graven }} {{football box collapsible |date = May 31 |team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 0–0 |team2 = [[New York Skyliners]] |result = D |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 3,850 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 4 |team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 0–1 |team2 = [[Cleveland Stokers]] |result = L |goals1 = |goals2 = [[Maurice Setters]] (88') |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 5,250 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 7 |team1 = [[Detroit Cougars (soccer)|Detroit Cougars]] |score = 1–0 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = L |goals1 = [[Arthur Stewart (footballer)]] (79') |goals2 = |stadium = [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)]] |location = [[Detroit|Detroit, MI]] |attendance = 648 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 11 |team1 = [[Vancouver Royals]] |score = 1–0 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = L |goals1 = [[John O'Hare]] (21') |goals2 = |stadium = [[Empire Stadium (Vancouver)]] |location = [[Vancouver]] |attendance = 7,616 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 14 |team1 = [[Chicago Mustangs (1967–68)|Chicago Mustangs]] |score = 5–0 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = L |goals1 = [[Francesco Rizzo (footballer)]] (7') [[Roberto Boninsegna]] (20'), (67') [[Giuseppe Longoni]] (29') [[Bruno Visentin]] (37') |goals2 = |stadium = [[Comiskey Park]] |location = [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]] |attendance = 3,016 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 18 |team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 3–4 |team2 = [[San Francisco Golden Gate Gales]] |result = L |goals1 = [[Liam Tuohy (footballer)]] [[Frank O'Neill (footballer, born 1940)|Frank O'Neill (footballer)]] [[Paddy Mulligan]] |goals2 = [[Henk Houwaart]] (2) [[René Pas]] Harry Heynen |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 853 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 21 |team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 1–4 |team2 = [[Dallas Tornado]] |result = L |goals1 = [[Liam Tuohy (footballer)]] (39') |goals2 = [[Finn Seemann]] (22') [[Mogens Berg]] (29'), (82') [[Jackie Graham]] (36') |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 1,929 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = June 25 |team1 = [[Los Angeles Wolves]] |score = 1–1 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = D |goals1 = [[Terry Wharton]] (81') |goals2 = [[Frank O'Neill (footballer, born 1940)|Frank O'Neill (footballer)]] (21') | stadium = [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]] | location = [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]] |attendance = 6,936 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = July 2 |team1 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |score = 3–1 |team2 = [[Houston Stars]] |result = W |goals1 = [[Bobby Gilbert]] [[Billy Dixon]] [[Liam Tuohy (footballer)]] |goals2 = [[Jaime Corrêa Freitas]] |stadium = [[Manning Bowl]] |location = [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] |attendance = 5,800 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = July 5 |team1 = [[Toronto City]] |score = 6–1 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = L |goals1 = [[Colin Grant (footballer)]] (3) [[Jim Scott (footballer)]] [[Peter Cormack]] [[Colin Stein]] |goals2 = [[Mick Leech]] | stadium = [[Varsity Stadium]] | location = [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]] |attendance = 3,152 |referee = }} {{football box collapsible |date = July 8 |team1 = [[Washington Whips]] |score = 1–2 |team2 = Boston Shamrock Rovers |result = W |goals1 = [[Frank Munro]] |goals2 = [[Frank O'Neill (footballer, born 1940)|Frank O'Neill (footballer)]] [[Billy Dixon]] | stadium = [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|D.C. Stadium]] | location = [[Washington, D.C.]] |attendance = 9,760 |referee = }}

'''Source''':<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston Rovers {{!}} SoccerStats.us |url=http://soccerstats.us/teams/boston-rovers/ |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=soccerstats.us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Soccer Association 1967 Season Summary {{!}} SoccerStats.us |url=http://soccerstats.us/c/united-soccer-association/1967/ |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=soccerstats.us}}</ref>

== See also == *[[Boston Beacons]] *[[Boston Minutemen]] *[[New England Tea Men]]

==Notes== {{notelist}}

== Sources == * ''The Hoops'' by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins ({{ISBN|0-7171-2121-6}})

==References== ===General=== *{{cite web|last=Litterer|first=Dave|title=North American Soccer League I (NASL) 1967–1984|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslhist.html|publisher=American Soccer History Archives|accessdate=November 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907102955/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslhist.html|archive-date=7 September 2013|url-status=dead}} *{{cite web|last=Severino|first=Carlos|title=North American Soccer League 1967|url=https://www.rsssf.org/usadave/nasl67.html|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=November 2, 2012}}

== External links == * [https://archive.today/20120710102520/http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dulyjs/strikers/nasl/bos1.html Boston Rovers stats] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081007215429/http://home.att.net/~nasl/rosters/beacons.htm List of Boston Rovers players] * [https://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Rovers_Rosters.htm Boston Rovers] on nasljerseys.com

[[Category:Defunct soccer clubs in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Shamrock Rovers F.C.]] [[Category:Soccer clubs in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Sports in Lynn, Massachusetts]] [[Category:United Soccer Association franchises]] [[Category:1966 establishments in Massachusetts]] [[Category:1968 disestablishments in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Association football clubs established in 1966]] [[Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1968]] [[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Essex County, Massachusetts]]