San Diego Sockers

: "This article is about the original San Diego Sockers. For the second team to use the name, see San Diego Sockers (2001-2004)"

infobox Football club
clubname = San Diego Sockers


caption =
fullname = San Diego Sockers
nickname = Sockers
shortname =
founded = 1978
dissolved = 1996
ground = Qualcomm Stadium(1978-84)(outdoors)
San Diego Sports Arena(1980-96)(indoors)
capacity = 60,000 (Qualcomm)
13,000 (Arena)
owntitle = Owner
owner = defunct
chrtitle =
chairman =
ceo =
mgrtitle = Coach
manager = Ron Newman
league = NASL (1978-84)
MISL (1982-83, 1984-91)
CISL(1993-96)
season =
position =
pattern_la1 =
pattern_b1 =
pattern_ra1 =
pattern_sh1 =
pattern_so1 =
leftarm1 = ffffff
body1 = ffffff
rightarm1 = ffffff
shorts1 = 0000ff
socks1 = 0000ff
pattern_la2 =
pattern_b2 =
pattern_ra2 =
pattern_sh2 =
pattern_so2 =
leftarm2 = 0000ff
body2 = 0000ff
rightarm2 = 0000ff
shorts2 = 0000ff
socks2 = 0000ff
pattern_la3 =
pattern_b3 =
pattern_ra3 =
pattern_sh3 =
pattern_so3 =
pattern_name3 =
leftarm3 =
body3 =
rightarm3 =
shorts3 =
socks3 =
firstgame =
largestwin =
worstdefeat =
topscorer =
fansgroup =
honours =
American =

The San Diego Sockers were one of the most successful indoor soccer teams in the sport's short history. The team won ten championships in both the original Major Indoor Soccer League and the North American Soccer League. The team began as the Baltimore Comets in 1974 but moved to San Diego as the San Diego Jaws in 1976. After a one year stay in Las Vegas, the team returned as the San Diego Sockers in 1978.

The Sockers played their first indoor season in 1980 and won their first indoor title in 1982. The team stopped playing outdoor soccer with the folding of the NASL in 1984. In 1992, the MISL folded, but the Sockers along with the Dallas Sidekicks were two of the founding franchises in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After several ownership changes, the Sockers folded after the 1996 season.

The only indoor coach of the original Sockers was Ron Newman who would go onto coach in Major League Soccer for Kansas City. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Hugo Sánchez, former coach of the Mexico national football team, played for the San Diego Sockers during the summers of 1979 and 1980 during the Mexican Premier Division off-season. Juli Veee was one of their greatest players.

Leagues

* NASL outdoor 1974-1984
* NASL indoor 1980-1982, 1983-1984
* MISL 1982-1983, 1984-1992
* CISL 1993-1996

Former Players (Outdoor)

*flagicon|USA Kevin Crow (1983-1996)
*flagicon|GER Jean Willrich (1978-1984) (1980-1988)
*flagicon|Hungary Julie Veee (1978-1982) (1981-1984) (1985-1988)
*flagicon|Nigeria Ade Coker (1978-1979) (1982-1987)
*flagicon|ENG Laurie Abrahams (1984)
*flagicon|ENG Peter Anderson (1978)
*flagicon|ENG Steve Daley (1984)
*flagicon|Poland Kazimierz Deyna (1981-87)
*flagicon|ENG Ron Fearon (1983)
*flagicon|ENG Gary Heale (1983)
*flagicon|ENG Brian Joy (1976/1978) [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/brianjoy.htm]
*flagicon|SCO Walker McCall (1979-80) [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/walkermccall.htm]
*flagicon|ENG Brian McNeill (1983)
*flagicon|ENG Derek Trevis (1976) [http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#T]
*flagicon|ENG Nigel Walker (1982)
*flagicon|Hungary Zoltan Toth (1984-1990)
*flagicon|Mexico Hugo Sanchez (1979/80)

Former Players (Indoor)

*flagicon|ENG Paul Dougherty (1987-92)
*flagicon|Hungary Zoltan Toth (1984-1990)

Head Coaches

* Hubert Vogelsinger 1978-1980
* Ron Newman 1980-1993

Outdoor year-by-year

Indoor year-by-year

Honors

"'NASL, MISL and CISL Reg. Season/ Division Titles
* 1978, 1979, 1981, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1996

NASL Indoor Championships
* 1982, 1984

MISL Championships
* 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992

MISL MVP
* 1983 Alan Mayer
* 1985 Steve Zungul
* 1986 Steve Zungul
* 1991 Victor Nogueira
* 1992 Victor Nogueira

MISL Championship MVP
* 1983 Juli Veee
* 1985 Steve Zungul
* 1986 Brian Quinn
* 1988 Hugo Perez
* 1989 Victor Nogueira
* 1990 Brian Quinn
* 1991 Ben Collins
* 1992 Thompson Usiyan

NASL Indoor Scoring Champion
* 1982 Juli Veee

MISL Scoring Champion
* 1985 Steve Zungul
* 1986 Steve Zungul

MISL Pass Master (Assists leader)
* 1985 Steve Zungul
* 1986 Steve Zungul

MISL Defender of the Year
* 1985 Kevin Crow
* 1988 Kevin Crow
* 1989 Kevin Crow
* 1991 Kevin Crow
* 1992 Kevin Crow

NASL Indoor Goalkeeper of the Year
* 1984 Jim Gorsek

MISL Goalkeeper of the Year
* 1988 Zolton Toth
* 1989 Victor Nogueira
* 1991 Victor Nogueira
* 1992 Victor Nogueira

CISL Goalkeeper of the Year
* 1994 Antonio Cortes

MISL Coach of the Year
* 1988 Ron Newman

MISL Rookie of the Year
* 1991 David Banks

CISL Rookie of the Year
* 1994 John Olu Molomo
* 1995 Mark Chung
* 1996 Carlos Farias

NASL First Team All Star
* 1984 Kevin Crow

MISL First Team All Star
* 1983 Alan Mayer, Kazimierz Deyna
* 1985 Branko Segota, Kevin Crow, Steve Zungul
* 1986 Fernando Clavijo, Branko Segota
* 1987 Kevin Crow
* 1988 Zolton Toth, Fernando Clavijo, Kevin Crow, Branko Segota
* 1990 Victor Nogueira, Kevin Crow
* 1991 Victor Nogueira, Kevin Crow

CISL First Team All Star
* 1993 David Banks
* 1995 Mark Chung