- Washington Diplomats
: "This article is about the original and second Washington Diplomats of the NASL. For the third team to use the name, see
Washington Diplomats (APSL) "The name Washington Diplomats was used by three different soccer teams in
Washington, D.C. .NASL original team
infobox football club
clubname = Washington Diplomats
current =
fullname = Washington Diplomats
nickname = Diplomats, Dips
founded = 1974
dissolved = 1981
ground =Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
capacity = 55,000
chairman =
mgrtitle = Coach
manager =Gordon Bradley
league =North American Soccer League
season =
position =
pattern_b1 =_whiterightsash
pattern_la1 =
pattern_ra1 =
leftarm1 = ff0000
body1 = ff0000
rightarm1 = ff0000
shorts1 = FF0000
socks1 = ff0000
pattern_b2 =_redrightsash
pattern_la2 =
pattern_ra2 =
leftarm2 = ffffff
body2 = ffffff
rightarm2 = ffffff
shorts2 = ffffff
socks2 = ffffffThe original Washington Diplomats first came into being when, in 1974, the
North American Soccer League (NASL) granted a franchise to a Washington, D.C. based business group. The team played their home games at RFK Stadium except for 1976 when they played at W.T. Woodson High School in Northern Virginia. 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. [Death of the Diplomats by John Feinstein, Washington Post, Sports; D1, Dec. 9th, 1980]The cheerleaders for the original Diplomats were known as the Honeydips.
Year-by-year
NASL new Diplomats
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.ASL Diplomats
The Washington Diplomats played three seasons in the American Soccer League from 1988 to 1990.
Year-by-year
Famous players
;flagicon|USA USA
*flagicon|United States
Keith Lenert
;flagicon|ENG England*flagicon|England
Mike Barry (footballer) (1975)
*flagicon|EnglandPaul Cannell
*flagicon|ENGPeter Carr (1981)
*flagicon|EnglandRay Graydon 1978)
*flagicon|EnglandAlan Green (soccer) (1977; 1979-80)
*flagicon|EnglandClive Haywood (1981)
*flagicon|EnglandTrevor Hebberd (1981)
*flagicon|ENGKenny Hill (association footballer) (1977)
*flagicon|ENGRoss Jenkins (1981)
*flagicon|EnglandJimmy Redfern (1977)
*flagicon|EnglandKeith Silvester (1977)
*flagicon|ENGBobby Stokes (1978-80)
*flagicon|ENGTrevor Thompson (footballer) (1976) [http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#T]
;flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands*flagicon|Netherlands Johan Cruyff
*flagicon|NetherlandsGuus Hiddink
*flagicon|NetherlandsThomas Rongen
;flagicon|Scotland Scotland
*flagicon|ScotlandJim Brown (footballer) (1981)
*flagicon|SCOEddie Colquhoun (1981)
*flagicon|SCOTommy O'Hara (1978-80) [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/tommyo'hara.htm]
*flagicon|SCOJim Steele (1977-79)
;flagicon|Northern Ireland Northern Ireland*flagicon|Northern Ireland Bill Irwin (1978-80)
;flagicon|Wales Wales*flagicon|Wales
Donato Nardiello (1981)Former Coaches
*flagicon|ENG
Gordon Bradley Average attendance per game
*1974: 4,975
*1975: 8,847
*1976: 5,963
*1977: 13,037
*1978: 10,783
*1979: 11,973
*1980: 19,205
*1981: 12,106References
External Links [http://home.att.net/~nasl/jerseys/dips.htm Dips Jerseys]
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