St. Louis Raiders

St. Louis Raiders was a U.S. soccer club which, apart from one season, played as an amateur team in St. Louis, Missouri.

Origins

St. Louis Raiders began as an amateur St. Louis team sponsored by local businessman Nick Jost who was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on November 11, 1976.

1947-1948

In 1947, the Raiders went professional in the North American Soccer Football League (NASFL). The NASFL was established in 1946 as a professional league spanning the midwest U.S. The NASFL planned a two part season for 1947. The first half would run from April to June, the second half from September to October. The league only lasted the first half and a few games of the second half as financial difficulties led to it folding. Hall of Famer Werner Nilsen coached Raiders during 1947 ^{[http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasfl.html]}

With the collapse of the NASFL, Raiders became an amateur club and entered the newly established St. Louis Major League. Raiders tied St. Louis Simpkins-Ford for second in the league’s standings.

1948-1951

A gap in the historical record exists for these years.

1951

Raiders finished third in the league.

1952

Raiders dominated the 1952 St. Louis Major Soccer League season. They ran to a 15-4-2 record and took the league title with a four point lead over St. Louis Simpkins-Ford. The team also won the National Amateur Cup with a 4-3 victory over Ludlow Lusitano, but lost in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Following their victory in the National Amateur Cup, Tom Kutis of Kutis Funereal Home took over sponsorship of the team and renamed it St. Louis Kutis S.C.. Kutis would go on to dominate St. Louis Soccer for the remainder of the decade.

Record

Coaches

* Werner Nilsen 1946-1947
* Bob Corbett 1947-1948

Notable players

* Bill Bertani
* Bill Looby
* Ruben Mendoza
* Harry Keough
* Frank Wallace
* Herman Wecke

External links

* [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/saintlouis.html History of Soccer in St. Louis]
* [http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/genealogy/dad/soccer-6.html Photos and details of the 1946-1948]