Portland Timbers (NASL)

Infobox Football club
clubname = Portland Timbers
current =


fullname = Portland Timbers
nickname = The Timbers
founded = 1975 - 1981
ground = Civic Stadium
Portland, Oregon
capacity = 35,000
chairman =
manager =
league = North American Soccer League
season =
position =
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=ffffff|body2=ffffff|rightarm2=ffffff|shorts2=ffffff|socks2=ffffff

The Portland Timbers were a team in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL and the current team of the USL.

History

In January 1975, the North American Soccer League awarded an expansion franchise to Portland, Oregon. The new team, named the Timbers as the result of an open contest, began play in the 1975 season. In their inaugural season, the Timbers went to the championship game Soccer Bowl but lost to the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0. It was during this magical season that the Timbers endeared themselves to the City and Portland became known as "Soccer City USA". While the Timbers boasted some of the league's best fan support, they sometimes struggled on the field. Despite going to the championship game in their first season, they missed the play offs in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, they went to the Conference Finals before falling to the New York Cosmos. The team folded at the end of the 1982 season as player salaries outpaced team revenue. These Timbers established soccer as a sport in the greater Portland area. Their legacy lives on in the current Timbers following and the many thousands who continue to play and follow the game. Many of these Timbers continued to live in the area after their playing careers and helped establish the soccer as a vital local sport.

Year by Year

Coaches

* Vic Crowe (1975-1976)
*Brian Tiler (1977)
* Don Megson (1978-1979)
* Vic Crowe (1980-1982)

Notable players