International Soccer League (1960-1965)
Encyclopedia
The International Soccer League was a U.S. based soccer league which was formed in 1960 and collapsed in 1965. The league, affiliated with the American Soccer League
, featured guest teams primarily from Europe and some from Asia, South America, Canada and Mexico.
, a U.S. baseball
team, saw a potential market in the United States for top level soccer. Recognizing that U.S. teams did not play at a sufficiently high level to attract the attention of most fans, he began to consider the possibility of importing European and South American teams during their league off-seasons. Traditionally, tours by European clubs in the northeast United States had drawn well and Cox decided to pursue this approach. However, soccer in the U.S. is run by the U.S. Soccer Football Association (USSFA). As a member of the soccer's international governing organization, FIFA
, the USSFA had the sole power in the U.S. to authorize the creation of a new league. If a league was created without USSFA authority, it would declare it an "outlaw league". Any person playing in an "outlaw league" would then be banned from playing in any other league or team affiliated with the FIFA. As nearly every league and team in the world was affiliated with FIFA, this would effectively ban a player from playing the game anywhere. To get USSFA approval, Cox worked through the existing American Soccer League
, a USSFA recognized league. This went so far that in 1961, the ASL scheduled only one game during the ISL season in order to keep from drawing fan support from the league.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1961.html Each year, ISL played two halves to its season. The two halves had different sets of teams with the top team from each half playing each other in a season ending championship game. In order to give the U.S. fans a greater stake in the league, Cox also decided to enter one team of U.S. based players into the league. This team, called variably New York, the New Yorkers and the New York Americans, was rarely composed of U.S. players, but was more often a mix of U.S.-based European professionals with some native all stars. Cox also gained regional television coverage, and the associated revenue stream. While the games were initially played in the New York City metropolitan area, as interest in the ISL increased, he expanded the league to Chicago, Detroit, Boston and Los Angeles. The ISL lasted only through the end of the 1965 season before folding, not so much by its continuing financial losses, which were minor compared to most other U.S. soccer leagues (Cox had lost $100,000 on the league over five seasons), but by the hostility of the USSFA. USSFA had grown suspicious of Cox as his league experienced growing success and with it the possibility of USSFA losing control of soccer in the U.S. Faced with Cox’ refusal to allow USSFA a part in the league management, in 1965 USSFA forbid Cox from importing teams into the U.S. and threatened to declare the ISL an "outlaw league". Cox was forced to fold the ISL, but sued USSFA in federal court for anti-trust violations, a suit he eventually won.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1965.html While the league played its last season in 1965, the model was used again in 1967 when the United Soccer Association
imported foreign teams to populate its league and again in 1969 when the North American Soccer League
(NASL) used imported teams for the first half of its season. Cox also refused to allow the USSFA to have the final say. In 1967, he joined with several other investors to found the National Professional Soccer League, a non-USSFA sanctioned league which, in 1968, became the NASL.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1966.html
7-2 and 2-0 in the championship. Therefore, they were paired in the first Challenge Cup with the 1962 season winner, América RJ. Dukla won and returned for the next three challenge cups, winning each, except for the last in which they fell to Polonia Bytom
.
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
, featured guest teams primarily from Europe and some from Asia, South America, Canada and Mexico.
History
In 1960, William Cox, a wealthy U.S. businessman and former owner of the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, a U.S. baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, saw a potential market in the United States for top level soccer. Recognizing that U.S. teams did not play at a sufficiently high level to attract the attention of most fans, he began to consider the possibility of importing European and South American teams during their league off-seasons. Traditionally, tours by European clubs in the northeast United States had drawn well and Cox decided to pursue this approach. However, soccer in the U.S. is run by the U.S. Soccer Football Association (USSFA). As a member of the soccer's international governing organization, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, the USSFA had the sole power in the U.S. to authorize the creation of a new league. If a league was created without USSFA authority, it would declare it an "outlaw league". Any person playing in an "outlaw league" would then be banned from playing in any other league or team affiliated with the FIFA. As nearly every league and team in the world was affiliated with FIFA, this would effectively ban a player from playing the game anywhere. To get USSFA approval, Cox worked through the existing American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
, a USSFA recognized league. This went so far that in 1961, the ASL scheduled only one game during the ISL season in order to keep from drawing fan support from the league.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1961.html Each year, ISL played two halves to its season. The two halves had different sets of teams with the top team from each half playing each other in a season ending championship game. In order to give the U.S. fans a greater stake in the league, Cox also decided to enter one team of U.S. based players into the league. This team, called variably New York, the New Yorkers and the New York Americans, was rarely composed of U.S. players, but was more often a mix of U.S.-based European professionals with some native all stars. Cox also gained regional television coverage, and the associated revenue stream. While the games were initially played in the New York City metropolitan area, as interest in the ISL increased, he expanded the league to Chicago, Detroit, Boston and Los Angeles. The ISL lasted only through the end of the 1965 season before folding, not so much by its continuing financial losses, which were minor compared to most other U.S. soccer leagues (Cox had lost $100,000 on the league over five seasons), but by the hostility of the USSFA. USSFA had grown suspicious of Cox as his league experienced growing success and with it the possibility of USSFA losing control of soccer in the U.S. Faced with Cox’ refusal to allow USSFA a part in the league management, in 1965 USSFA forbid Cox from importing teams into the U.S. and threatened to declare the ISL an "outlaw league". Cox was forced to fold the ISL, but sued USSFA in federal court for anti-trust violations, a suit he eventually won.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1965.html While the league played its last season in 1965, the model was used again in 1967 when the United Soccer Association
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
imported foreign teams to populate its league and again in 1969 when the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) used imported teams for the first half of its season. Cox also refused to allow the USSFA to have the final say. In 1967, he joined with several other investors to found the National Professional Soccer League, a non-USSFA sanctioned league which, in 1968, became the NASL.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1966.html
American Challenge Cup
In 1962, the ISL initiated an annual challenge cup. It would pair the winner of the previous year's Challenge Cup winner with the current season's league champion. Dukla Prague had won the 1961 title, defeating Everton F.C.Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
7-2 and 2-0 in the championship. Therefore, they were paired in the first Challenge Cup with the 1962 season winner, América RJ. Dukla won and returned for the next three challenge cups, winning each, except for the last in which they fell to Polonia Bytom
Polonia Bytom
Polonia Bytom is a Polish football club founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom, during the hectic months of the Silesian Uprisings...
.
League champions
- 19601960 International Soccer League-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I Kilmarnock F.C. 5 4 1 0 11 3 9 Burnley F.C. 5 3 1 1 16 7 7 OGC Nice 5 1 3 1 7 10 5...
Bangu Atlético ClubeBangu Atlético ClubeBangu Atlético Clube, or Bangu as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Bangu, Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, founded on April 17, 1904... - 19611961 International Soccer LeagueStatistics of International Soccer League II in season 1961.- Section I :- Section II :- Matches : CHAMPIONSHIP: Dukla Prague defeated Everton 7-2 and 2-0, on goal aggregate....
Dukla Prague - 19621962 International Soccer LeagueStatistics of International Soccer League II in season 1962.-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I America-RJ 5 3 2 0 11 8 8...
América RJ - 19631963 International Soccer League-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I West Ham United 6 3 2 1 14 10 8 A.C. Mantova 6 3 1 2 15 10 7 Kilmarnock F.C...
West Ham United - 19641964 International Soccer LeagueStatistics of International Soccer League in season 1964.-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I SV Werder Bremen 6 4 2 0 18 10 10...
Zagłębie Sosnowiec - 19651965 International Soccer League-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I New York Americans 6 4 1 1 11 8 9 Portugesa 6 4 0 2 18 11 8 Varese 6 2 2 2 11 9 6...
Polonia BytomPolonia BytomPolonia Bytom is a Polish football club founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom, during the hectic months of the Silesian Uprisings...
American Challenge Cup
- 1962 Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia)
- 1963 Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia)
- 1964 Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia)
- 1965 Polonia BytomPolonia BytomPolonia Bytom is a Polish football club founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom, during the hectic months of the Silesian Uprisings...
(Poland)
League MVP
Beginning in 1961, the league champion was awarded the Dwight D. Eisenhower trophy, but from 1962 to 1965 it was given to the league MVP.- 1962 Carl Bogelein (Reutlingen)
- 1963 Bobby MooreBobby MooreRobert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
(West Ham United) - 1964 Gard Zebrowski (Werder Bremen)
- 1965 Uwe SchwartUwe SchwartUwe Schwart is a former U.S. soccer goalkeeper who earned one cap with the U.S. national team.-Professional career:He played for New York Hota of the German American Soccer League in 1964 and the New Yorkers in the International Soccer League in 1965. He was both the league’s top goalkeeper and...
(New Yorkers)
Teams
| Team | Years |
|---|---|
 AEK Athens |
1964 |
 América RJ |
1962 |
| Esporte Clube Bahia Esporte Clube Bahia Esporte Clube Bahia , known familiarly as Bahiaço, is a Brazilian professional football club, based in Salvador, Bahia. They play in the Campeonato Baiano, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil's national league. Bahia was a founding member of the Clube dos 13 group... |
1964 |
| Bangu Bangu Atlético Clube Bangu Atlético Clube, or Bangu as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Bangu, Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, founded on April 17, 1904... |
1960, 1961 |
 Bayern Munich |
1960 |
 Belenenses |
1962, 1963 |
 BesiktasBesiktas Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus... |
1961 |
 Blackburn Rovers |
1964 |
| Burnley F.C. Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
1960 |
 Deportivo Oro |
1963 |
 Dinamo Bucharest |
1961 |
 Dinamo ZagrebDinamo Zagreb GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten... |
1963 |
 Dukla Prague |
1961 |
 Dundee F.C.Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
1962 |
 Elfsborg |
1962 |
 Espanol |
1961 |
| Everton F.C. Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
1961 |
 FerencvarosFerencváros Ferencváros is the 9th district of Budapest , Hungary.- Name :The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary.- History :The development of Ferencváros began in the late 18th century.... |
1965 |
 Glenavon F.C.Glenavon F.C. Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park... |
1960 |
 Górnik ZabrzeGórnik Zabrze Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium... |
1963 |
| Club Deportivo Guadalajara |
1962 |
| Hajduk Split |
1962 |
 Hapoel Petah Tikva |
1961 |
| Helsingborgs IF Helsingborgs IF Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan... |
1963 |
| Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian... |
1964 |
| Karlsruhe Karlsruhe The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states... |
1961 |
| Kilmarnock F.C. Kilmarnock F.C. Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park... |
1960, 1961, 1963, 1965 |
 Lanerossi-VicenzaVicenza Calcio Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A... |
1964 |
| Mantova |
1963 |
 MonacoMonaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
1961 |
 Montreal ConcordiaMontreal Concordia Montreal Concordia was a Canadian soccer team based in Montreal, Quebec. The team was active during a very turbulent time in North American soccer with many league forming and folding, year after year... |
1961 |
| MTK Budapest |
1962 |
| Nice OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is... |
1960 |
| Norrköping IFK Norrköping IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan... |
1960 |
| Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... |
1962 |
| Panathinaikos |
1962 |
| Polonia Bytom Polonia Bytom Polonia Bytom is a Polish football club founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom, during the hectic months of the Silesian Uprisings... |
1965 |
| Portugesa Associação Portuguesa Londrinense Associação Portuguesa Londrinense, usually known simply as Portuguesa Londrinense, is a Brazilian football team from the city of Londrina, Paraná state, founded on May 14, 1950.-History:... |
1965 |
| Preussen Munster |
1963 |
 SK Rapid WienSK Rapid Wien The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times... |
1960, 1961 |
| Real Oviedo Real Oviedo Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2.... |
1962 |
| Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived.... |
1963 |
| SSV Reutlingen SSV Reutlingen SSV Reutlingen 05 is a German association football club from Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg.- History :The club was founded as FC Arminia Reutlingen and was re-named SV Reutlingen 1905 in 1910. The club fused with 1... |
1962 |
| Sport Club do Recife Sport Club do Recife Sport Club do Recife, more popularly known as Sport in Recife or Sport Recife in Northeastern Brazil, is a football team from Recife, Pernambuco.-1905 - Foundation:... |
1963 |
| Red Star Belgrade Red Star Belgrade Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions... |
1960, 1961, 1964 |
| Sampdoria |
1960 |
| Schwechater |
1964 |
 Shamrock Rovers |
1961 |
| Sporting Club |
1960 |
| TSV Munich 1860 |
1965 |
| Újpest FC Újpest FC Újpest Football Club , earlier known as Újpesti TE and Újpesti Dózsa, is a Hungarian football club, based in Újpest, Budapest. The club's colours are purple and white... |
1963 |
| Valenciennes Valenciennes Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded... |
1963 |
| Varese Varese Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :... |
1965 |
| Vitoria Guimaraes |
1964 |
| Wiener AC Wiener AC Wiener Athletiksport Club, also known as Wiener AC or WAC, is an Austrian sports club in Vienna. It is particularly noted for its hockey team, which was established in 1900.... |
1962, 1963 |
| Werder Bremen |
1964 |
| West Bromwich Albion |
1965 |
| West Ham United |
1963, 1965 |
| Zagłębie Sosnowiec |
1964 |