Тульса Рафнекс: История футбольного клуба NASL

Defunct American soccer club

The Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984) were a North American Soccer League (NASL) team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. It played its home games at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The team, previously Team Hawaii, moved to Tulsa after the 1977 season. In 1983, Alex Skotarek became general manager and led one of the lowest budgeted teams in the NASL to a championship, defeating Toronto, 2–0, at Soccer Bowl '83. Shortly after the Tulsa Roughnecks victory of the 1983 Soccer Bowl, President Ronald Reagan sent congratulatory remarks to the team as they carried the trophy in a celebration parade through downtown Tulsa. The Roughnecks still stands (as of 2024) as the only major professional team from Oklahoma to win a championship.

The Roughnecks first match was a 6–5 indoor loss on February 11, 1978, at the Bayfront Center versus the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Three nights later in their home debut, the same two teams faced off in front of the first 3,250 Roughnecks fans at the Tulsa Assembly Center. A few weeks later they would capture the Skelly Indoor Invitational which they hosted. Over the years Tulsa regularly appeared in the NASL playoffs. They won the NASL title in Soccer Bowl '83, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at BC Place Stadium (Vancouver) by a score of 2–0 before a paid attendance of 60,051. The team's all time win–loss record was 104–106. The Roughnecks' home games consistently drew better than league average attendance with the annual record occurring during the 1980 season when the team averaged 19,787 spectators over 16 games for a total attendance that year of 316,593 (placing the Roughnecks at No. 5 between the Seattle Sounders and the Washington Diplomats). The largest home game attendance for Tulsa occurred on April 26, 1980, when 30,822 fans watched the Roughnecks' 2–1 victory over the New York Cosmos at Skelly Stadium. The highest attendance for any Roughneck game occurred on August 26, 1979, when Tulsa met the Cosmos in New York for a NASL playoff game before a crowd of 76,031. Excluding several cancelations along the way, the team compiled a record of 8–2–1, before suspending operations on July 17, 1985. Famous Roughnecks players include Iraj Danaeifard, Alex Skotarek, Charlie Mitchell, Billy Caskey, Victor Moreland, Barry Wallace, Alan Woodward, Zeljko Bilecki, Carmelo D'Anzi, Winston DuBose, Njego Pesa, Laurie Abrahams, Chance Fry, Terry Moore and David McCreery.

YearLeagueWLTPtsReg. seasonPlayoffsAvg. attendance1978NASL indoor220—N/AWon, Skelly Invitational2,2501978NASL151501322nd, National Conference, Central DivisionLost 1st Round (Minnesota)11,2561979NASL indoor030—N/A3rd Place, Budweiser Invitational6,3401979NASL141601393rd, National Conference, Central DivisionWon Conference Quarterfinal (Minnesota)Lost Conference Semifinal (New York)16,4261979–80NASL Indoor750—3rd, WesternLost 1st Round (Minnesota)4,6571980NASL151701393rd, National Conference, Central DivisionLost 1st Round (New York)19,7871980–81NASL Indoor990—2nd, Southern Divisiondid not qualify5,2881981NASL171501543rd, Central DivisionLost 1st Round (Minnesota)17,1881981–82NASL Indoor1080—3rd, American Conference, Central DivisionWon 1st Round (Chicago)Lost Semifinal (Tampa Bay)5,3081982NASL161601122nd, Southern DivisionLost 1st Round (New York)14,5541983NASL Indoor Grand Prix440—3rd in Grand Prix preliminary roundsLost Semifinal (Tampa Bay)Won 3rd place match (Ft. Lauderdale)3,2931983NASL171301451st, Southern DivisionWon 1st Round (Ft. Lauderdale)Won Semifinals (Montreal)Won Soccer Bowl '83 (Toronto)12,4151983–84NASL Indoor11210—6thdid not qualify3,7071984NASL10140984th, Western Divisiondid not qualify7,7971985Independent821 — friendlies onlynone3,651