Baltimore Comets
Baltimore, Maryland1974-1975
Order Baltimore Comets tees, long sleeve tees, hoodies and crewnecks. English striker Peter Silvester scored 14 goals in 18 games in 1974 and was named league MVP, but by the next spring stadium officials had evicted the club from Memorial Stadium over unpaid rent. Browse the styles below, and the full Comets history is further down. Down Home Apparel is an American small business remembering the best places and teams of yesteryear, and every shirt is printed to order in the USA.
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Baltimore Comets History
The Baltimore Comets, based in Baltimore, Maryland, played two seasons, 1974 and 1975, in North America's top pro soccer league. They joined as an expansion team and opened at Memorial Stadium in May 1974. Lou Foreaker and James McLaughlin were the original owners. The coach was Doug Millward, who had coached an earlier Baltimore pro club in the 1960s.
The first season went well on the field. The Comets finished 10-8-2, second in the Eastern Division, and made the playoffs. They lost the quarterfinal 1-0 at Boston on August 15, 1974. English striker Peter Silvester, on loan from a club back home, scored 14 goals in 18 games and was named league MVP. He and defender Geoff Butler were All-Stars. Crowds averaged about 4,100 in a stadium with more than 45,000 seats.
The second season did not. Less than a month after the 1975 home opener, stadium officials evicted the club over unpaid rent. From late May it played home games at Burdick Field at Towson State University. The team went 9-13, last in the division, and averaged 2,641 fans, the lowest in the league.
In October 1975 San Jose car dealer Ken Keegan bought the franchise and moved it to San Diego for 1976. Several players went along, including Silvester and goalkeeper Alan Mayer.