Hartford Bicentennials
Hartford, Connecticut1975-1976
Browse Hartford Bicentennials tees, long sleeve tees, hoodies and crewnecks. The club took its name from the coming 1976 American bicentennial and played at Dillon Stadium. After 1976 it moved to the Yale Bowl, where 17,302 came to the 1977 home opener, the biggest crowd in club history. Choose a style below, then read the full Bicentennials history further down. We are an American small business bringing back the signs and logos of places and teams that are long gone but remembered fondly.
5 products
Hartford Bicentennials History
The Hartford Bicentennials, based in Hartford, Connecticut, joined North America's top pro soccer league as an expansion team in 1975. The name looked ahead to the 1976 American bicentennial. Home games were played at Dillon Stadium, which the club shared with a local team from the American Soccer League. Bob Darling owned the club.
Manny Schellscheidt, hired from the Rhode Island Oceaneers, coached the first season. The team finished 6-16 in 1975 and drew about 3,700 fans a game. Charlie McCully and Mohammad Attiah arrived from the same Rhode Island club that Schellscheidt came from. In 1976 Bobby Thompson replaced Schellscheidt after a 2-3 start, and the team improved to 12-12. Crowds fell to about 3,400 a game. The club did not reach the playoffs in either Hartford season.
Gates stayed small, and the owner moved the team to New Haven after 1976. It played the 1977 season at the Yale Bowl as the Connecticut Bicentennials, going 7-19. The biggest crowd in club history, 17,302, came at the 1977 home opener against the New York club. Darling then sold the team, and it moved to Oakland, California, as the Oakland Stompers.