St. Petersburg Kickers

St. Pete Kickers FC

Full name	St. Petersburg Kickers FC
Nickname(s)	Kickers FC
Founded	1957
Stadium	Ed Radice Sports Complex
General Manager	George Fotopoulos
League	Florida Suncoast Soccer League

The St. Petersburg Kickers FC are an amateur American soccer team from St. Petersburg, Florida that compete in the Florida Suncoast Soccer League (FSSL). They are notable as the first team from Florida to win the U.S. Open Cup.

History

Founded by Kurt Herbach in 1957, the Kickers won their first national title, the Over-30 championship, in 1967. By 1989, the team had won eleven Florida Suncoast Soccer League championships and four Florida State Cups.^[1] The club's most prestigious victory came on the national stage winning the 1989 National Challenge Cup (now known as US Open Cup).^[2]

In 1997, the team moved to Land o' Lakes, Florida, eventually taking the name of Florida Kickers FC. That year the club won both the National Amateur Cup and the National Over-30 championship. In 2008, it won its third national amateur championship.^[3]

Honors

• National Challenge Cup winners: 1 (1989)
• National Amateur Cup winners: 3 (1990, 1997, 2008)
• National Amateur Cup runners-up: 1 (2003)
• Participations in CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1990

Coaches

• Steve Gogas (1972-)
• Chris McMaster
• Wim Suurbier (1994)

Notable players

• Fred Armstrong
• Derek Backman
• Matt Clare
• Garth Pollonais
• Andrew Restrepo
• Joey Valenti
• Tanner Wolfe
• J.P. Reyes

References

1. Mixed and matched // St. Petersburg Kickers put many personalities into one national power
2. "1989 US Open Cup results". TheCup.us. 10 July 1989.
3. "LOL Soccer Team Wins National Title". Tampa Bay Online. 27 August 2008.

External links

• Florida Suncoast Soccer League