Hamilton White Eagles was a soccer club based in Hamilton, Ontario. The club was formed in 1990 and competed in the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). After a single season in the CNSL, the White Eagles departed and became a member of the Canadian International Soccer League (CISL). Though they returned to the CNSL for the 1997 season, but were suspended and ceased operations at the conclusion of the season.
| Full name | Hamilton White Eagles |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Dissolved | 1997 |
| Stadium | Brian Timmis Stadium Hamilton, Ontario |
| League | Canadian National Soccer League |
Hamilton played their home matches at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario.
History
editThe reemergence of professional soccer in Hamilton occurred in 1995 when the Hamilton White Eagles were granted a franchise in the Canadian National Soccer League.[1] The White Eagles represented the Serbian community in the Hamilton–Wentworth region.[2] The Hamilton Steelers previously represented Hamilton originally in the National Soccer League, and later in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) until the 1991 season.[1][3] The team was coached by Lucio Bravo, and the roster consisted of a mixture of imports from Yugoslavia, and local young players.[1][4] Goran Beader was initially appointed the team captain, but later was replaced by Sasa Vukovic.[5] The White Eagles failed to make an impact in their debut season as they struggled in assembling a consistent squad, which resulted in the team finishing at the bottom of the standings.[6]
The following season Hamilton joined the Canadian International Soccer League (CISL).[7] The White Eagles' entry into the CISL reignited the noted Toronto Croatia-Serbia derby as Toronto Croatia was a club member, which in one instance caused a riot in the parking lot of Brian Timmis Stadium between both supporters in one of their derby matches.[8][9][10] In response, the league and club officials increased the amount of security in future matches.[2] The club managed to finish first in the league cup standings.[7] In 1997, the CISL merged with the CNSL which resulted in Hamilton returning to play in the 1997 CNSL season.[11][12]
Their return to the CNSL concluded in a controversial matter as Hamilton was suspended for the last half of the season.[13] The primary reason for their suspension revolved around the failure of club officials to instill disciplinary actions toward the team as the White Eagles continually harassed the match officials.[13] After an emergency league meeting, the owners approved a revised schedule and the suspension of Hamilton for the remainder of the season.[14] The team failed to return to the professional scene the following season.[15]
Head coaches
edit
|
Seasons
edit| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Canadian National Soccer League | 6 | 1–1–7 | 6th | – | [16] | ||
| 1996 | Canadian International Soccer League | 6 | 5–6–4 | 4th | – | [7] | ||
| 1997 | Canadian National Soccer League | suspended from competition | ||||||
References
edit- ^ a b c Brown, Stewart (May 27, 1995). "White Eagles to fly in professional league". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
- ^ a b Nolan, Dan (August 17, 1996). "Crowd to be separated at Serb-Croat soccer game". Hamilton Spectator. p. C2.
- ^ "The pros brought promise that never came to fruition". Hamilton Soccer. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1993 to 1997" (PDF). canadiansoccerleague.ca. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Stewart (August 25, 1995). "White Eagles play host to London City squad". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
- ^ Brown, Stewart (September 23, 1995). "White Eagles eager to put sorry season behind them". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
- ^ a b c McGill, Aldwyn. Aldwynable - Vintage Midget. Star Soccer Review. p. 89.
- ^ Herron, Shaun (June 25, 1996). "Bad blood sparks row : Violence explodes at Brian Timmis soccer meeting". Hamilton Spectator. p. B1.
- ^ "Violence erupts at soccer game". Hamilton Spectator. June 24, 1996. p. B2.
- ^ Da Costa, Norman (June 22, 1996). "Rivals bury hatchet on the pitch". Toronto Star. p. B1.
- ^ Jeanneret, Mark (April 19, 1997). "Soccer: CNSL picks up three teams". St. Catharines Standard. p. C3.
- ^ Da Costa, Norman (May 28, 1997). "CNSL AT 76". Toronto Star. p. B13.
- ^ a b Jeanneret, Mark (August 14, 1997). "Two teams given the boot". St. Catharines Standard. p. C1.
- ^ Jeanneret, Mark (August 16, 1997). "White Eagles, Talons officially suspended; Wolves near title". St. Catharines Standard. p. D3.
- ^ Dickins, Jeff (August 7, 1998). "Lynx prowl into Hamilton". Hamilton Spectator. p. F7.
- ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1995 Season Summary | SoccerStats.us". soccerstats.us. Retrieved 2021-01-18.