In the summer of 1981, sports fans in Chicago were searching for something to do, somewhere to go, someone to root for. There was no baseball due to a strike. So instead fans flocked to Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park to watch another game - soccer. Fans came out in great numbers to see what the Chicago Sting was all about.
"Soccer became an extremely popular sport," former Sting midfielder Mark Simanton said. "People wanted something to do. It was a successful run and we had a great following."
At the end of the adventure, it was worth it for all involved as the Sting captured its first Soccer Bowl championship on Sept. 26 with a 1-0 shootout victory over the New York Cosmos.
"Obviously it's a great thrill to think that people remember the 1981 championship. It's a great thrill for the Fire to recognize us," said Chicago Sting owner and chairman Lee Stern. "The Fire is bringing back 17 of our 18 players. Twenty-five years is a long time. We had a great run. We began arrangements to bring in the Cosmos, but they chickened out. It was a wonderful team that is still highly respected."
On Sept. 17, 2006, soccer fans will have a chance to relive the memories as the Chicago Fire will turn back the clock at Toyota Park and commemorate the champions. The Chicago Fire and D.C. United will take the field at 3 p.m. CT, with the game airing live on ESPN2.
"Not only did the Chicago soccer community support us, but the whole city of Chicago," former coach Willy Roy said. "Chicago was hungry for a championship. It was an outstanding time for all of us. We turned it into a nice family affair. It showed when 39,000 fans came to see us play."
All 17 members of the Sting are scheduled to be on hand for the event, including players from Germany and Haiti. A local dance group will pay homage to the Honey Bees and entertain fans at halftime. Howard Balston will be the announcer. Nancy Faust will play the organ. There will be music played from 1981. The Fire hope to take fans back to the time of the first soccer championship to come to Chicago.
"Chicago has the greatest fans, but they like winners," former Sting midfielder Rudy Glenn, who scored the winning goal in the 1981 Soccer Bowl championship, said. "When we won we got followers. We had over 10,000 fans waiting for us at the airport after the championship."
The fun didn't stop there. Chicago hosted a parade to honor its newest champion. The Sting went on to capture its second NASL title in 1984. But the 1981 team left everyone with special memories.
"The 1981 team was the toughest that I had ever played on," Glenn said. "To reach that level as a high as an athlete doesn't happen often."
Mark Stein was a locker boy for the Sting back in 1981. He said it helped mold him into who he is today.
"Growing up, I was a huge soccer fan," Stein said. "I was thrust into this situation which was better than being a bat boy for the Cubs. I got to hang out with my heroes. I learned the game from those guys."
Stein still carries those memories with him.
"This was bigger than anything at that time," Stein said. "When the Sting won, every player was a character. Pato Margetic had the long blond hair and dribbled all day long. Karl-Heinz Granitza had the best left foot out there. Everyone knew who the players were. It was incredible being a part of it."
Fire CEO and president John Guppy said they wanted to remind Chicago fans where it all began.
"As a young team, we don't have a long history," Guppy said. "But soccer in Chicago does. This event means a lot to fans in Chicago. A lot of people remember it passionately."
Prior to the Fire game, the 1981 championship team will take the field for an intra-squad "Legends" game. The team will also be recognized at halftime.
Chicagoland will come together for the event, including media outlets such as WLUP 97.9. The Loop is a co-sponsor of the event and will provide the soundtrack for the evening, including hits from Adam and the Ants, The Go-Go's and Duran Duran.
