In 1978, Cincinnati was at the forefront of a new sport or, more accurately, a new version of an old sport as the Kids indoor soccer team debuted. They were charter members of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), but at the end of that first season, the team folded. The MISL went on to become quite popular as some teams experienced better attendance than the NHL and NBA teams with which they shared arenas. However, it would be 17 years before Cincinnati fielded another indoor soccer team.
Starting in Dayton
In 1995, the Dayton Dynamo of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) moved south to Cincinnati and was renamed the Silverbacks. The team’s new name was inspired by the popular silverback gorillas at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. After playing in three different arenas in Dayton, the renamed club settled into the Cincinnati Gardens bringing indoor soccer back to the Queen City for the first time since 1979.
The NPSL was formed in 1984, at the height of the sport's popularity, as the American Indoor Soccer Association. It intended to be a farm system of sorts for the MISL. In 1992, the MISL went out of business, and the NPSL, though it was struggling, became the top-level league in the sport.
In their first season in the Queen City, the team finished with 14 wins against 26 losses as they averaged just over 3,700 fans a game. The following season, they improved to 21 and 19 but drew fewer fans. The team made it to the conference semifinals where they lost to the Hershey Impact. They moved to the Crown (formerly Riverfront Coliseum, now Heritage Bank Center), for the 1997-98 season.
Moving downtown
Attendance increased to an average of 4,900 fans per game downtown, but that was still second-worst in the league. On the carpet, the team finished with 15-25, still good enough to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team lost in the opening round to the Harrisburg Heat.
Even though the team was becoming more popular, they played third banana, as it were, to the very popular Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team, as well as concerts and other events at the Crown. That left very few Friday and Saturday night dates for the Silverbacks. A move back to the Gardens wasn’t an option as the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American hockey league had taken up residence there.
Final days
In August of 1998, the team’s ownership transferred back to the last group in Dayton to own the team, the Miami Valley Soccer Limited Partnership, but there were no plans for the team to return to the Gem City. The team folded for good before the start of the 1998-99 season.
It’s strange to think that in soccer-mad Cincinnati, the indoor game never took hold. The Cincinnati Kings indoor team was established in 2008 and played at the GameTime Training Center in Fairfield. They played in the Professional Arena Soccer League, now called the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). The Kings folded in 2013.
With the rise in popularity of outdoor soccer, it is unlikely the indoor version will ever be as popular as it was in the 1980s. The MASL is now the top-level league in the sport, but most of its cubs play in smaller arenas, its 17 teams drawing an average of around 2,500 fans a game.
68 comments
Olivia Stephen
Do you need a quick love spells to return your ex-lover back?
Everything I’m going to suggest for you is what I’ve seen breathe new life into broken marriages for thousands of women in your distressing situation—and what I did to revitalize my own broken marriage. I was heart broken when my husband left me and moved to California to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. I tried to be strong just for the kids but I could not control the pains that tormented my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because I was really in love with my husband. I have tried many options but he did not come back, until i met a friend that directed me to Dr. Excellent a spell caster, who helped me to bring back my husband after 11hours. Me and my husband are living happily together again, This man is powerful, Contact Dr. Excellent for any kind of spiritual problems or any kind of spell or relationship problems he is capable of making things right for you with no side effect. Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail.com , His website:https://lovespellonline.godaddysites.com
Haris
I am very excited after getting my personal loan to buy a car from WESTLAKE LOAN after being cheated twice by fake lenders, to God almighty I was introduced to WEST-LAKE by a colleague who also got a loan for his business expansion and to my biggest surprise I got a loan of 65,000 Euro today.
I encourage all of you in need of a loan to contact West lake via email for a loan application: Loanwestlake@gmail.com
telegram___https://t.me/loan59
Corie Johnson
Hello my name is Corie Johnson from USA I want to tell the world about the great and mighty spell caster called PRIEST ELIJAH my husband was cheating on me and no longer committed to me and our kids when I asked him what the problem was he told me he has fell out of love for me and wanted a divorce I was so heartbroken I cried all day and night but he left home I was looking for something online when I saw an article how the great and powerful PRIEST ELIJAH have helped so many in a similar situation like mine he email address was there so I sent him an email telling him about my problem he told me he shall return back to me within 24hrs I did everything he asked me to do the nest day to my greatest surprise my husband came back home and was crying and begging for me to forgive and accept him back he can also help you contact
universalspellhelp@gmail.com or universalspellhelp@yahoo.com
WhatsApp/Text [+2347054380994]
Website: https://universalspellhelp.wixsite.com/priestelijah
Corie Johnson
Hello my name is Corie Johnson from USA I want to tell the world about the great and mighty spell caster called PRIEST ELIJAH my husband was cheating on me and no longer committed to me and our kids when I asked him what the problem was he told me he has fell out of love for me and wanted a divorce I was so heartbroken I cried all day and night but he left home I was looking for something online when I saw an article how the great and powerful PRIEST ELIJAH have helped so many in a similar situation like mine he email address was there so I sent him an email telling him about my problem he told me he shall return back to me within 24hrs I did everything he asked me to do the nest day to my greatest surprise my husband came back home and was crying and begging for me to forgive and accept him back he can also help you contact
universalspellhelp@gmail.com or universalspellhelp@yahoo.com
WhatsApp/Text [+2347054380994]
Website: https://universalspellhelp.wixsite.com/priestelijah
KIARA HAHN
How I Got My Ex Back with the Help of a Spell Caster +2349161779461
Hello everyone, my name is Kiara Hahn from California. I want to share my story about a powerful spell caster named Dr. Jakuta. I was heartbroken when my fiancé left me without warning, and I spent the last month feeling confused, guilty, and devastated. Desperate for help, I searched online for relationship advice and found Dr. Jakuta, who has helped many people with their relationship problems. I reached out to him, and he promised to bring my fiancé back to me within 72 hours. After following his instructions, my fiancé surprisingly showed up at my doorstep, apologized, and now we’re living happily together again. If you’re having relationship issues, you can contact Dr. Jakuta at:
Email: doctorjakutaspellcaster24@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +2349161779461
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.