Hamilton White Eagles
| Full name | Hamilton White Eagles |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Dissolved | 1997 |
| Stadium | Brian Timmis Stadium Hamilton, Ontario |
| League | Canadian National Soccer League |
Hamilton White Eagles was a soccer club based in Hamilton, Ontario. The club was formed in 1995 and competed in the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). After a single season in the CNSL the White Eagles departed and became a member in 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.
Hamilton played their home matches at Brian Timmis Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario.
History
The 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] The team was coached Lucio Bravo, and the roster consisted of a mixture of imports from Yugoslavia, and local young players.[1][3] Goran Beader was initially appointed the team captain, but later was replaced by Sasa Vukovic.[4] The White Eagled 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.[5]
The following season Hamilton joined the Canadian International Soccer League (CISL).[6] The White Eagles entry into the CISL resumed 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.[7][8][9] 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.[6] In 1997, the CISL merged with the CNSL which resulted in Hamilton returning to play in the 1997 CNSL season.[10][11]
Their return to the CNSL concluded in a controversial matter as Hamilton was suspended for the last half of the season.[12] 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.[12] After an emergency league meeting the ownership approved of a revised schedule and the suspension of Hamilton for the remainder of the season.[13] The team failed to return to the professional scene the following season.[14]
Seasons
| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Canadian National Soccer League | 6 | 1–1–7 | 6th | – | [15] | ||
| 1996 | Canadian International Soccer League | 6 | 5–6–4 | 4th | – | [6] | ||
| 1997 | Canadian National Soccer League | suspensioned from competition | ||||||
References
- ^ a b c Brown, Stewart (May 27, 1995). "White Eagles to fly in professional league". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Nolan, Dan (August 17, 1996). "Crowd to be separated at Serb-Croat soccer game". Hamilton Spectator. p. C2.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1993 to 1997" (PDF). canadiansoccerleague.ca. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Brown, Stewart (August 25, 1995). "White Eagles play host to London City squad". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Brown, Stewart (September 23, 1995). "White Eagles eager to put sorry season behind them". Hamilton Spectator. p. C5.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ 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.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Violence erupts at soccer game". Hamilton Spectator. June 24, 1996. p. B2.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Da Costa, Norman (June 22, 1996). "Rivals bury hatchet on the pitch". Toronto Star. p. B1.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Jeanneret, Mark (April 19, 1997). "Soccer: CNSL picks up three teams". St. Catharines Standard. p. C3.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Da Costa, Norman (May 28, 1997). "CNSL AT 76". Toronto Star. p. B13.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Jeanneret, Mark (August 14, 1997). "Two teams given the boot". St. Catharines Standard. p. C1.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Jeanneret, Mark (August 16, 1997). "White Eagles, Talons officially suspended; Wolves near title". St. Catharines Standard. p. D3.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Dickins, Jeff (August 7, 1998). "Lynx prowl into Hamilton". Hamilton Spectator. p. F7.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Canadian National Soccer League 1995 Season Summary | SoccerStats.us". soccerstats.us. Retrieved 2021-01-18.