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Edmonton Brick Men

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Edmonton Brick Men
Founded1985
Dissolved1990
StadiumJohn Ducey Park
Clarke Stadium
CoachRoss Ongaro
LeagueWestern Soccer Alliance
Canadian Soccer League

The Edmonton Brick Men (also Edmonton Brickmen) were a Canadian soccer team in Edmonton, Alberta that competed in the Canadian Soccer League and the Western Soccer Alliance. During their time in the WSA and the CSL, the team played at both John Ducey Park and Clarke Stadium for their matches.[1] The choice of John Ducey Park was due in part to the sharing of costs with the Edmonton Trappers.[citation needed]

History

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The Edmonton Brick Men were formed in 1985 to fill the void for professional soccer in the city after the Edmonton Drillers of the NASL had folded in 1982[2] and the Edmonton Eagles of the Canadian Professional Soccer League folded in 1983.[3][4] The club was owned by Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington (who previously owned the Drillers) with seed money provided by the Edmonton-based furniture company, The Brick Warehouse, for whom the club was named after, with the logo using the same font for the word Brick as the furniture retailer.[1] The Brick Men were known for giving local players an opportunity, which helped to launch the early careers of several future Canada national team players.[5]

In 1985, while not formally part of the league, they participated in the 1985 Western Alliance Challenge Series where teams from the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) played a match against either the Brick Men or the Canada national team, with those matches counting towards the standings.[6] The Brick Men played eight games in total in 1985, with a record of four wins, three draws, and a single loss against Dundee FC of the Scottish Premier Division.[7] The next year, they joined the WSA as an official league franchise for the 1986 season.[2] They finished in last place in the seven-team league with a 3–3–8 record, with the record including two matches against Manchester City and Dundee FC.[8] Despite the poor performance that year, their attendance was reasonable, ranging between 3000 and 4000 spectators per game.[citation needed]

After the 1986 season, the Brick Men departed the WSA to join the new Canadian Soccer League for its inaugural season.[2] In their inaugural CSL match on June 7, 1987, they were defeated by the Vancouver 86ers by a score of 4–2.[9] In their first season, they posted a 7–7–6 record, to finish in third place in the West Division, before falling to Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs.[1]

In their second season in the CSL, they struggled, winning only 4 of their 28 matches to finish last in their division and the league.[1][2] They bounced back in 1989, finishing second in their division, qualifying for the playoffs, where they won their first playoff series, defeating provincial rivals Calgary in the first round, before being trounced by Vancouver 9–3 on aggregate (5–3 and 4–0 losses) in the semi-finals.[1][2]

In 1990, the club once again failed to make the playoffs, after finishing last in their four-team division.[1] The club folded following the 1990 season.[10]

Seasons

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Season Tier League Record Rank Playoffs Ref
1986 1 (US) Western Soccer Alliance 3–3–8 7th – [11]
1987 1 Canadian Soccer League 7–7–6 3rd, West Quarter-finals [12]
1988 4–5–19 4th, West Did not qualify
1989 9–3–14 2nd, West Semi-finals
1990 6–14–6 4th, West Did not qualify

Notable players

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Edmonton Brickmen (1987-90)". CSL Memories.
  2. ^ a b c d e Crossley, Drew (January 14, 2018). "1985-1990 Edmonton Brickmen". Fun While it Lasted.
  3. ^ "LCRV - Episode 168". Loyal Company of the River Valley (Podcast). November 15, 2018. Event occurs at 33:35. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Huntley, E.J. 73 Days - The Story of the Canadian Professional Soccer League. Kindle.
  5. ^ "Soccer Profile". FC Edmonton.
  6. ^ "Western Alliance Challenge Series - 1985 Season". A-League Archives. January 25, 2007.
  7. ^ Beckett, Brad (1986). The History of Soccer in Alberta. Alberta Soccer Association. p. 70.
  8. ^ "Western Alliance Challenge Series - 1986 Season". A-League Archives. January 25, 2007.
  9. ^ "This day in history, presented by BMO: Vancouver 86ers play first-ever match". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. June 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Feraco, Noah (May 8, 2019). "FC Edmonton are back and this time they're here to stay". Away from the Numbers.
  11. ^ "Edmonton Brickmen". Canada Soccer History Archives.
  12. ^ "Canadian Soccer League Standings Archive". Canada Soccer History Archives.
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