Calgary Kickers

The Kickers' genesis was a team formed in 1953 and represented Alberta inter-provincially several times including winning the 1974 Challenge Trophy and held exhibition matches against professional sides such as Edmonton Drillers.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Hx6RvaqUy9IC&dat=19830517&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=Ranger-Kickers spring into action|work=Calgary Herald Newspaper|first=Gyle |last=Konotopetz|date=May 17, 1983|accessdate=January 18, 2015}}

The Kickers joined the Canadian Soccer League as one of the inaugural franchises for the 1987 season.{{cite web|url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/canadian-soccer-league-1987-1992/|work=Fun While it Lasted|title=Canadian Soccer League (1987-1992)}}{{cite web|url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/ASHA/csl.html|title=Canadian Soccer League I|first=Dave|last=Litterer|work=Soccer History USA}} Prior to the 1987 season, the Kickers had sold more than 2,000 season tickets.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lKNlAAAAIBAJ&pg=1152%2C2829592|title=Soccer rebirth|page=F3|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun|first=Archie|last=MacDonald|date=February 26, 1987|access-date=January 18, 2015}} They opened their first preseason against English club Sheffield Wednesday.{{Cite web|url=https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e99e8_3335b58c197d45a7bd2813cd4614e084~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_455,h_606,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/0e99e8_3335b58c197d45a7bd2813cd4614e084~mv2.webp|title=Calgary Kickers - Edmonton Brick Men Game Program|date=1987|publisher=Calgary Kickers|website=CSL Memories}} They were sometimes known as the Metro Ford Kickers or Calgary Metro Ford Kickers, after the name of their team sponsor.

During the league's first season, Calgary finished with an 11–5–4 record to finish first in their division and the league, earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csl1987.ca/calgary-strikers-1987-89|title=Calgary Kickers/Strikers (1987-89)|work=CSL Memories}} In the playoffs, they defeated the Vancouver 86ers 4–3 in extra time, advancing to the finals where they defeated Hamilton to win the inaugural Mita Cup title. Nick Gilbert of the Kickers was the league's leading goal scorer and was named league Most Valuable Player.{{cite web|url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1987.html#CSL|title=The Year in American Soccer 1988|work=American Soccer History Archives|first=David|last=Litterer|date=December 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303113119/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1987.html#CSL|archive-date=March 3, 2009|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2019/10/26/1989-calgary-strikers/|title=1989 Calgary Strikers|first=Drew|last=Crossley|date=October 26, 2019|work=Fun While it Lasted}}

The Kickers' second season was less successful, falling to a 6–6–13 record, finishing third in the West division. In the first round of the playoffs, Calgary was defeated by the Winnipeg Fury. In 1988, Calgary also played each of the U.S. based Western Soccer Alliance teams, with these games counting in the WSA standings, even though Calgary was not a member of that league, but not counting towards the CSL standings.{{cite web|url=http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1988/1988wsa.htm|title=Western Soccer Alliance 1988 Season|work=A-League Archives|date=January 25, 2007|accessdate=May 22, 2014}} The team went through tremendous financial difficulty during the season, which included them trading 1987 league MVP Nick Gilbert to the Toronto Blizzard in exchange for a draft pick and cash. Following the 1988 season the team folded and the players were dispersed via a draft, as the Kickers succumbed to their financial problems.

In 1989, a new community owned team named the Calgary Strikers was founded to replace the Kickers. However, the team did not fare much better than their predecessors, playing to crowds of under a thousand people, and in July made a public appeal for 700 supporters to each contribute $200 to keep the club afloat financially, in order to complete the 1989 season. The club managed to finish the season, although they had stopped paying their players and remaining staff in August. By September, injuries and player availability due to the financial situation affected the team's results especially the final away game in which only twelve players traveled to the match.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} The team managed to finish third in the West Division, qualifying for the playoffs, where they were defeated by Edmonton in the first round. Following the season, the club folded,{{cite web|url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html#CSL|title=The Year in American Soccer 1989|work=American Soccer History Archives|first=David|last=Litterer|date=May 30, 2008|accessdate=May 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303113622/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html#CSL|archive-date=March 3, 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/soccer-profile|title=Soccer Profile|work=Cavalry FC}} despite a private individual who was rumored to be interested in operating the team in 1990 and who had fronted money for the community-owned team to be able to travel for the playoffs.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

as Calgary Kickers

as Calgary Strikers

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• {{flagicon|ENG}} Len Cantello
• {{flagicon|CAN}} John Catliff
• {{flagicon|CAN}} Barry Deardon
• {{flagicon|CAN}} Nick Gilbert
• {{flagicon|CAN}} Sven Habermann
• {{flagicon|CAN}} Greg Kern
• {{flagicon|USA}} Neil Megson
• {{flagicon|CAN}} David Norman
• {{flagicon|CAN}} David Phillips
• {{flagicon|SCO}} Andy Smith
• {{flagicon|IRE}} Joe Waters
• {{flagicon|CAN}} Gregor Young

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{{Reflist}}

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{{Succession box

| before = 1983 Edmonton Eagles

| title = League Champions of Canada

| years = 1987 (first title)

| after = 1988 Vancouver 86ers

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{{Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)}}

{{Soccer in Calgary}}

Category:Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) teams

Category:Defunct soccer clubs in Canada

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