See Chapter 1 HERE. Enormous thanks to San Diego Loyal SC SuperFan Glenn Maddock for this guest post. Imagine it's 1976...Jerry Ford is Pre
See Chapter 1 HERE.
Enormous thanks to San Diego Loyal SC SuperFan Glenn Maddock for this guest post.
![](https://www.soccernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sdjaws-640x339.png)
Imagine it’s 1976…Jerry Ford is President, It’s the Bicentennial year. You’re listening to the Eagles, Queen and KC & The Sunshine Band on the radio. The Padres host the All Star Game, but finish 5th. Gas is .60 cents/gal.
San Diego and SoCal coaching legend, John Napier, is there! Top row, second to the right.
![](https://www.soccernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/nasl-640x445.png)
Finally another new pro soccer club hits SD. The NASL San Diego Jaws!
- The Jaws were literally named after the hit movie. Not unlike the movie-themed name Chicago Sting in the NASL
- The Jaws had started 2 years earlier as the Baltimore Comets (see photo below).
- Owner Ken Keegan, of the San Jose Earthquakes, wanted another club in California. So he bought the broke Comets, and moved them to SD.
- The Baltimore club was so sketchy they got evicted from Orioles Stadium for not paying rent.
- The Jaws would play on the grass field of SDSU’s Aztec Bowl Stadium. Which is still there, next to Viejas Arena.
- The Jaws also played major exhibition matches at old Balboa Stadium (vs Cosmos) and Southwestern College (vs Mexico).
- The Jaws drew 18,000 for the match vs Pele and his Cosmos. A 1-1 draw.
- One of the first great American goalkeepers, Alan Mayer, of the USMNT, survived & thrived for all 4 versions of this franchise.
- The Jaws had about 8 Americans on the roster.
- The Jaws introduced the famous blue & gold kit that would dominate SD soccer for decades. But they only wore it on the road!
- The Jaws were 9-15, and couldn’t score much. Their leading scorer had 5 goals.
- The Jaws averaged about 6,000, which was a decent NASL crowd in 1976.
- Owner Keegan was disappointed and thought he could do better in Las Vegas.
- He moved the club in 1977 to become the Las Vegas Quicksilvers. They don’t do much better playing on hot AstroTurf in the Vegas heat.
- Keegan decides to sell the club to San Diego’s Bob Bell.
- In 1978 Bell moves the club back to SD, and renames them……
- The Sockers! (Which will lead us to chapter 3)
![](https://www.soccernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/soccer1974-640x423.png)
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