View source for Los Angeles Wolves

{{Short description|Defunct American soccer club}}
{{About|the Los Angeles Wolves that played in the [[United Soccer Association]] in 1967 and the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] in 1968|the modern day team that plays in the [[United Premier Soccer League]] |L.A. Wolves FC}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox football club
| American = True
| clubname = Los Angeles Wolves
| image = 
| fullname = Los Angeles Wolves
| nickname = ''Wolves''
| founded = {{Start date and age|1966}}
| dissolved = {{Start date and age|1968}}
| stadium = [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Los Angeles Coliseum]] <br />[[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]]
| chairman = [[Jack Kent Cooke]]
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = [[Ronnie Allen]] (1967) <br /> [[Ray Wood]] (1968)
| pattern_la1 = _lawolvesh
| pattern_b1 = _lawolvesh
| pattern_ra1 = _lawolvesh
| leftarm1 = 999999
| body1 = 999999
| rightarm1 = 999999
| shorts1 = A4AAAC
| socks1 = A4AAAC
| pattern_la2 = _lawolvesa
| pattern_b2 = _lawolvesa
| pattern_ra2 = _lawolvesa
| leftarm2 = A4AAAC
| body2 = A4AAAC
| rightarm2 = A4AAAC
| shorts2 = A4AAAC
| socks2 = A4AAAC
}}

The '''Los Angeles Wolves''' were an American professional [[Association football|soccer]] team that played for two seasons. In 1967 they played in the [[United Soccer Association]], finishing as champions, and in [[1968 North American Soccer League season|1968]] they were founding members of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]].

==United Soccer Association==
In 1966 a group of [[Americans|American]] and [[Canadians|Canadian]] sports entrepreneurs, led by [[Jack Kent Cooke]],  formed the [[United Soccer Association]] with the intention of organizing a professional [[football (soccer)|soccer]] league. The USA originally intended to launch its league in the spring of 1968. However a rival league, the [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]], announced it was ready to launch in 1967. Not wanting to lose ground to its rival, the USA decided to fast track its launch. Without any players of its own, it opted to import whole teams from [[Europe]] and [[South America]]. It was intended that these teams would represent the franchises during the inaugural season, giving them time to build their own squads for the following season. [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]], who had won promotion to the [[Football League First Division|English First Division]] at the end of the [[1966-67 in English football#Second Division|1966–67]] season subsequently represented the [[Los Angeles]] franchise. Cooke had originally intended to call the team the Los Angeles Zorros, but when the agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers was made, it was decided to use their nickname of Wolves.
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Wolves played in the Western Division alongside [[San Francisco Golden Gate Gales]], [[Chicago Mustangs (1967–68)|Chicago Mustangs]], [[Houston Stars]], [[Vancouver Royal Canadians]] and [[Dallas Tornado]].  These teams were represented by [[ADO Den Haag]], [[Cagliari Calcio]], [[Bangu Atlético Clube|Bangu AC]], [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] and  [[Dundee United F.C.|Dundee United]]. Of the twelve teams in the league, Wolves with a team coached by [[Ronnie Allen]] and featuring [[Derek Dougan]], emerged as one of the strongest sides. After winning the Western Division, a flip of a coin gave them the right to host the championship play-off game against the Eastern Division champions, [[Washington Whips]], who were represented by [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]]. The match drew 17,824 to [[Los Angeles Coliseum]]. Wolves won the championship beating the Whips 6–5 after 36 minutes of extra-time. Four goals were scored within a 4-minute period midway through the second half and each team scored during extra time. The game was decided after Whips defender [[Ally Shewan]] scored an own goal.<ref>{{cite news|author=United Press International|author-link=United Press International|title=Wolves capture U.S. soccer title|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50F16F73C5B107B93C4A8178CD85F438685F9|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 16, 1967|page=152|access-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref>

==NASL==
In December 1967 the USA merged with the [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]] to form the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]]. As a result, Wolves became founding members of the new league. During the inaugural 1968 season Wolves played in the ''Pacific Division'' alongside the [[San Diego Toros]], [[Oakland Clippers]] and [[Vancouver Royals]]. With a team coached by [[Ray Wood]] and featuring  [[Carlos Metidieri]], but no [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] players, they failed to repeat the success of the previous season. After finishing third in their division, Wolves were one of several NASL franchises that folded after just one season. The idea of importing teams to represent franchises was revived during the [[1969 North American Soccer League season]] and [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] returned to the [[United States]], this time representing [[Kansas City Spurs]], and winning the NASL International Cup.

==Year-by-year==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!League
!W
!L
!T
!Pts
!Reg. season
!Playoffs
!Avg. attendance
|-
|[[United Soccer Association|1967]]
|USA
|5
|5
|2
|15
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st, Western Division
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|'''Champions'''
|7,777
|-
|[[1968 North American Soccer League season|1968]]
|NASL
|11
|8
|13
|139
|3rd, Pacific Division
|''did not qualify''
|2,441
|}

==Coaches==
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Ronnie Allen]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Ray Wood]]

==Players==
{|
|- style="vertical-align:top"	
||
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Mike Bailey (footballer)|Mike Bailey]] (M) (1967)<ref>[http://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Wolves_Rosters.htm USA NASL Los Angeles Wolves Rosters<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* {{flagicon|Peru}} {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jorge Benitez]] (F) (1968) 11 apps, 6 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[David Burnside (footballer)|David Burnside]] (M) (1967) 12 apps, 1 goal
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Danny Campbell (footballer, born 1944)|Danny Campbell]] (M) (1968) 32 apps, 1 goal
* {{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} [[Derek Dougan]] (F) (1967) 11 apps, 3 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Alun Evans]] (F) (1967)
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Graham Hawkins]] (D) (1967)
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Ernie Hunt]] (F) (1967) 10 apps, 4 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Tony Knapp]] (D) (1968) 30 apps, 1 goal
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Peter Knowles]] (F) (1967) 12 apps, 3 goals
* {{flagicon|Brazil}} {{flagicon|United States}} [[Carlos Metidieri]] (F) (1968) 32 apps, 16 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Phil Parkes (footballer born 1947)|Phil Parkes]] (GK) (1967) 7 apps.
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Gerry Taylor|Gerald Taylor]] (D) (1967)
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Bobby Thomson (footballer born 1943)|Bobby Thomson]] (D) (1967) 12 apps, 3 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Ray Veall]] (M) (1968) 31 apps, 4 goals
* {{flagicon|England}} [[David Wagstaffe]] (M) (1967) 10 apps.
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Terry Wharton]] (F) (1967) 10 apps.
* {{flagicon|England}} {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Les Wilson (soccer)|Les Wilson]] (D) (1967) 	
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Ray Wood]] (GK) (1968)
|}

==Legacy==
In 2014, the Wolves name was resurrected by a United Premier Soccer League team called the [[LA Wolves FC]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lasoccernews.com/amateur/amateur2.php?article_id=12595 |title=BRINGING BACK THE WOLVES LA club joins United Premier Soccer League |access-date=November 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205004339/http://www.lasoccernews.com/amateur/amateur2.php?article_id=12595 |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lawolves.com/press/ |title=Home {{!}} L.A. Wolves FC<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=November 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017230028/http://www.lawolves.com/press/ |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2023, the LA Wolves story was brought alive in ''1967: When LA Wolves Conquered The USA'', a documentary made as a collaboration between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Munidal (part of the FootballCo group).<ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Madeley |title=How Wolves conquered the USA, 56 years before Lionel Messi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4971754/2023/10/19/wolves-usa-la-wolves/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |date=October 19, 2023 |access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> The trailer of the film was released on 14 July 2023 to commemorate 56 years since the final. The final film was released in November 2023 and available on TNT in the UK, across the Discovery network in Europe and on NBC in the USA. It was also made available on the club’s official Wolves YouTube channel. The film was subsequently shortlisted for the Kicking & Screening Film festival in New York City in March 2024 and was also a finalist in the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film awards.

==See also==

*[[Los Angeles Toros]]
*[[Los Angeles Aztecs]]
*[[California Surf]]
*[[Los Angeles Salsa]]
*[[Los Angeles Skyhawks]]
*[[LA Galaxy]]
*[[Chivas USA]]
*[[L.A. Wolves FC]]
*[[Los Angeles FC]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* ''[https://tv.wolves.co.uk/player?nId=15428&eId=0_zpjkg8ek When LA Wolves conquered the USA]'' (Video/Documentary, 30 mins.), Wolves Studios in partnership with FootballCo and Mundial
*[http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dulyjs/strikers/nasl/la2.html Team stats A]
*[http://home.att.net/~nasl/teams/wolves.htm Team stats B]
*[http://home.att.net/~nasl/rosters/wolves.htm  List of LA Wolves players]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081014212415/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1966.html  1966 in American soccer]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081102062256/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html  1967 in American soccer]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090303113600/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1968.html  1968 in American soccer]
*[http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1969.html  1969 in American soccer]

{{Los Angeles Wolves}}
{{Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.}}
{{United Soccer Association (1967)}}
{{North American Soccer League (1968–84)}}

[[Category:Los Angeles Wolves| ]]
[[Category:Soccer clubs in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams]]
[[Category:Defunct soccer clubs in California]]
[[Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.]]
[[Category:United Soccer Association franchises]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1966]]
[[Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1968]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1968 disestablishments in California]]