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Winnipeg Fury

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Winnipeg Fury
Full nameThe Winnipeg Fury Soccer Club
Nickname(s)The Fury
Founded1987
Dissolved1993
StadiumUniversity Stadium (Univ of Manitoba)
Winnipeg Stadium
CapacityUniversity Stadium – 5,000
Winnipeg Stadium – 32,946
OwnerRalph Cantafio
LeagueCSL (1987–1992)
CNSL (1993)

The Winnipeg Fury were a professional soccer team in Winnipeg, Canada. The team was part of the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1992. They were one of four teams to participate in every season of the CSL.[1] In 1993, they played in the Canadian National Soccer League.

History

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The Fury were founded by Ralph Cantafio, who served as team president and chairman of the board.[2] The club served as the first iteration of professional soccer in the province of Manitoba.[3]

Debuting in the inaugural 1987 CSL season, the Fury struggled winning only five of their twenty games, finishing last in their division.[4] They improved in their second season, qualifying for the playoffs, defeating Calgary in the first round, before falling to eventual champions Vancouver.[4]

After some up and down years, the Fury won the CSL Championship in 1992, defeating the four-time defending champion Vancouver 86ers over the two-game series, by a 3–1 aggregate score (2–0 in the first leg in Vancouver, followed by a 1–1 draw at home,[5] Prior to the win in the first leg, the club had lost every match they had played in Vancouver.[5] They won the title despite having started the 1992 season poorly, where they were sitting in last place with a record of 3–1–10 with only three weeks remaining in the regular season, before winning 5 of their final 6 league matches to qualify for the playoffs.[6] The league folded following the season, resulting in the team being the league's final champions of the Mita Cup.[5][7] The 1992 Fury team was inducted into the Manitoba Hall of Fame in 2008, donating the Mita Cup trophy to the Hall.[8]

Following the folding of the CSL after the 1992 season, the Fury joined the Canadian National Soccer League for the 1993 season, although much of their roster from the previous season had departed the club.[9][5] The club disbanded following the season, marking the end of professional soccer in Winnipeg for 26 years.[10][11][12] The Fury were one of only four teams to participate in every season of the CSL.[13]

Soccer returned to Winnipeg in 2011, with WSA Winnipeg joining the pre-professional Professional Development League (PDL).[14] Professional soccer returned to the city in 2019, with Valour FC joining the new Canadian Premier League.[11] In 2024, Valour paid homage to the Fury, unveiling their primary kit (The Fury Kit) which featured the two maroon stripes from the Fury jersey.[15][16]

Seasons

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Season Tier League Record Rank Playoffs Ref
1987 1 Canadian Soccer League 5–4–11 4th, West Did not qualify [17]
1988 9–7–12 2nd, West Semi-Finals
1989 6–7–13 4th, West Did not qualify
1990 7–8–11 4th, East Did not qualify
1991 4–6–18 8th Did not qualify
1992 8–1–11 3rd Champions
1993 2 Canadian National Soccer League 4–1–11 9th, West Did not qualify [18]

Notable players

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References

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  1. ^ "Canadian Soccer League (1987-1992)". Fun While it Lasted.
  2. ^ "Ralph Cantafio". The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014.
  3. ^ "History". Manitoba Soccer Association.
  4. ^ a b "Winnipeg Fury (1987-92)". CSL Memories.
  5. ^ a b c d "1992 Winnipeg Fury". Manitoba Hall of Fame.
  6. ^ "1991 CSL Stats" (PDF). Canadian Soccer League.
  7. ^ Nesker, Jeffrey P. (February 13, 2020). "A dive into the lifestyle of Winnipeg/Valour FC supporters group: Red River Rising". Waking The Red.
  8. ^ Prest, Ashley (November 7, 2008). "Winnipeg Fury champions, trophy to make last visit to soccer pitch". Winnipeg Free Press.
  9. ^ "New league". NewspaperArchive.com. Medicine Hat News. 1993-01-07. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  10. ^ "Winnipeg Fury". TheCNSL.
  11. ^ a b Friesen, Paul (June 6, 2018). "Pro soccer back in the 'Peg". Winnipeg Sun.
  12. ^ Brohman, Erin (May 7, 2017). "Winnipeg soccer fans cheer on news of pro team". CBC.
  13. ^ Tait, Ed (June 8, 2024). ""Some of the best moments in my life came because of that league and that team."". Valour FC.
  14. ^ "WSA Winnipeg Joins PDL". Premier Development League. December 13, 2010. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  15. ^ Tait, Ed (April 5, 2024). "Valour FC unveil 2024 home and alternate kits". Canadian Premier League.
  16. ^ Jacques, John (April 4, 2024). "Valour Pays Tribute To Sporting, Indigenous History With New CPL Kits". Northern Tribune.
  17. ^ "Canadian Soccer League Standings Archive". Canada Soccer History Archives.
  18. ^ "Winnipeg Fury". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
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