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July 3, 2025

1972 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’72 World Series champions the Oakland Athletics, & AL and NL Stats Leaders.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball-1972 MLB season,Retro maps — admin @ 9:04 pm

mlb_1972_map-of-mlb-1972_24-teams_ws-champions-oakland-athletics_1972-mlb-attendances_1972-mlb-stats-leaders_post_f_.gif"
1972 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’72 World Series champions the Oakland A’s, & AL and NL Stats Leaders



By Bill Turianski on the 3rd of July 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1972 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1972 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1972 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1972 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1972 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).

    1972 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1972 attendances, featuring the 1972 World Series champions: the Oakland Athletics.

This is my sixth in a series. Here are links to the first five posts in this series:
1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.
1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos and Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets.
1970 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions: the Baltimore Orioles.
1971 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1971 World Series champions: the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The map.
The map shows the locations of the 24 MLB teams of 1972. On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their 1972 jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1972, and home average attendance in ’72). All the jersey-logos are from photos of the old jerseys (see 24 photo credits at the foot of this post).

The jersey-logo: sized to reflect that team’s 1972 average attendance. The larger the jersey-logo, the higher their attendance. Any other logos on the team’s uniforms in 1972 are also shown. Specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 8 of such in 1972…The Braves [in two styles: feather-logo on blue jersey from 1972-79; feather-logo on white jersey from 1972-75]. The White Sox [Gothic 'Sox'-script-over-white-sock-in-red-circle, in Chicago's 1971 to '75 colors of red-white-powder blue]. The Angels [scarlet-state-of-California-with-halo-on-top logo, 1970-82]. The Astros [simplified Astrodome-with-orbiting-balls logo, 1972 only]. The Cubs [modified blue-bear-cub-with-tan-face logo, 1972-78]. The Royals [Royals'-shield-in-circle logo, 1971-92]. The Mets [Metro-NY-skyline-with-bridge logo, 1962-63; 1966-68; 1970-81; 1993-2011; 2014-25]. The Twins [Twin-smiling-heads-over-river-and-bridge logo, 1972 only].

1972 Team Average Attendance: shown at the right-hand side of the map-page. In 1972, for the fourth straight year, the best-drawing MLB team was the New York Mets, who drew 27.3-K per game at the then-9-year-old Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, NY. This was during the peak years of the New York Mets outdrawing the then-moribund New York Yankees: 1972 was the third-straight year that the Mets were drawing double that of the Yankees (Mets at 27.3-K-per-game, the Yankees at a meager 12.5-K). From the mid-Sixties to the mid-Seventies, the Mets ended up outdrawing the Yankees for 12 seasons (1964 to ’75). Second-best drawing ball club in 1972 was the Los Angeles Dodgers again, at 24.8-K-per-game.

Two other teams drew above 20-K per game in 1972: the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds. Drawing 19 K per game were the 11-year-old Houston Astros, who had their best season at that point, with 84 wins. There was an alarming amount of teams that had poor attendance in ’72…8 teams drew under 10-K per game: Atlanta, California, Kansas City, the brand new Texas Rangers (see further below), San Francisco, Cleveland, San Diego, and Milwaukee. With the exception of Cleveland, every one of those teams was either a relocated franchise, and/or a relatively new franchise.

1972 was the last season that MLB cumulatively drew below 15,000 per game. The peak of MLB attendance at that point had been in 1966 (15.5-K-per-game/LA Dodgers over Baltimore in WS). In 1971, MLB drew 15.0-K-per-game; then in 1972 the league’s attendance dipped almost 500 per game down to 14.5 K. Attendance rebounded in 1973, up almost one thousand per game, to 15.4 K. There were two more seasons of 15-K-per-game, and then Major League Baseball never looked back – crowds steadily increased through the next 4 seasons, from 1976 to 1979. In 1979, MLB finally broke the 20,000 per game attendance mark. {Data: Major League Miscellaneous Year-by-Year Averages and Totals (baseball-reference.com).}

Franchise re-location. The 13-year-old Washington Senators (II), who drew 8.0-K in 1971, departed the nation’s capital after the 1971 season, and moved to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, as the Texas Rangers (est. 1972). On the map-page here, I have shown the 1972-franchise-shift of Washington Senators (II) to Texas Rangers, using a long pale-gray line-segment with arrows pointing to their new location in Arlington, Texas.

1972 MLB champions, the Oakland Athletics: at the top of the map-page are photos of the 12 players on the ’72 A’s with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Dick Williams (HoF). Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Joe Rudi (LF), Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter (RHP & HoF), Reggie Jackson (CF/RF & HoF), Sal Bando (3B), Bert Campaneris (SS), Mike Epstein (1B), Ken Holtzman (LHP), Darold Knowles (LHP), John ‘Blue Moon’ Odom (RHP), Rollie Fingers (RHP & HoF), Ángel Mangual (OF/PH).

1972 MLB Statistical Leaders: Shown at the foot of the map. (In both the American League and the National League.) Leaders in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post. Members of the Hall of Fame that were statistical leaders in 1972: Steve Carlton (Phillies LHP & ’72 NL Cy Young). Gaylord Perry (Indians RHP). Rod Carew (Twins 2B). Billy Williams (Cubs LF/1B). Dick Allen (White Sox 1B/3B &’72 AL MVP). Johnny Bench (Reds C & ’72 NL MVP). Joe Morgan (Reds 2B).




    1972 World Series: the Oakland A’s defeat the Cincinnati Reds in 7 games

The Reds had been in the World Series two years previous (in 1970, when they lost to the Orioles in 5 games). At this point in their history, the Cincinnati Reds had won 2 World Series titles (1919, 1940), and 4 National League pennants (last in 1970). Like several MLB teams at the time, the Cincinnati Reds had recently moved into a dual-purpose concrete stadium (Riverfront Stadium, opened June 1970, capacity 51,500 for baseball, which the Reds shared with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals). The Reds of 1972 had the nucleus of their championship teams of 1975 and ’76, including C Johnny Bench, 2B Joe Morgan, LF Pete Rose, and LHP Don Gullett…a lineup that came to be known as “the Big Red Machine”. In 1972, the Reds went 95-59 and won the NL West with ease. In the playoffs, the Reds beat the reigning champions and the team with the best record in ’72, the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 2.

The Oakland Athletics, est. 1968, and better known as the A’s, were making their first World Series appearance. But as a franchise, the ball club, originally located on the East Coast in Philadelphia, was making its first World Series appearance since 1930. The Philadelphia Athletics existed from 1901 to 1954, and had won 5 World Series titles (last in 1930), and had won 11 American League pennants (last in 1931). All the Athletics’ titles in Philadelphia were won when owner/manager Connie Mack was at the helm. Connie Mack assembled such powerful teams that, for a while in the late 1920′s and early 1930′s, the Philadelphia Athletics challenged the dominance of the New York Yankees, and kept the Murderer’s Row-era Yankees out of the postseason for 3 years (1929-31). The Philadelphia Athletics from that era wore white-and-royal-blue, with a Gothic-A on their caps. After 50 years of managing the Athletics, Mack retired in 1950. And five years later, the franchise was sold and moved to the Midwest, as the Kansas City Athletics (1955-67, no titles).

The Kansas City Athletics were hapless basement-dwellers. They were bought by Charles O. Finley in December 1960. In 1963, the Kansas City Athletics changed their colors from navy-blue-and-red, to a garish kelly-green-and-gold. In 1968, the franchise moved to the West Coast, to the Bay Area across from San Francisco, as the Oakland Athletics, where they shared a venue with the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders. That venue was the recently-built, utilitarian dual-purpose Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (cap. ~50,000). The Oakland A’s wore the same type of Gothic-A logo on their bright kelly-green caps that their predecessors, the Philadelphia Athletics, did. The Oakland A’s were a young team that improved each season, and they featured the young slugger Reggie Jackson, and a solid pitching staff which included starters Vida Blue (1971 Cy Young/MVP winner), Jim “Catfish” Hunter, and John “Blue Moon” Odom, and reliever Rollie Fingers. By 1969, the A’s were postseason contenders. In 1970, the Gothic lettering on Oakland’s kelly-green cap changed from “A” to “A’s”. In 1972, the A’s were coming off a 101-win season the year before, and they repeated as AL West winners again, though there was serious pursuit from the Chicago White Sox. Oakland then beat the Detroit Tigers in a tight playoff series, 3 games to 2.

1972 World Series…
The A’s Reggie Jackson was on the disabled list for the Series (he was injured stealing home base, versus Detroit in the playoffs,). The Reds were the bookies’ favorite to win. Six of the seven games in the 1972 World Series were to be decided by one run.

In game 1, Oakland’s back-up catcher Gene Tenace homered in his first two at bats (WS record), and Ken Holtzman, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue combined for the win. In game 2, Oakland’s LF Joe Rudi made a spectacular catch {which can be seen in a photo below}. And Joe Rudi also homered, and Catfish Hunter pitched 8 scoreless innings, and so the A’s were up 2 games to none.

But when the series resumed in Oakland, the visiting Reds won 2 of the 3 games. In game 3, Jack Billingham held the A’s to 3 hits in 8 scoreless innings. The only run came in the 7th inning, when César Gerónimo singled home Tony
Pérez. Clay Carroll (Saves leader in the NL) got the save. Games 4 and 5 there were tightly contested. The A’s won game 4 in the 9th inning, on four consecutive singles. Three of those four-straight-base-hits were by pinch hitters: PH Gonzalo Márquez, Gene Tenace, PH Don Mincher, PH Ángel Mangual (3-straight PH hits was a WS record). {In a screenshot below, you can see A’s players congratulating Mangual, and also below, at the lower left, there is a photo of 1972 WS MVP Gene Tenace’s emphatic plate-stomping winning run.} Then in game 5, the Cincinnati Reds, facing elimination, staged a comeback. Pete Rose’s single off Rollie Fingers won it for the Reds in the 9th {Rose’s GW RBI can be seen below}. And so the series went back to Cincinnati, with the A’s leading 3 games to 2.

Then the Reds blew out the A’s 8-1 in game 6. It was the only game in the series that was not a one-run-game. And so the series went to a seventh game.

Game 7: A’s win 3-2. Blue Moon Odom vs Jack Billingham. In the 1st, Gene Tenace drove in a run. In the 5th, Blue Moon Odom departed for Catfish Hunter, and the Reds tied it up, on a SF by PH Hal McRae. But using that pinch hitter forced Billingham out of the game. And in the 6th, the new pitcher for the Reds, Pedro Borbón, gave up 2 runs, on a pair of doubles by Gene Tenace and Sal Bando (and so the A’s were up 3-1). Then in the 8th, the Reds pulled to within 1 run, on a SF by Tony Pérez. But Rollie Fingers then stopped the Reds, with a base runner on 3rd, to end the inning. Fingers then shut down the Reds in the ninth, for the World Series title. Catfish Hunter (2.2 IP, 1 ER) got the win. Rollie Fingers pitched in 6 of the 7 games of the series (1.74 ERA, 1-1, 1 H, 2 SV, 10.1 IP, 11 SO/4 BB). Gene Tenace was voted MVP (8-for-23 (.348) 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1.313 OPS). He also threw out a baserunner.

The 1972 World Series was the last time anyone ever referred to Gene Tenace as a backup catcher. Gene Tenace went on the have five 20+ HR seasons, four with the A’s (1973-76), and one with the Padres (1979). The Oakland A’s would repeat as WS champions the next year (1973, over the Mets), and the following year as well (1974, over the Dodgers). The Oakland A’s were the last MLB team to win 3 straight World Series titles, and were the only ball club to have done so apart from the New York Yankees.

-Here is a 40-minute video of the 1972 World Series, MLB 1972 World Series Highlights (video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com).
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Photo and Image credits above – 2 screenshots from video of NBC broadcast: 1) view outside Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium prior to Game 1; 2) managers Sparky Anderson (Reds) and Dick Williams (A’s) prior to Game 1: screenshots of video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com. Oakland Alameda County Coliseum [photo circa 1968-71], from Photoscream at flikr.com via newballpark.org. -Gene Tenace, photo by Walter Iooss Jr./SI via si.com/[world-series-heroes-of-the-1970s]. -Joe Rudi, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sportsdayspast]. -Jack Billingham, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk. -Ángel Mangual, screenshot from video uploaded by MLB at youtube.com. -Pete Rose, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com. -Johnny Bench, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Rollie Fingers, screenshot of video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com. -Gene Tenace (4th game, winning run), photo by Herb Scharfman /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Celebrating after final out in game 7, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via yardbarker.com/the_best_world_series_matchups_of_all_time. – A’s 1972 WS champions stadium flag, screenshot from video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com.

Jersey-logo photo credits -
-Atlanta Braves 1972 road (blue) jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1972 home jersey [Dave McNally], photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Boston Red Sox circa 1969-72 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-California Angels 1972 home jersey, photo from dhgate.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1970 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds circa 1972-75 home jersey [Johnny Bench], photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1970 home jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Detroit Tigers 1972 road jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-Houston Astros 1972 road jersey, photo from ebay.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1972 road jersey, photo from nasljerseys.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1972 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Milwaukee Brewers 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins 1972 road jersey, photo from retro2heritage.com.
-Montreal Expos 1970 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-New York Mets 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-New York Yankees 1972 road jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Oakland A’s 1972 green jersey-logo, photo from greyflannelauctions.com.
-Philadelphia Phillies 1972 road jersey, photos unattributed at baseballessential.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 home jersey, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-San Diego Padres 1972 gold jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-San Francisco Giants 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-St. Louis Cardinals 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Texas Rangers 1972 home jersey, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.


1972 Oakland A’s players: photo and image credits…
-1972 Oakland A’s gold jersey [#19 Bert Campaneris], photo from greyflannelauctions.com. -1972 Oakland A’s away (green) jersey [#38 Gene Tenace], photo from greyflannelauctions.com. -Joe Rudi, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Joe Rudi (catch in 9th inning of Game 2), photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@baseballinpix].
-Catfish Hunter, Oct. 23 1972 Sports Illustrated cover, from sicovers.com.
-Reggie Jackson, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Sal Bando, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Bert Campaneris, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Mike Epstein, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Ken Holtzman, photo unattributed at alchetron.com.
-Dave Duncan, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Darold Knowles, 1973 Topps card, via tcdb.com/[Gallery, Darold-Knowles].
-Blue Moon Odom, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Rollie Fingers, photo by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated at si.com.
-Ángel Mangual, screenshot from video uploaded by MLB at youtube.com.
-Dick Williams (manager), photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.


Photos of 1972 MLB leaders on map page…
-Luis Tiant, The Sporting News cover [Oct 14 1972], via sabrbaseballcards.blog.
-Steve Carlton, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@jdaniel2033].
-Gaylord Perry, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Wilbur Wood, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via ballnine.com.
-Steve Carlton, photo unattributed at mlb.com.
-Gaylord Perry, photo by Louis Requena/MLB via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Steve Carlton, 1972 Topps card, via psacard.com.
-Rod Carew, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.dk.
-Billy Williams, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Dick Allen, photo by John Iacona – Sports Illustrated cover [June 12 1972], via si.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by Getty Images/SPX via elextrabase.com.
-Dick Allen, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@espnstatsinfo].
-Johnny Bench, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Dick Allen, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via ballysports.com.
-Joe Morgan, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.

May 27, 2025

England (including Wales) – Map of all clubs drawing above 1,000 per game (2024-25 attendance figures): 156 clubs, including 64 non-League clubs./+ Profile of one club that had never drawn above one thousand per-game before (Truro City).

Filed under: >Eng-156 highest draws,2024-25 English football — admin @ 2:41 pm

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England (including Wales) – Map of all clubs drawing above 1,000 per game (2024-25 attendance figures): 156 clubs, including 64 non-League clubs





By Bill Turianski on the 27th of May 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Attendance figures…
-us.soccerway.com/national/england/premier-league/20242025/regular-season (Average attendances last season from the 1st division through the 4th division.)
-nonleaguematters.co.uk. (Average attendances last season from the 5th division to the 9th level.)
-(Note: in English football, the last 5 seasons of full attendance have been: 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25. The gap being the two seasons that were COVID-affected: 2019-20 and 2020-21. In non-League football, those 2 COVID-affected seasons break down to the following…2019-20 season: COVID-shortened [up to mid-March 2020] for levels 5 and 6, and fully COVID-abandoned for all non-League levels below the 6th; 2020-21 season: fully COVID-abandoned for all of non-League football [from the 5th level on down].)

    The map

The map shows all clubs in the English football system which drew above 1,000 per-game in 2024-25 (home domestic league matches): 156 clubs, including 64 non-League clubs.
Also, there is an inset-map for all the clubs drawing above 1-K-per-game from Greater London-plus-the-immediate surrounding area (18 clubs from Greater London + 3 clubs from surrounding areas of the Home Counties).

On the left-hand side of the map-page, the clubs are listed by average attendance, along with a column showing 4 things:
A) 2024-25 League-level.
B) 2024-25 league-finish.
C) Champions League Group Stage qualification [6 teams qualified for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League (text in blue)].
D) promotion-or-relegation, if applicable (text in green for promotion / text in red for relegation).

On the right-hand side of the map-page are 2 charts showing the English football league system, aka the Pyramid. {See this, English football league system (en.wikipedia.org).}

When I first made this map, it was six years ago, for the 2018-19 season. Then, the map showed 133 clubs, including 41 non-League clubs. So in the space of half a decade, the amount of non-League clubs drawing over one thousand-per-game has increased by 23 (from 41 non-League clubs to 64 non-League clubs). That is but one indication of how non-League football attendance is on the rise.

Four of the 156 clubs were clubs which were not drawing above 1-K-per-game in the last five seasons of full attendance…8th-tier club Hednesford Town; 7th-tier clubs Kettering Town, and Merthyr Town; and 6th-tier club Truro City. One of these clubs has never drawn above 1,000 per-game before: the newly-promoted Truro City, of Cornwall.

Truro City FC.
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Background pattern above, from: footballkitarchive.com/truro-city-2024-25-home-kit.
Truro City are from Truro, in Cornwall, at the south-western tip of England. The population of Truro is 23,000. Truro is located, by road, 284 miles (457 km) WSW of London; and Truro is located, by road, 56 miles (89 km) SW of Plymouth. Truro City’s nickname is the Tinners (or Tinmen), in reference to the tin mining history of Cornwall. Truro City wear red with black (Truro formerly wore white-with-black-and-gold). Truro City have just won the ’24-25 National League South, and will join the National League next season, as the first club from Cornwall to make it to the 5th division.

There are two things that stand out about Truro City. First of all, out there in Cornwall, Truro City are one of the the most isolated football clubs in England. Plymouth Argyle, of Devon, are well known for being the most isolated club in the Football League, and Truro is an hour further south-west than Plymouth. Next season, the longest road-trip in the top 5 divisions in English football will be in the National League, when Truro City plays Gateshead (of Tyne and Wear): 455 miles (732 km).

And, secondly, 20 years ago, Truro City began a promotion run that is a record in England: they won 5 promotions in 6 seasons (including 4 consecutive promotions). From 2005 to 2011, Truro City advanced from the 11th tier to the 6th tier, going from the South Western League (11) directly to the Western League D1 (10) directly to the Western League Premier (9) directly to the Southern D1-SW (8) directly to the Southern Premier (7), then 2 seasons later, to the Conference South (6), in 2010-11. Property developer Kevin Heaney was behind the success of Truro City then. He believed that Truro City could be a League Two (4th tier) club. But midway through Truro City’s rise, the global economic crisis of 2008 hit, and four years later, the club was broke.

In their first season in the 6th tier in 2011-12, Truro City had finished a respectable 14th, and drew 578 per game, their then-highest figure. But Kevin Heaney stepped down as chair in August 2012 after he was declared bankrupt, and the club went into administration, and Truro City barely avoided a winding up order in October 2012. Truro City were relegated back to the Southern League in April 2013, only drawing 377 per game. The club’s Treyew Road ground (see photos below) was sold to developers in 2014. Truro returned to the 6th tier two seasons later, in 2015.

In August 2018, the club were forced to vacate their ground by the new developers, and had to play their home matches two hours and 84 miles away at Torquay United’s Plainmoor. Truro City were able to return to Treyew Road (temporarily) in 2019. In March 2019, Penzance-based Championship rugby union club Cornish Pirates bought Truro City. Their aim was to combine with Truro City in securing a new sports venue for the two clubs (a project called the Stadium for Cornwall, which never secured funding).

For 4 seasons in the 6th tier, Truro City drew in the 400s; they were relegated back to the Southern League, again, in 2019.

In January 2021 Truro City had to finally leave Treyew Road ground for good (it was torn down and replaced with a Lidl supermarket).

Thus began Truro City’s nomadic phase. (See map, in illustration below.) They secured a groundshare 55 miles up the road, in Devon, at Plymouth Parkway FC‘s Bolitho Park. Truro City played two full seasons there, and under manager Paul Wooton, won promotion to the National League South, after play-off wins over Poole Town 1 (on penalties), then Bracknell Town (away, winning 2-3).

But in the following season, in February 2024, their deal at Bolitho Park was cut short. Truro could then only find a venue at Taunton Town’s Wordsworth Drive, up in Somerset (121 miles away). Then in late March 2024, due to pitch issues at Wordsworth Drive, Truro City had play the remainder of the 2023-24 season at Gloucester City’s Meadow Park, all the way up in Gloucestershire, 3-and-a-half hours and 195 miles (314 km) away. Truro finished in 18th place in the National League South.

As recounted in this article at bbc.com/sport…‘A hardy band of around 30 to 40 fans travelled to many of their games during their nomadic years – the players knew them all by name and any member of the squad that did not have a pint in the clubhouse with them after a game was given a fine.’ (-Brent Pilnick, BBC Sport England).

Meanwhile, in November, 2023, Truro City were purchased by a Canadian consortium called Ontario Inc, with former Cornwall RLFC owner Eric Perez as the club’s chairman & CEO. With the money that had been ringfenced from the sale of Treyew Road, Truro City finally began construction of a new ground. Truro City finished a decent enough 16th place in the National League South in ’23-24, 9 points above relegation. In May 2024, manager Paul Wotton signed with the bigger club up the road – Torquay United. But Truro found an experienced replacement in John Askey (who had led Macclesfield Town back into the Football League in 2018, and had led York City back into the 5th division in 2022).

In August 2024, after 4 years without a ground, Truro City returned home, to their new ground and facilities 3 miles west of Truro, in Threemilestone: Truro City Stadium, capacity 3,600 (300 seated). There was an attendance of 2,676 when Truro City Stadium opened, on 10 August 2025 (a 1-2 loss to Dorking Wanderers).

At the end of August 2024, Truro had 4 wins and a draw in 6 matches, and they remained at or near the top of the table for the rest of the season. By mid-September, Truro City were regularly drawing 1.5-K. By March 2025, it was apparent that the National League South had a half dozen title-contenders: Truro, Torquay, Worthing, Eastbourne Borough, Boreham Wood, and Dorking.

Going into the last matchday, all six of those clubs could have won the title. And so on 26 April 2025, in front of a packed house of 3,597 at Truro City Stadium, Truro City beat St Albans City 5-2, and claimed the title on goal difference from Torquay United (Truro w/ +33 GD, Torquay w/ +31 GD). Here are the highlights of the match, HIGHLIGHTS | Truro City vs St Albans City | National League South | 26th April 2025. League top scorer Tyler Harvey’s goal (with an assist by GK Dan Lavercombe), put Truro City up 3-0, after just 10 minutes (see screenshot below). Truro City – and Cornwall – were in the National League for the first time. Truro City drew 1,812 per game in 2024-25, which is 1,200-per-game more than they ever drew before.

From bbc.com/sport, Truro City: From homeless club to league champions (by Brent Pilnick).

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Photo and Image credits above –
-Truro Cathedral at sunset, photo by Alamay at alamay.com. -Entrance to Treyew Road ground [photo circa 2015], photo unattributed at thenonleaguefootballpaper.com. -Treyew Road [photo circa 2012], unattributed at footballgroundmap.com. -Blank relief map [south-west of England], by Nilfanion at File:England relief location map.jpg. -Truro City Stadium, photo by Truro City Football Club at facebook.com. -Paul Wotton, photo by REX Features via bbc.com/sport. John Askey, photo by Colin Bradbury at trurocity.co.uk. -Tyler Harvey, photo by Colin Bradbury at trurocity.co.uk. -26 April 2025 Truro City 5-2 St Albans City; attendance 3,597; screenshot of 3rd goal (10′, Tyler Harvey), from video uploaded by St Albans City FC at youtube.com. -Truro City 5 St Albans City 2 – Celebration Gallery, photo by Gareth Davies at trurocity.co.uk/[Gallery].



___
Thanks to all at the links below…
-Blank map of English Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Counties, by Nilfanion, at File:English metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties 2010.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Blank relief map of Greater London, by Nilfanion (using UK Ordnance Survey data), at File:Greater London UK relief location map.jpg.
-English football league system (en.wikipedia.org).
-us.soccerway.com/national/england/premier-league/20242025/regular-season (Average attendances last season from the 1st division to the 4th division.)
-nonleaguematters.co.uk. (Average attendances last season from the 5th division to the 9th level.)

May 7, 2025

Mexico, Liga MX 2025 Clausura: Attendance-map. With Mexican titles list, and the 3 Mexican venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Filed under: Mexico: Fútbol — admin @ 9:06 am

liga-mx_attendance-map_2024-25-clausura_post_d_.gif
Mexico, Liga MX 2025 Clausura: Attendance-map. With Mexican titles list, and the 3 Mexican venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup




By Bill Turianski on the 7th of May 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-Teams, etc…2024-25 Liga MX season (en.wikipedia).
-Liga MX official site (in Spanish)…ligamx.net.

Update, 13 May: Liga MX is currently in the Semifinals part of the Liguilla [playoffs], with 4 teams remaining: CF América, Cruz Azul, Toluca, and UANL Tigres. {worldfootball.net/competition/mex-primera-division/.}

The map shows average attendance in the recently-concluded Liga MX 2025 Clausura [regular season]. The larger the fútbol club’s average attendance, the larger their circle is on the map. The circles on the map contain each Liga MX club’s crest. The reason why there are duplicates of the Club América and Cruz Azul crests at the bottom of the map, is because both these clubs are currently playing in temporary venues. So the lower circle-with-crest for both clubs shows their attendance from a year ago (2024 Clausura), and is more representative of each club’s fanbase. Club América’s attendance dropped 17.5 K (from 42.1-K-per-game), while Cruz Azul saw a 7.2-K drop (from 26.6-K-per-game).

Club América had to vacate their Estadio Azteca (capacity 87,500) in central Mexico City, because it is being renovated for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. (There will be 16 venues for the 2026 tournament: 11 venues in the United States, 3 venues in Mexico, and 2 venues in Canada.)

Below:
Estadio Azteca (aka Estadio Banorte), home of the Mexico national fútbol team, is owned by broadcast giant Televisa, who are also owners of Club América. Estadio Azteca will be the venue for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
estadio-azteca_2026-fifa-world-cup_venue_club-america_mexico-natl-team_d_.gif
Photo of Estadio Azteca undergoing renovation [January 2025], by Mexsport via record.com.mx.

Cruz Azul were playing where Club América are playing now – Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, capacity of only 34,200, in north-central Mexico City – but ‘logistical issues’ forced them out of that venue, and so Cruz Azul found temporary accommodations across town at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, home of UNAM Pumas (capacity 73,000), in west-central Mexico City. A bit of musical chairs, in other words, and an example of how much clout Club América have.

The other two 2026 FIFA World Cup venues in Mexico…
Below: Estadio Akron, capacity 49,800, home of Chivas Guadalajara.
estadio-akron_2026-fifa-world-cup_venue_chivas-guadalajara_mexico-natl-team_b_.gif
Photo of Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), unattributed at mercadoemergente.com.

And in Greater Monterrey, Estadio BBVA, capacity 55,000, home of the highest-drawing club in Mexico, CF Monterrey.
estadio-bbva_2026-fifa-world-cup_venue_cf-monterrey_mexico-natl-team_b_.gif
Photo of Estadio BBVA (Greater Monterrey), by Jorge Taboada / ideacubica.com via populous.com/[estadio-bbva-bancomer].

Titles list…
58 clubs have competed in the Mexican 1st division since its founding in 1943-44. Club América, of Mexico City, have won the title a record 16 times (and are reigning champions, having won the 2024 Apertura). Second-most titles belongs to Chivas Guadalajara, with 12 titles (their last in the 2017 Apertura). The third-most titles have been won by Toluca, with 10 titles (their last in the 2010-Bicentario). The titles list is then followed by…Cruz Azul with 9 titles (their last in the 2021 Guardianes), then Tigres UANL with 8 titles (their last in the 2024 Clausura), then Club León with 8 titles (their last in the 2020 Guardianes), then both Pachuca and Pumas UNAM with 7 titles (last title won in the 2022 Apertura, and the 2011 Clausura, respectively).

Liga MX attendance down by 5,000-per-game compared to 11 years ago
2024-25_soccer-attendance_highest-drawing-football-leagues_england-wales_germany_italy_spain_france_brazil_usa-canada_argentina_mexico_d_.gif
-Chart by billsportsmaps.com. Attendance figures from worldfootball.net, and from en.wikipedia.org.

It is actually worse than that, because Liga MX had its highest attendance in 2016-17, drawing an impressive 27,211 per game (6th-best attendance in the world that year). So Liga MX has seen a 6 thousand per game drop in attendance since then (8 years ago).

Meanwhile, all the other highest-drawing leagues in the world have seen an increase in attendance. All except Germany’s Bundesliga, but the Bundesliga had a drop in attendance because so many big clubs have been relegated in the last few years (clubs like Hamburg, Schalke, and Hertha Berlin), and have been replaced by smaller clubs: if you combine the Bundesliga and 2-Bundesliga attendance figures, you will see that the top two divisions in Germany have seen a 6.9-K-per-game increase since 2014-15. Brazi’ls Campeonato Serie A has seen a 9.6-K increase in attendance. Italy’s Serie A has seen an 8.3-K increase. Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol has seen a 6.2-K increase. France’s Ligue 1 has seen a 5.2-K increase. Spain’s La Liga has seen a 3.1-K increase. The 2nd division in England & Wales (the EFL Championship) has seen a 2.1-K increase. And Major League Soccer (in USA and Canada) has seen a 1.7-K increase. But Mexico’s Liga MX has seen a 5,000-per-game decrease in attendance since 2014-15.

liga-mx_league-average-attendance_2015-16_to_2024-25_b_.gif

What is the reason for the attendance drop in Liga MX? What has happened in the last decade or so to cause this? Well, in November 2016, Liga MX withdrew from the Copa Libertadores, citing logistical problems after the tournament expanded to an eleven-month-long format. This immediately damaged fan engagement: the following season (2017-18), attendance dropped 2.8-K-per-game. Then, during the height of the COVID outbreak, in April 2020, Liga MX decided to ape the MLS-closed-shop-with-no-promotion-or-relegation model, and announced that the Relegation/Promotion system would be suspended “for 6 years”. And, like MLS, Liga MX started allowing new clubs into the Mexican top flight, but only in the form of expansion teams.

And guess which clubs in Liga MX draw worst right now? That’s right, two of these expansion teams: FC Juárez, who drew only 9.7-K-per-game (established 2015 and who joined Liga MX in 2019), and Mazatlán, who drew 10.6-K-per-game (established in 2020 and who joined Liga MX in 2020).

Here is an article from October 2024 at Footboom1.com, The Collapse of Liga MX?: While MLS Breaks Attendance Records, Mexican Stadiums Are Empty. Here is an excerpt…“With no ‘something to fight for’ for the clubs at the bottom of the points table (besides a monetary penalty for the last three places), combined with factors like ticket prices and security conditions at venues, fans are opting to watch games from home,” asserts Fox Sports.

And from a Reddit thread from November 2024, on falling attendance in Liga MX, here is the top-rated comment…“At the end of the day the league is selling a boring product back to the fans. There’s no relegation/promotion, there’s no copa Mx, there’s no libertadores/sudamericana, there’s nothing else to watch but your favorite team and even then that is watered down depending which team you support.” (Chivasguy1906.)

And here is an article from Goal.com from April 2025, Atlético Morelia president believes promotion and relegation will be reinstated in Liga MX in 2026.




___
Blank map of Mexico, by Keepscases at wikimedia.commons.org (File:Blank map of Mexico.svg).

April 8, 2025

MLB: Paid-Attendance Map for 2024 (home/regular season average tickets-sold), including change from 2023 and percent-capacity figures.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball >paid-attendance — admin @ 12:17 pm

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MLB: Paid-Attendance Map for 2024 (home/regular season average tickets-sold), including change from 2023 and percent-capacity figures




By Bill Turianski on the 8th of April 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-Official site…mlb.com.
-Teams, etc…Major League Baseball (en.wikipedia.org).
-Attendance figures (2024 home regular season tickets sold), baseball-reference.com/2024-misc.

The map…
The larger the team’s average attendance, the larger their circle is on the map. The circles on the map contain each MLB teams’ 2024 home cap logo. That is, except with respect to Baltimore’s cap-logo, which is of their all-black road cap, because the Orioles wear their white-paneled cap at home, and I wanted to maintain a uniformity to all 30 of the circular-cap-logos on the map. The circles with cap-logos were then sized to reflect crowd size, utilizing a constant gradient. If you are unsure about the term “paid-attendance”, my post on MLB paid-attendance from 2015 can clear that up for you {here, 2014 MLB paid-attendance map}. The chart at the right-hand-side of the map page shows 5 things: Attendance-Rank, Average Paid-Attendance, Numerical Change in Average Paid-Attendance from Previous Season [2023], Venue Capacity, Percent-Capacity.

Attendance was up 0.9% in 2024. In 2024, in MLB’s 3rd post-COVID season, attendance increased again, but only very slightly, by 139 per game, to 29,373 per game. Since 2022, league average attendance has risen from 26.5-K to 29.3-K (an increase of 2.8-K per game). 2024′s attendance was MLB’s best since 2017. {See this press release from October 2024, MLB Finishes 2024 Season With Highest Attendance in Seven Years (mlb.com).}

(In case you are wondering, the MLB attendance record was set in 2007, with 32,696 per game.) {All-time MLB attendance on a sortable chart, here (baseball-reference.com).}

For 2025, two teams, the “Athletics” and the Tampa Bay Rays, are both stuck playing in tiny 10-thousand seat stadiums. The Athletics are playing in a 10.6-K-capacity ballpark because the franchise bolted from their Oakland home without securing a new venue, and now are playing for at least 3 seasons in a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, CA before they move to Las Vegas in 2028 or 2029 [sigh]. The Rays are playing in a 10.0-K-capacity ballpark this year because the roof of their home in St. Petersburg, FL (Tropicana Field) was severely damaged in Hurricane Milton in October 2024, and so are playing at the Yankees’ spring training ballpark in Tampa, FL; see this from ESPN, MLB 2025: Inside the transformation of Steinbrenner Field.)

    Top 4 MLB teams with the highest average attendance in 2024. (All teams that drew above 40,000 per game.)…

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 48,657 per game, with an increase of 1,286 per game from 2023 (and played to 86.8-%-capacity). The Dodgers have had the highest attendance in MLB now for 11 straight seasons (2013 to 2024, w/ the COVID-affected 2020 season excluded). And in 2024, the Dodgers won their first World Series title in a full season, since 1988 (a 36-year wait).
los-angeles-dodgers_highest-drawing-team_2024_d_.gif
Photo: unattributed at rugoodet.live.

2. Philadelphia Phillies: 41,527 per game (at 97.6-%-capacity). If the Phillies keep drawing this well – and playing this well – they could get to near 100%-capacity this year.
philadelphia-phillies_2nd-best-attendance_2024_b_.gif
Photo: unattributed at mlb.com/phillies/tickets/specials/bennettstrong-foundation.

3. San Diego Padres: 41,118 per game (at 103.1%-capacity). In 2024, the Padres were able to draw in excess of their seated capacity (of 39.8-K) thanks to the lawn seating behind the centerfield fence at Petco Park.
san-diego-padres_3rd-best-attendance_2024_c_.gif
Photo: unattributed at linkedin.com.

4. New York Yankees: 40,862 per game (at 87.8%-capacity). The Yankees drew their highest since 2018.
new-york-yankees_4th-best-attendance_2024_c_.gif
Photo: Luke Hales/Getty Images via sportico.com.




    The 6 Largest Attendance Increases in MLB in 2024…

1. Arizona Diamondbacks, attendance up +4,700 per game.
Arizona drew 24.2-K per game [20th best]. Arizona were 2023 National League pennant winners, so an increase in crowds was expected. And the Diamondbacks ended up winning 89 games, and drawing their best in 16 years. But they just missed out on the playoffs, losing out to both the Mets and the Braves on a 3-way tiebreaker.
arizona-diamonbacks_up_4700-per-game_in-2024_f_.gif
Photo above – Rob Schumacher/The Republic at azcentral.com/.

2. Kansas City Royals, attendance up +4,337 per game.
Kansas City drew 20.4-K per game [26th best]. The Royals improved by 30 wins in 2024, and made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. In the postseason, the Royals swept the higher-seeded Orioles in the ALWCS, then fell to the Yankees in the ALDS, 3 games to 1.
kansas-city-royals_up_4337-per-game_in-2024_d_.gif
Photo above – Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images via foxnews.com/lifestyle.

3. Baltimore Orioles, attendance up +4,251 per game.
Baltimore drew 28.1-K per game [19th best]. The Orioles made the postseason for the 2nd straight season. But for the second straight years they were shut out in the playoffs, losing to the Royals in the wild card series.
baltimore-orioles_up_4251-per-game_in-2024_d_.gif

Photo above – Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images via si.com/fannation.

4. Philadelphia Phillies, attendance up +3,841 per game.
Philadelphia drew 41.5-K per game…2nd best in MLB. And the Phillies played to an MLB-2nd-best 96.7 percent capacity (only the San Diego Padres filled their ballpark better). In 2024, the Phillies made the playoffs for the third straight year, and they sold out Citizens Bank Park an impressive 47 times. In the playoffs, the Phillies lost to the Mets, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS.
philadelphia-phillies_up_3841-per-game_in-2024_b_.gif
Photo above – Philadelphia Phillies’ facebook.com via philadelphia.today.

5. Cleveland Guardians, attendance up +3,060 per game.
Cleveland drew 25.7-K per game [20th best]. Cleveland won 16 more games than in 2023, en route to an AL Central title, and their third postseason in 5 years. In the playoffs, the Guardians beat Detroit in the ALDS, 3 games to 1. Then Cleveland lost to the Yankees in the ALCS, 4 games to 1.
cleveland-guardians_up_3060-per-game_in-2024_c_.gif
Photo above – Cleveland Guardians’ facebook.com.

6. Detroit Tigers, attendance up +3,030 per game.
Detroit drew 22.9-K per game [24th best]. The Tigers’ late-season run saw them pack Comerica Park and win just enough games to snag the last playoff spot. Detroit improved by 16 wins in 2024, and made the playoffs for the first time in a decade. In the playoffs, the lower-seeded Tigers swept the Astros in the ALWCS, then lost to Cleveland in the divisional series.
detroit-tigers_up_3030-per-game_in-2024_b_.gif
Photo above – Junfu Han / USA Today Network via audacy.com/971theticket/sports.



___
Thanks to NuclearVacuum for the blank map, File:BlankMap-North America-Subdivisions.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for attendances, baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2024-misc.
Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos.net, for several (~17) of the cap logos, sportslogos.net.
Thanks to the contributors at en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball#Current_teams.

March 16, 2025

2025 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament (aka March Madness) – Location-map (68 teams, with 2023-24 attendance).

Filed under: NCAA Men's Basketball — admin @ 9:51 pm

2025_map_ncaa-basketball-tournament_march-madness_68-teams_w-attendances_post_e_.gif
2025 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament (aka March Madness) – Location-map, with 2023-24 average attendances by school (68 teams)




By Bill Turianski on the 16th of March 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Links…
-Teams, etc…2025 NCAA Men’s Division I men’s Basketball Tournament (en.wikipedia.org).
-Scores…Div I college bk scores (espn.go.com).

The 68 Teams which qualified for the 2024 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament [aka March Madness]
Listed by: Name. Conference. Location of arena(s)…

-Akron Zips. Mid-American. Akron, OH.
-Alabama Crimson Tide. SEC. Tuscaloosa, AL.
-Alabama State Hornets. Southwestern (SWAC). Montgomery, AL.
-American Eagles. Patriot. Washington, DC.
-Arizona Wildcats. Big 12. Tucson, AZ.
-Arkansas Razorbacks. SEC. Fayetteville, AK.
-Auburn Tigers. SEC. Auburn, AL.
-Baylor Bears. Big 12. Waco, TX.
-Boise State Broncos. Mountain West. Boise, ID.
-Bryant Bulldogs. America East. Smithfield, RI.
-BYU [Brigham Young Univ.] Cougars. Big 12. Provo, UT.
-Clemson Tigers. ACC. Clemson, SC.
-Colorado State Rams. Mountain West. Fort Collins, CO.
-Creighton Bluejays. Big East. Omaha, NE.
-Drake Bulldogs. Missouri Valley. Des Moines, IA.
-Duke Blue Devils. ACC. Durham, NC.
-Florida Gators. SEC. Gainesville, FL.
-Georgia Bulldogs. SEC. Athens, GA.
-Gonzaga Bulldogs. West Coast (WCC). Spokane, WA.
-Grand Canyon Antelopes. Western Athletic (WAC). Phoenix, AZ.
-High Point Panthers. Big South. High Point, NC.
-Houston Cougars. Big 12. Houston, TX.
-Illinois Fighting Illini. Big Ten. Champaign, IL.
-Iowa State Cyclones. Big 12. Ames, IA.
-Kansas Jayhawks. Big 12. Lawrence, KS.
-Kentucky Wildcats. SEC. Lexington, KY.
-Liberty Flames. Conference-USA. Lynchburg, VA.
-Lipscombe Bisons. Atlantic Sun. Nashville, TN.
-Louisville Cardinals. ACC. Louisville, KY.
-Marquette Golden Eagles. Big East. Milwaukee, WI.
-Maryland Terrapins. Big Ten. College Park, MD.
-McNeese State Cowboys. Southland. Lake Charles, LA.
-Memphis Tigers. American (AAC). Memphis, TN.
-Michigan Wolverines. Big Ten. Ann Arbor, MI.
-Michigan State Spartans. Big Ten. East Lansing, MI.
-Mississippi [Ole Miss] Rebels. SEC. University, MS.
-Mississippi State Bulldogs. SEC. Starkville, MS.
-Missouri Tigers. SEC. Columbia, MO.
-Montana Grizzlies. Big Sky. Missoula, MT.
-Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers. Metro Atlantic (MAAC). Emmitsburg, MD.
-New Mexico Lobos. Mountain West. Albuquerque, NM.
-Norfolk State Spartans. Mid-Eastern (MEAC). Norfolk, VA.
-North Carolina Tar Heels. ACC. Chapel Hill, NC.
-Oklahoma Sooners. SEC. Norman, OK.
-Omaha Mavericks. Summit. Omaha, NE.
-Oregon Ducks. Pac-12. Eugene, OR.
-Purdue Boilermakers. Big Ten. West Lafayette, IN.
-Robert Morris Colonials. Horizon. Moon Township, PA.
-Saint Francis Red Flash. Northeast (NEC). Loretto, PA.
-Saint Mary’s Gaels. West Coast (WCC). Moraga, CA.
-St. John’s Red Storm. Big East. Queens, NYC, NY / Manhattan, NYC, NY.
-San Diego State Aztecs. Mountain West. San Diego, CA.
-SIU Edwardsville Cougars. Ohio Valley. Edwardsville, IL.
-Tennessee Volunteers. SEC. Knoxville, TN.
-Texas Longhorns. Big 12. Austin, TX.
-Texas A&M Aggies. SEC. College Station, TX.
-Troy Trojans. Sun Belt. Troy, AL.
-Texas Tech Red Raiders. Big 12. Lubbock, TX.
-UCLA Bruins. Big Ten. Los Angeles, CA.
-UConn [Univ. Connecticut] Huskies. Big East. Storrs, CT/Hartford, CT.
-UC San Diego Tritons. Big West. La Jolla, CA.
-UNC Wilmington Seahawks. Coastal (CAA). Wilmington, NC.
-Utah State Aggies. Mountain West. Logan, UT.
-VCU [Virginia Commonwealth Univ.] Rams. Richmond, VA.
-Wisconsin Badgers. Big Ten. Madison, WI.
-Wofford Terriers. Southern. Spartanburg, SC.
-Xavier Musketeers. Big East. Cincinnati, OH.
-Yale Bulldogs. Ivy League. New Haven, CT.




___
-Thanks to AMK1211 for blank map of USA, ‘File:Blank US Map with borders.svg”>File:Blank US Map with borders.svg‘ (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, ‘2024 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament’.
-Thanks to NCAA for attendance figures, from 2024 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE [pdf].
-Thanks to the Bracket Matrix site for bracket forecasting, bracketmatrix.com; twitter.com/@bracketproject.

February 26, 2025

1978 NASL map: the 24 teams of the 1978 North American Soccer League, with attendances; plus 1978 NASL All-Stars (1st and 2nd Teams)./ + Soccer Bowl ’78 winners, the New York Cosmos.

nasl_north-american-soccer-league_map_1978-season_24-teams_champions_ny-cosmos_post_i_.gif
1978 NASL map



By Bill Turianski on the 26th of February 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1978 North American Soccer League season (en.wikipedia.org).
-NASLjerseys.com. {Recommended.}
-Rock ‘n’ Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League, by Ian Plenderleith [of When Saturday Comes], at amazon; bsky.app/[@plenderleithian].

Note: This is the second in a series. The first one is here: 1977 NASL map: the 18 teams of the 1977 North American Soccer League, with attendances; plus 1977 NASL All-Stars (1st and 2nd Teams)

The map is a location-map of the 24 teams of the 1978 North American Soccer League.
To the right of the map is a chart of 1978 NASL Home Average Attendance, by team. Teams’ regular-season-points totals and playoffs results are listed. Next to that is a section that shows thumbnail team profiles (years the team existed [including franchise-shift information], NASL titles, venue & capacity, location, 1978 average attendance & percent-capacity, and 1978 playoff results). In the upper-right corner are the 1978 NASL standings, and the 24 team logos. And below that, at the lower-right-hand side, is a section for Soccer Bowl ’78 (New York Cosmos 3, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, in front of 74,901 at Giants Stadium, on August 27, 1978).

1978 NASL All-Stars, First Team & Second Team (22 players shown, with brief player-profiles). At the foot of the map-page is a long horizontal chart showing the 1st- and the 2nd-team All-Stars. Players are shown in their 1978 kit, if possible (for some players there are very few color images available online). Thumbnail bios, and stand-out honors and statistics are included.

At the center of the top banner there is listed the 1978 NASL post-season awards. Most Valuable Player: the Ilford, Essex-born Mike Flanagan (FW) of the New England Tea Men. Coach of the year: the Southport, Merseyside-born Tony Waiters of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Rookie of the year: the London, England-born Gary Etherington (MF/FWD/DF), of the New York Cosmos. North American Player of the Year: the Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-born Bob Lenarduzzi (DF) of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

nasl_1978_kick-magazine_map-w-logos_d_.gif
Image above: graphic from Kick magazine [1978] via reddit.com/[NASL soccer].

1978 NASL: 24 teams. 30-game season/16 playoff teams (8 teams per Conference).
Rosters: 17 players, 6 of which had to be U.S. or Canadian citizens.

In 1978, the NASL expanded from 18 to 24 teams. No teams had folded, but 4 franchises had moved to new locations. So that meant there were 10 new teams in the NASL in 1978.
New teams (franchises) in 1978:
-Colorado Caribous (Denver, CO). Only lasted 1 year; in 1979 the franchise moved to Atlanta, Georgia, as Atlanta Chiefs (II).
-Detroit Express (Pontiac [Greater Detroit], MI). Lasted 3 years (1978-80); in 1981 the franchise moved to Washington, DC, as the Washington Diplomats (II).
-Houston Hurricane (Houston, TX). Lasted 3 years (1978-80).
-Memphis Rogues (Memphis, TN). Lasted 3 years (1978-80).
-New England Tea Men (Foxborough [Greater Boston], MA). Lasted 3 years (1978-80); in 1981 the franchise moved to Jacksonville, Florida, as Jacksonville Tea Men.
-Philadelphia Fury (Philadelphia, PA). Lasted 3 years (1978-80); in 1981 the franchise moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as the Montreal Manic.

Franchises moving in 1978:
>Connecticut Bicentennials to Oakland Stompers (Oakland, CA). Only lasted 1 year; in 1979 the franchise moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as the Edmonton Drillers.
>Las Vegas Quicksilver to San Diego Sockers (San Diego, CA). Lasted 7 years (1978-84).
>St. Louis Stars to California Surf (Anaheim, CA). Lasted 4 years (1978-81).
>Team Hawaii to Tulsa Roughnecks (Tulsa, OK). Lasted 7 years in NASL (1978-84), then Tulsa continued on as an independent team in 1985 (played friendlies, only).

In 1978, the NASL league set-up was drastically changed. The NASL implemented a 2-conference/6-division alignment copied directly from the NFL, even down to the names…American Soccer Conference (ASC) and National Soccer Conference (NSC), with each having East, Central and West divisions [of 4 teams each].) A full two-thirds of the 24 teams (16 teams!) would make it to the playoffs. Critics grumbled that the NASL now really had 2 seasons: the regular season and the playoffs.

In any case, there was a glaring flaw in the re-alignment. By filling the ASC with all 6 of the new franchises (California, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, New England, Philadelphia) and one of the four re-located teams (Oakland), the NASL created a power imbalance. Because the NSC had the dominant New York Cosmos, along with most of the other established, strong, and well-supported teams at the time (Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, Minnesota Kicks, Portland Timbers). Plus the NSC also had some other competitive teams with smaller fanbases, like the 1976 NASL champions, Toronto, and the 1977 conference playoff finalist the Rochester Lancers, as well as the Washington Diplomats. In comparison, the only established, strong, and well-supported teams in the ASC were the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (the San Jose Earthquakes were established and well-supported, but they began a slip into mediocrity in ’78). For the next 3 seasons, an NSC team would win the title (the Cosmos in ’78, the Whitecaps in ’79, and the Cosmos again in 1980).

Photo below: Opening day of the 1978 NASL season. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. April 9 1978. New York Cosmos vs. Los Angeles Aztecs.
The Cosmos’ Franz Beckenbauer enters the field, cheered on by the Cosmos cheerleaders. The star-studded New York Cosmos were the reigning NASL champions, and the best drawing team. And everywhere else they played, they drew huge crowds as well. In 1978, the Cosmos would draw even more (their average attendance increased by 13 thousand, to 47 thousand per game). And the Cosmos would repeat as champions.
nasl_1978_franz-beckenbauer_and_new-york-cosmos-cheerleaders_b_.gif
Photo credit above – Tony Duffy/Allsport/Hulton Archive/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.nz.

The success of the New York Cosmos meant that most NASL teams tried to sign expensive and aging international stars, which ended up bankrupting teams 3 or 4 years down the road. But one team that had initial success doing this was the brand-new Detroit Express, who played in the Silverdome (home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions). The Express got the Plymouth, Devon-born FW Trevor Francis, on loan from Birmingham City. (The next year Trevor Francis became the first player sold for over 1 million pounds [to Nottingham Forest, where he scored the winning goal in the European Cup in 1980].) Francis did not arrive in Detroit until 10 games in, yet still was in among the top scorers (22 goals and 10 assists in just 19 games), and was a 1st Team All-star {see his thumbnail profile at the foot of the map page}. This propelled the Express to the best record in the new American Conference (ASC), at 20-10. Detroit drew 12.1-K-per-game (7th-best).

The ASC’s #2-seed for the playoffs went to the ASC East winners, the New England Tea Men, another new franchise, as the NASL returned to Boston. The Tea Men were owned by Lipton Tea, and the team’s jersey featured the Lipton brand’s trademark primrose-yellow-and-red colors, fashioned into a giant capital-T shape. The Tea Men did sign a key international, though he was neither a star nor aging – that was 1978 NASL MVP Mike Flanagan, who came over on loan from 2nd-division Charlton Athletic {see his thumbnail profile at the foot of the map page}. The Essex-born Flanagan put up unquestionably great numbers, and had the second-most goals in ’78 (30 goals and 8 assists in 28 games), but he had less goals and less assists than Giorgio Chinaglia…yet was still voted MVP. This was probably a case of the NASL trying to make it not look like it was all just the Cosmos plus a cast of others. Flanagan had a contract dispute, went back to England, and never matched the numbers he put up in the NASL in ’78. The Tea Men also featured 3 other 1st Team All-Stars, GK Kevin Keelan (who holds the record for most appearances for Norwich City), Dublin-born Irish international MF Gerry Daly, and Cambridgeshire-born DF Chris Turner (who made 314 appearances for Peterborough United). The Tea Men played at the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, Schaefer Stadium, and drew 12.0-K-per-game (8th best).

In the National Soccer Conference, the Cosmos set records for most wins (24-6), and points (212), in an NASL season (the 24-6 record in ’78 was shared with the Vancouver Whitecaps). The Cosmos scored 88 goals, 20 more than any other team. The Cosmos’ Anglo-Italian FW Giorgio Chinaglia was top scorer (34 goals, 11 assists in 30 games). And the Cosmos had an excellent playmaker in ex-Red Star Belgrade MF Vladislav Bogićević, who scored 10 goals, with 17 assists, in 30 games, and was a 2nd Team All-Star. Another scoring threat was the Birmingham, West Midlands FW Steve Hunt (12 goals, with 12 assists, in 25 games), who was a 2nd Team All-Star. Yet another scoring threat was another Englishman, the Newcastle-born FW Dennis Tueart (10 goals, 12 assists in 20 games). Plus 1st Team All-Stars and former World Cup champions Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto also still featured in the formidable ’78 Cosmos’ squad. And the Cosmos already-great home attendance figures only got better at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In 1978, the Cosmos had a staggering 13,700-per-game attendance increase, up to a NASL-record 47,856 per game.

The NSC’s #2-seed for the playoffs went to the NSC West winners, the Vancouver Whitecaps, who, as mentioned above, had the same record-setting win-loss total, but scored 20 less goals, than the Cosmos, and ended up with 13 less bonus points. The Whitecaps had a basically unknown lineup; they featured two 2nd Team All-Stars: DF and captain John Craven (Lancashire born, with 164 appearances for Blackpool); and Leeds, Yorkshire-born FW Kevin Hector, who put up solid numbers (21 goals, 10 assists in 28 games). (Kevin Hector has the most appearances for Derby County: 486 app/155 goals.) In 1978, the Whitecaps also had the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-against figure: Phil Parkes (a 0.95 GA Avg), but Parkes was inexplicably not voted as an all-star (though he would be in ’79 and ’80). The Whitecaps also had former Nottingham Forest and Derby County MF Alan Hinton, who set an NASL record with 30 assists (but also was not voted an all-star). In 1978, Vancouver had the 2nd-largest attendance increase in the league: up 3.8-K-per-game to 15,724 per game (5th-best). In the playoffs, they drew huge (see further below). The following season of 1979 would see the Vancouver Whitecaps as champions.




Soccer Bowl ’78 Playoffs…
Conference Quarterfinals (One-game series) [August 8-10]…
In the ASC…
The #1-seed Detroit Express beat the #8-seed Philadelphia Fury 1-0, before a good crowd of 22.4-K at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. The #7-seed Fort Lauderdale Strikers upset the #2-seed New England Tea Men 1-3, in front of a decent crowd of 18.6-K at Schaefer Stadium in Massachusetts. The #3-seed San Diego Sockers beat the #6-seed California Surf 2-1, in front of a disappointingly small crowd of 6.2-K, in San Diego. And the #4-seed Tampa Bay Rowdies beat the Chicago Sting 3-1, in front of a large crowd – there were 26.8-K at Tampa Stadium. (Tampa Bay Rowdies were the 4th-highest drawing team in ’78, averaging 18.1-K in the regular season.)
In the NSC…
The #1-seed New York Cosmos beat the #8-seed Seattle Sounders 5 to 2, before a solid crowd of 47 thousand at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. In an all-Canadian cities match-up, the #2-seed Vancouver Whitecaps beat the #7-seed Toronto Metros-Croatia 4-0, in front of a nearly-full-capacity crowd of 30.8-K at the 32.7-K-capacity Empire Stadium, in Vancouver. The #3-seed Minnesota Kicks beat the #6-seed Tulsa Roughnecks 3-1, in front of a typically-large-Minnesota-crowd of 36.4-K at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota. (The Minnesota Kicks were the 2nd-highest-drawing team in 1978, drawing above 30-thousand per game for the second straight year. The Kicks’ secret was low-priced tickets and their encouragement of a vast pre-game tailgate party-scene.) And the #4-seed Portland Timbers beat the Washington Diplomats 2-1 (in overtime), in front of 14.2-K at Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon.

Conference Semifinals (Home and Away games, with no aggregate goals, but a 30-minute Mini-Game if the series was tied [drawn] after both games) [August 12-17]…
In the ASC…
The top-seeded Detroit Express were beaten by the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. In the 1st game down in Fort Lauderdale, before a crowd of 11.5-K at Lockhart Stadium, the Strikers won 4-3 (Shootout 3-2). In the 2nd game up in the Pontiac Silverdome, before a fantastic team-record crowd of 32 thousand, the Express won 1-0. So it went to the 30 minute mini-game, in which the underdog Ft Lauderdale prevailed (0-1). The other ASC semifinal saw the Tampa Bay Rowdies beat the San Diego Sockers, with the Rowdies winning the 1st game in San Diego 0-1, before yet another pathetically small southern-California-soccer-crowd of just 8-K. San Diego won the 2nd game in Tampa 1-2, before a solid crowd of 32-K; the mini-game went to Tampa Bay, 1-0.
In the NSC…
The Cosmos beat the Minnesota Kicks, but it went to the extra mini-game and then the shootout to decide it. Minnesota drew a club-record 45,863 in the 1st game and blew out the Cosmos 9 to 2 (but aggregate goals did not count for anything in the NASL). In the 2nd game, at Giants Stadium, before 60 thousand fans, the Cosmos prevailed 4-0; the mini-game went scoreless, and the Cosmos won the shootout 2-1. The other ASC semifinal saw the Portland Timbers beat the Vancouver Whitecaps; the Timbers won the 1st game at home in front of 16-K, and Portland also won the 2nd game up in Vancouver, with the Whitecaps drawing a then-club-record 32.2-K.

1978 Conference Finals
nasl_1978_conference-finalists_rowdies_strikers_cosmos_timbers_d_.gif
In the ASC…
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.
Tampa Bay had a tough time getting by their in-state rivals, the Strikers. In the 1st game at the 17.4-K-capacity Lockhart Stadium, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the attendance was 16,286 [at a solid 93.5 percent-capacity]. The Strikers won 3-2. In the 2nd game, in torrential rain, at the 71-K-capacity Tampa Stadium, there was a huge crowd of 37,249 [52.4 percent-capacity]. (That 37.2-K attendance was, at the time, the Rowdies’ best ever in a non-Cosmos game.) The Rowdies beat the Strikers 3-1, so that made it necessary for the Mini-game decider. And after a scoreless 30 minutes, it went to the 5-second-shootout phase. The Rowdies won the shootout 2-1. MF Rodney Marsh scored the winning shootout goal with a low rolling shot that just avoided the goalkeepers’ boot and just slid inside the left post (the 9-times English international Rodney Marsh was a 1st Team All-Star in 1978). Hundreds of Rowdies fans invaded the pitch in celebration after Marsh scored the winner. {See this 1-minute video uploaded by NASL 1968-84 Soccer History at youtube.com, 1978 08 23 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs Tampa Bay Rowdies.}
In the NSC…
New York Cosmos vs. Portland Timbers.
The Cosmos dispatched the Timbers with ease. In the 1st game at the 35.4-K-capacity Civic Stadium, in Portland, Oregon, there was a good crowd of 24,515 [at 68.9 percent-capacity]. The Cosmos won 1-0. In the 2nd game at the 76.8-K-capacity Giants Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, attendance was 65,287 [at a solid 84.9 percent-capacity]. The Cosmos won 4-0.

Soccer Bowl ’78: New York Cosmos 3, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1. August 27,1978 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, attendance 74,901 [97.4 percent-capacity]…
nasl_soccer-bowl-78_aug-27-1978_ny-cosmos-3_tampa-bay-rowdies-1_giants-stadium_e-rutherford-nj_attendance-74-k_b_.gif

{See this 4-minute video uploaded by New York Cosmos at youtube.com, Cosmos Classics: The New York Cosmos Win Soccer Bowl ’78.}

The New York Cosmos were coached by Eddie Firmani. The Cosmos were the reigning champions and were playing in their third NASL Final (their first was in 1972, over the St. Louis Stars). The Tampa Bay Rowdies were coached by Gordon Jago. The Rowdies were in their second Soccer Bowl in 4 years (they won Soccer Bowl ’75, over Portland). Tampa Bay was disadvantaged from the start – they were without their key playmaker Rodney Marsh (whose shin injury had gotten infected). Also, the game was not being played at a neutral venue – the Rowdies had to play in the Cosmos’ home stadium. The NASL had decided to play Soccer Bowl ’78 at Giants Stadium – their best-drawing venue – because they wanted a big sell-out crowd. They got that, but they also got an uneven match-up and a huge Cosmos home-advantage.

For the first 30 minutes of the game, both teams had scoring opportunities, but it stayed deadlocked. In the 31st minute, the Cosmos’ Dennis Tueart scored on a swiveled volley kick (with an assist by Steve Hunt). The goal came about when the Cosmos’ Canadian-born DF Bob Iarusci broke up a Tampa Bay offensive rush, and found Winger Steve Hunt open on the left flank. Hunt took the pass and crossed it over to the right side of the box, to an open Dennis Tueart, who volleyed the ball left-footed into the net. {In the Soccer Bowl ’78 section on the lower section of the map page, here, Tueart is seen striking the ball to the far post, past Rowdies goalkeeper Winston DuBose.}

Just before halftime (45′), Giorgio Chinaglia made it 2–0. Chinaglia scored on a rare header, from 12 yards out. The goal came off of the rebound of a shot by Steve Hunt, when the ball had bounced upwards, off of the collapsed goalkeeper.

In the 2nd half, Tampa Bay had a steady run of scoring chances, as did the Cosmos. In the 71st minute, Tampa Bay scored on a goal by Mirandinha (with an assist from David Robb). Tampa Bay’s David Robb stole a pass from Dennis Tueart in the Cosmos’ end, and passed it to Mirandinha near the top of the box. The Brazilian used the outside of his foot to curl a low shot past Cosmos’ goalkeeper Jack Brand, with the ball bouncing off the near post and into the goal.

But just 3 minutes later, the Cosmos answered back, with a 77th minute goal by Dennis Tueart (assist by Werner Roth). Cosmos’ captain DF Werner Roth nutmegged Tampa Bay DF Joey Fink, then slotted a pass, finding Dennis Tueart at the top-right of the box. Tueart rounded the ‘keeper, and scored from a tight angle. Dennis Tueart was selected as MVP of Soccer Bowl ’78. The Cosmos were back-to-back NASL champions.

nasl_soccer-bowl-78_ny-cosmos_vs_tampa-bay-rowdies_dennis-tueart_w-trophy_shoot-magazine-photo-spread_b_.gif
Image above – from Shoot magazine [England, 1978] via facebook.com/[1970s Soccer USA].

The 1978 NASL season was the start of what many consider to be the league’s Golden Age. Yet what was generally overlooked was the fact that, besides the Cosmos, most of the established teams had decreases in attendance – Minnesota, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Washington, Portland, and most alarmingly, Dallas (with attendance down 7.9-K per game). Of the other established teams besides the Cosmos, only Vancouver, San Jose, Ft. Lauderdale, and Rochester had an increase in attendance. Of the 10 new teams, 5 drew promising numbers, all drawing between 11.0-K-to-12.2-K…Detroit Express, New England Tea Men, Oakland Stompers, Tulsa Roughnecks, and California Surf. But Oakland folded up and moved to Edmonton, Alberta. (Tulsa would go on to be 1984 NASL champions.) In 1978, the NASL’s overall average attendance was 13,084, which was actually a decline of 474-per-game from 1977 (although attendance would rise in both 1979 and ’80).

The entire spectacle of the NASL was vastly entertaining, but it was becoming apparent that it was built upon an unsustainable business model (paying big bucks for foreign stars, while ignoring the potential of home-grown talent). The next 3 seasons would bear that out.
___
Soccer Bowl ’78 photo credits…
-Top-row shot of Soccer Bowl ’78 crowd at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, photo by George Tiedemann /Sports Illustrated via gettyimages.co.ie. -4 screenshots from ’1978 08 27 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs New York Cosmos Soccer Bowl’, uploaded by NASL 1968-1984 Soccer History at youtube.com (31′, Dennis Tueart scores; 45′, Giorgio Chinaglia scores; 74′, Mirandinha scores; 77′, Dennis Tueart scores his second goal). -Giorgio Chinaglia, photo from facebook.com. -Dennis Tueart with Soccer Bowl ’78 trophy, post game, photo unattributed at manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport.

Photo credits of 1978 NASL All-Stars…
First Team…
-Kevin Keelan, New England Tea Men (GK), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Keelan, Kevin].
-Carlos Alberto, New York Cosmos (DF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com.
-Mike England, Seattle Sounders (DF), photo (from 1976 pre-season) by Scott Butner via goalwa.wordpress.com.
-Ray Evans, St, Louis Stars (DF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com.
-Chris Turner, New England Tea Men (DF), photo unattributed nasljerseys.com/Turner, Chris].
-Franz Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos (MF/DF), photo unattributed at si.com/soccer.
-Gerry Daly, New England Tea Men (MF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Daly, Gerry].
-Rodney Marsh, Tampa Bay Rowdies (MF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Marsh, Rodney].
-Trevor Francis, Detroit Express (FW), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Francis, Trevor].
-Mike Flanagan, New England Tea Men (FW), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Flanagan, Mike].
-Giorgio Chinaglia, New York Cosmos (FW), photo by George Tiedmann/courtesy Miramax Films via archive.nytimes.com/goal.blogs.
Photo credits of 1978 NASL All-Stars…
Second Team…
-Alan Mayer, San Diego Sockers (GK), photo from KICK magazine [1978] via nasljerseys.com/Mayer, Alan.
-Bruce Wilson, Chicago Sting (DF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Wilson, Bruce].
-Arsène Auguste, Tampa Bay Rowdies (DF), photo unattributed at mytampabayrowdies.blogspot.com.
-John Craven, Vancouver Whitecaps (DF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Craven, John].
-Alan Merrick, Minnesota Kicks (DF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com[Merrick, Alan].
-Vladislav Bogićević, New York Cosmos (MF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Bogicevic, Vladislav].
-Alan Ball, Philadelphia Fury (MF), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Ball, Alan].
-Ray Hudson, Fort Lauderdale Strikers (FW), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Hudson, Ray].
-Steve Wegerle, Tampa Bay Rowdies (FW), image unattributed at facebook.com/TampaBayRowdies/videos.
-Kevin Hector, Vancouver Whitecaps (FW), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Hector, Kevin].
-Steve Hunt, New York Cosmos (FW), photo unattributed at nasljerseys.com/[Hunt, Steve].

February 3, 2025

2025 Copa Libertadores Map (47 teams) with club histories (Libertadores appearances & titles listed)+ Population-chart of cities with teams in the 2025 Libertadores.

Filed under: Copa Libertadores — admin @ 7:11 pm

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2025 Copa Libertadores Map (47 teams) with club histories (Libertadores appearances & titles listed)




By Bill Turianski on 3 February 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-2025 Copa Libertadores (en.wikipedia.org).
-Summary: results, fixtures, standings (flashscore.co.uk).
-CONMEBOL Libertadores/2025.
-espn.com/[Libertadores].

This is the 66th edition of the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious football tournament in South America.
The 2025 tournament is the 9th since it was expanded in 2017, from 38 to 47 teams. Since then, no team from a country other than Brazil or Argentina has won the title (Brazilian teams have won it 7 times since the tournament-expansion, and an Argentinian team has won it once since then). And Brazilian sides have won the last six titles. (Copa Libertadores winner in 2024 was Botofogo, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; it was the club’s first Libertadores title. Copa Sudamericana winner in 2024 was Racing, of Avellaneda [Greater Buenos Aires], Argentina.)

This map includes the Preliminary-Stage teams:
There are 19 preliminary-stage teams…and only four of those 19 teams advance to the Group Stage. (Note: on the map-page, on the teams-by-country lists that flank the map, the 19 preliminary clubs are shown in italics, accented by a light tan-color.)

Schedule
-The first of three Preliminary stages starts on 4-to-6 February {2025 Copa Libertadores Qualifying stages}.
-The Group Stage starts on 1-to-3 April. The draw for the Group Stage is on the 19th of March.

Qualified teams by country:
•Brazil has 8 teams (7 + Copa Libertadores holder).
•Argentina has 7 teams (6 + Copa Sudamericana holder).
•The eight other countries all have 4 teams each (Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela).

Cities with teams in the 2025 Copa Libertadores
On the map, next to each team’s name, is the name of the city the team is located in. The text-size for the city-names gradually gets smaller for the smaller cities. Populations can be seen in the chart at the top-center of the map-page. {Or see the chart below.} The chart includes the ten largest metropolitan areas in South America – eight of which have teams in the 2024 Copa Libertadores. Then the list shows all the other top-50-largest metro-areas in South America with Libertadores teams this year. And then the list shows the other metro-areas with Libertadores teams this year. The smallest city to be hosting a Copa Libertadores team in 2025 is Entre Ríos, Cochabamba, central Bolivia, the home of Copa Libertadores first-timers CD San Antonio Bulo Bulo. CD San Antonio had never even been in the Bolivian top flight before 2024. Entre Ríos, which has a population of only 5,000, is located, by road, 164 miles (264 km) east of the city of Cochabamba. There is another team in the Libertadores this season (in the preliminary rounds), that is from a very small city. That is Club Atlético Boston River, of Florida, Uruguay, which is located 56 miles (90 km) north of Montevideo, and has a population of 33,000. This is Boston River’s 2nd Libertadores appearance.
conmebol_copa-libertadores_2025_chart_cities-in-tournament_w-populations_e_.gif
{Populations…Cities with teams in 2022 Copa Libertadores: Metropolitan-area figures for 50 largest South American cities from, 2015 at: List of South American metropolitan areas by population (en.wikipedia.org); & Population figures for other cities with teams in tournament at: each city’s en.wikipedia page.}



___
Thanks to all at the links below
-Globe-map of South America by Luan at File:South America (orthographic projection).svg (en.wikipedia.org/[South America]).
-Blank map of South America by Anbans 585 at File:CONMEBOL laea location map without rivers.svg.
-2025 Copa Libertadores (en.wikipedia.org).
-Copa Libertadores 1960-2019 Club Histories (rsssf.com).
-Libertadores titles list {en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Libertadores#Performances_by_club}.

January 17, 2025

NHL: 2024-25 National Hockey League, location-map with home jerseys, w/ each team’s franchise history, titles, and ’24-25 jersey logos./+ An article: History of the NHL via franchise history.

Filed under: Hockey,Hockey-NHL and expansion — admin @ 11:00 am

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NHL: 2024-25 National Hockey League, location-map with home jerseys



By Bill Turianski on 17 January 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-2024-25 NHL season (en.wikipedia.org).
-NHL.com

    2024-25 National Hockey League, location-map with home jerseys, w/ each team’s franchise history, titles, and ’24-25 jersey logos

This is a basic location map, with each hockey club’s 2024-25 home jersey shown. Flanking the map are profile-boxes for each team, arranged by Division and Conference.

The profile boxes show 5 things…
A) City-location. B) ’24-25 home jersey. C) Franchise history, including all league-changes, location-moves, and name-changes. D) Stanley Cup titles (with last title listed), and Stanley Cup Finals appearances (with last appearance listed). E) All logos used on the team’s current jerseys – this includes shoulder patch logos, and logos on alternate (3rd) jerseys.

There were only 2 exceptions to this…I included the brand-new Utah Hockey Club’s alternate logo of State-of-Utah-with-wordmark logo; and I included the LA Kings’ new/retro Crown logo (which is much more like their original purple-and-gold Crown logo), and is which part of their new shield-logo. 2025 Winter Classic (Blackhawks vs Blues) jerseys are included. Retro uniforms are included (such as Buffalo, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg). Unusual 3rd jerseys are included (such as NY Rangers and NJ Devils). Minnesota Wild technically have one more logo on their (3rd) jersey this season – it is their current main logo, but in retro North Stars’ kelly-green-and-gold colors {see this at sportslogos.net}. There are 5 teams that are currently wearing only one logo on all their jerseys: Montreal, Detroit, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

Photo credits on map: Jersey photos from NHL, Fanatics Unveil New On-Ice Jerseys for 2024-25 (sportslogos.net). -Boston Bruins’ Centennial Game jersey-logo [Dec. 1 2024], from video uploaded by Icethetics via youtube.com. -Buffalo Sabres’ throwback Sabre-in-B shoulder patch logo, and “Goat-head”-black-and-red logo from news.sportslogos.net. -Chicago Blackhawks’ 2025 Winter Classic jersey from sportsworldchicago.com. -New Jersey Devils’ 3rd jersey-logo (black with “Jersey”-in-script logo) from fanaticsauthentic.com. -NY Rangers’ 3rd jersey (navy-blue w/ Rangers-shield-and-MSG-lights-striping), from adidas.com. -San Jose Sharks’ Cali-Fin shoulder patch logo, from sharksproshop.com. -St. Louis Blues’ 2025 Winter Classic jersey from shop.nhl.com.



    History of the NHL via franchise history

1917: NHL is formed from the defection of 4 NHA* teams. *NHA (National Hockey Association): predecessor-league to the NHL, in Ontario, and Quebec, Canada (1910-17). In the NHA’s 8 seasons, there were between 4 to 7 teams.
The four charter members of the NHL…
-Montreal Canadiens (1909- /NHA, 1910-17/ NHL, 1917- ). Established as Club athletique Canadien. 1917: re-named le Club de hockey Canadien, which remains the team’s official name. Montreal Canadiens are the only active NHL franchise to pre-date the NHL.
-Montreal Wanderers (1903-17/ NHA, 1910-17; NHL, 1917-18, folded after 6 games/defunct in 1918).
-Ottawa Senators (I/original) (1883-1934/ NHA, 1910-17/ NHL, 1917-34). >1934: after 17 seasons in Ottawa, franchise moved to St. Louis, MO and re-named St. Louis Eagles (NHL, 1934-35/defunct in 1935).
-Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL, 1917- ). Established as Toronto Arenas, with most players coming from Toronto Blueshirts (NHA, 1912-17). 1919: re-named Toronto St. Patricks. February 1927: re-named Toronto Maple Leafs.

1919: In the NHL’s 3rd season, another former NHA team is added:
-Quebec Bulldogs (of Quebec City, QC) (1878-1920/ NHA, 1910-17/ NHL, 1919-20). (Established 1883 as Quebec Hockey Club.) >1920: after 1 NHL season in Quebec City, franchise moved to Hamilton, Ontario and re-named Hamilton Tigers (NHL, 1920-25/franchise suspended by league in 1925 after Hamilton players went on strike for playoff wages/defunct in 1925, with players transferred to New York Americans).
1924: In the NHL’s 8th season, two expansion teams are added, making it a 6-team league.
-Boston Bruins (NHL, 1924- ). The Bruins are the first team USA-based team in the NHL.
-Montreal Maroons (NHL, 1924-38/defunct in 1938).
1925: In the NHL’s 9th season, 2 expansion teams are added, making it a 7-team league:
-New York Americans (NHL, 1925-41). Formed with players transferred from the defunct Hamilton Tigers. 1941: re-named Brooklyn Americans (NHL, 1941-42/defunct in 1942).
-Pittsburgh Pirates (1915-30/ NHL, 1925-30). >1930: after 5 seasons in Pittsburgh, franchise moved to Philadelphia, PA and re-named Philadelphia Quakers (NHL, 1930-31/defunct in 1931).
1926: In the NHL’s 10th season, the league is a 10-team league, with the addition of 3 teams: Chicago, Detroit & NY Rangers…
-Chicago Blackhawks (NHL, 1926- ). Established as Chicago Black Hawks, with most players transferred from the defunct Portland Rosebuds (of the WCHL*). 1986: re-named Chicago Blackhawks.
-Detroit Red Wings (NHL, 1926- ). Established as Detroit Cougars, with most players transferred from the defunct Stanley Cup-winning Victoria Cougars (of the WCHL*). (1930-32: re-named Detroit Falcons.) 1932: re-named Detroit Red Wings.
-New York Rangers (NHL, 1926- ).
*WCHL: one of 2 western Canada-based leagues, along with the PCHA, to rival the NHL circa 1917 to ’25. 3 teams from the PCHA & the WCHL won Stanley Cup titles (Vancouver Millionaires in 1915, Seattle Metropolitans in 1917, Victoria Cougars in 1925).

{Here is a map and article about the first expansion era of the NHL, National Hockey League. 1927-28 season map, and an overview of the NHL’s first expansion era, with 7 expansion teams added between 1924 and 1926…and 5 teams defunct by 1942 (billsportsmaps.com/[Dec 2009]).}

[Here is the list, in order of date of establishment, of the 5 defunct NHL franchises that pre-date the Original Six era...
-Quebec Bulldogs (of Quebec City, QC) (1878-1920/ NHA, 1910-17/ NHL, 1919-20). (Established 1883 as Quebec Hockey Club.) >1920: after 1 NHL season in Quebec City, franchise moved to Hamilton, Ontario and re-named Hamilton Tigers (NHL, 1920-25/franchise suspended by league in 1925 after Hamilton players went on strike for playoff wages/defunct in 1925, with players transferred to New York Americans).
-Ottawa Senators (I/original) (1883-1935/ NHA, 1910-17/ NHL, 1917-34). 1934: after 17 seasons in Ottawa, franchise moved to St. Louis, MO and re-named St. Louis Eagles (NHL, 1934-35/defunct in 1935).
-Montreal Wanderers (1903-17/ NHA, 1910-17; NHL, 1917-18, folded after 6 games/defunct in 1918).
-Pittsburgh Pirates (1915-30/ NHL, 1925-30). >1930: after 5 seasons in Pittsburgh, franchise moved to Philadelphia, PA and re-named Philadelphia Quakers (NHL, 1930-31/defunct in 1931).
-New York Americans (NHL, 1925-41). Formed with players transferred from the defunct Hamilton Tigers. 1941: re-named Brooklyn Americans (NHL, 1941-42/defunct in 1942).
Defunct NHL teams with Stanley Cup titles...Ottawa Senators (I/original): 4 Stanley Cup titles (1920, 1921, 1923, 1927); Montreal Maroons: 2 Stanley Cup titles (1926, 1935).

1942: By 1942-43, the 10-team NHL of the late 1920s had become a 6-team league: Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs. AKA the Original Six (a misleading term as only Montreal and Toronto were original teams of the NHL). The Original Six era lasts 25 seasons: 1942-43 to 1966-67.

1967: NHL doubles in size, with the addition of 6 expansion teams:
(California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues.)
-California Seals (NHL, 1967-76, re-named Oakland Seals in 1967, then back to California Seals in 1970, re-named California Golden Seals in 1974. >1976 franchise moved to Cleveland, OH as the Cleveland Barons (NHL, 1976-78/defunct: merged with Minnesota North Stars).
-Los Angeles Kings (NHL, 1967- ).
-Minnesota North Stars (NHL, 1967-1993). >1993: franchise moves to Dallas, TX and re-named Dallas Stars (NHL, 1993- ).
-Philadelphia Flyers (NHL, 1967- ).
-Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL, 1967- ).
-St. Louis Blues (NHL, 1967- ).

{Here is a map and article about the start of the second expansion era of the NHL, National Hockey League. The start of the second expansion era, 1967-68 season (6 teams added) (billsportsmaps.com/[Jan 2010]).}

1970: NHL expands by 2, to 14 teams:
-Buffalo Sabres NHL, (NHL, 1970- ).
-Vancouver Canucks (NHL, 1970- ).
1972: NHL expands by 2, to 16 teams:
-Atlanta Flames (NHL, 1972-80). >1980: franchise moves to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and re-named Calgary Flames (NHL, 1980- ).
-New York Islanders (NHL, 1972- ).
1974: NHL expands by 2, to 18 teams:
-Kansas City Scouts (NHL, 1974-76). >1976: franchise moves to Denver, CO; and re-named Colorado Rockies (NHL, 1976-82). >1982: franchise moves to East Rutherford, NJ; and re-named New Jersey Devils (NHL, 1982- ).
-Washington Capitals (NHL, 1974- ).
1978: NHL contracts from 18 to 17 teams, with Cleveland Barons folding and merging with Minnesota North Stars. This is the last time one of the big 4 North American sports leagues contracted.

1979: 4 former WHA* teams join the NHL, expanding the league to 21 teams:
(Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets.)
*WHA (World Hockey Association, 1972-79): rival league that challenged, then merged, with the NHL. The WHA’s presence made the NHL expand more quickly circa 1972-74. Of the 4 WHA franchises today, only Edmonton Oilers are in the same location.
-Edmonton Oilers (WHA, 1972-79 [1972-73 named Alberta Oilers]/ NHL, 1979- ).
-Hartford Whalers (New England Whalers: WHA, 1972-79/ Hartford Whalers: NHL, 1979-97). >1997: franchise moves to Raleigh, NC; and re-named Carolina Hurricanes (NHL, 1997- ).
-Quebec Nordiques (WHA, 1972-79/ NHL, 1979-95). >1995: franchise moves to Denver, CO and re-named Colorado Avalanche (1995- ).
-Winnipeg Jets (I/original) (WHA, 1972-79/ NHL, 1979-96). >1996: franchise moves to Phoenix, AZ and re-named Phoenix Coyotes (NHL 1996-2014); 2014: re-named Arizona Coyotes (2014-24). >Franchise became inactive in 2024, selling its players and assets to Utah Hockey Club of Salt Lake City, UT (est. 2024).

{Here is a map and an article I made on the WHA, The World Hockey Association, 1972-73 to 1978-79: map of all 26 teams, with attendance figures and notes (billsportsmaps.com/[Feb 2010]).}

1991: NHL expands by 1, to 22 teams:
-San Jose Sharks (NHL, 1991- ).
1992: NHL expands by 2, to 24 teams:
-Ottawa Senators (II) (NHL, 1992- ).
-Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL, 1992- ).
1993: NHL expands by 2, to 26 teams:
-Anaheim Ducks (NHL, 1993- ). Established as Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; 2006: re-named Anaheim Ducks.
-Florida Panthers (NHL, 1993- ).
1998: NHL expands by 1, to 27 teams:
-Nashville Predators (NHL, 1998- ).
1999: NHL expands by 1, to 28 teams:
- Atlanta Thrashers (NHL, 1999-2011). >2011: franchise moves to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and re-named Winnipeg Jets (II) (2011- ).
2000: NHL expands by 2, to 30 teams:
-Columbus Blue Jackets (2000- ).
-Minnesota Wild (2000- ).

[2005-06: NHL season cancelled due to labor lockout.]
2017: NHL expands by 1, to 31 teams:
-Vegas Golden Knights (2017- ).
2021: NHL expands by 1, to 32 teams:
-Seattle Kraken (2021- ).
2024: Number of teams remains 32, but the NHL makes one franchise inactive: Arizona Coyotes. At the same time, NHL adds 1 expansion franchise:
-Utah Hockey Club (2024-), with players, assets, and personnel bought from the Arizona Coyotes’ franchise. Utah Hockey Club current team name, colors, and logos are provisional. Fans will vote on a permanent nickname. Names that are in contention are: Mammoth, Yeti, Outlaws, Blizzard, Venom, and Utah Hockey Club.



___
Thanks to NuclearVacuum for the blank map of North America, File:BlankMap-North America-Subdivisions.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
Thanks to Sportslogos.net/[NHL] for some logos, and jersey information.

January 6, 2025

2024-25 FA Cup, 3rd Round Proper: location-map, with fixtures list & current league attendances.

Filed under: 2024-25 FA Cup — admin @ 8:48 pm

2024-25_fa-cup_3rd-round_map_w-league-attendances_w-fixtures_post_d_.gif
2024-25 FA Cup, 3rd Round Proper: location-map, with fixtures list & current league attendances



By Bill Turianski on 6 January 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-The competition…FA Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-2024-25 FA Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-BBC’s page on the competition…bbc.com/fa-cup.

The FA Cup is the oldest football tournament in the world. The 2024-25 FA Cup is the 144th edition of the tournament. The FA Cup Third Round is when the teams from the top 2 divisions in England – the Premier League, and the EFL Championship – join the competition. The 20 Premier League teams and the 24 Championship teams join 20 other lower-leagues teams.

    Below: The 20 lower-leagues teams still in the competition…

-Twelve 3rd-division teams [who play in the EFL League One]: Birmingham City, Bristol Rovers, Charlton Athletic, Exeter City, Leyton Orient, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Peterborough United, Reading, Stockport County, Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers.
2024-25_fa-cup_3rd-round_12-teams-from-3rd-tier_b_.gif

-Six 4th-division teams [who play in the EFL League Two]: Accrington Stanley, Bromley, Doncaster Rovers, Harrogate Town, Morecambe, Salford City.
2024-25_fa-cup_3rd-round_6-teams-from-4th-tier_b_.gif

-Two 5th-division teams [who play in the non-League National League]: Dagenham & Redbridge, Tamworth.
2024-25_fa-cup_3rd-round_6-teams-from-5th-tier_b_.gif
___
Sources…
Thanks to all, at the links below…
-Blank map of English Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Counties, by Nilfanion, at File:English metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties 2010.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Blank relief map of Greater London, by Nilfanion (using UK Ordnance Survey data), at File:Greater London UK relief location map.jpg.
-Blank relief map of Greater Manchester, by Nilfanion (using Ordnance Survey data), at File:Greater Manchester UK relief location map.jpg.
-Blank relief map of West Midlands, by Nilfanion, at File:West Midlands UK relief location map.jpg
-Fixtures list: screenshot from bbc.com/fa-cup.
-FA Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
Attendance figures…
-Soccerway.com (current average attendances for the 1st, 2nd 3rd, and 4th divisions).
-nonleaguematters.co.uk (current average attendances for the 5th division).

December 19, 2024

Spain: 2024-25 La Liga – Location-map, with 3 charts: Attendance [current], Seasons-in-1st-Division & Spanish titles list./ +Promoted to La Liga in 2024: Valladolid, Leganés, Espanyol.

Filed under: Spain — admin @ 6:51 pm

spain-la-liga_2024-25_location-map-of-the-20-clubs_current-attendance-december-16-2024_spanish-titles-list_seasons-in-1st-div_post_d_.gif
Spain: 2024-25 La Liga – Location-map, with 3 charts: Attendance [current], Seasons-in-1st-Division & Spanish titles list


By Bill Turianski on 19 December 2024; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-2024-25 La Liga (en.wikipedia.org).
-Spain » Primera División 2024/2025 (worldfootball.net).
-La Liga – Summary: matches, table, players, etc (soccerway.com).
-Sid Lowe at theguardian.com/football [Spanish football coverage] (theguardian.com/profile/sidlowe).

The map. The map page shows a location-map for the 20 clubs in the 2024-25 La Liga, with recently-promoted and -relegated teams noted. (Promoted in 2024: Valladolid, Leganés, Espanyol. Relegated in 2024: Cádiz, Almería, Granada.)

The map also shows the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain, and the 20 largest Spanish metropolitan areas. Those 20 largest Spanish metro-areas, with their 2018 population estimates, are listed at the top-centre of the map-page.

The 3 charts
A). A chart showing Current Attendance (up to week 17; 19 Dec 2024) plus 2024-25 finish, and with teams playing in Europe noted. There are also columns listing Venue-capacities and Percent-capacities. Note: For 2023-24, and for 2024-25 up to Feb 2025, FC Barcelona are playing at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, due to Camp Nou redevelopments. Barcelona’s home capacity is thus reduced by around 43,400. (Camp Nou capacity: 99,354. Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys capacity: 55,926.)
B). A chart showing Seasons-in-La Liga by club, with consecutive seasons listed. This is the 94th La Liga season. Three La Liga founding members – Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Club [Bilbao] have never been relegated.
C). A chart showing the All-time Spanish professional titles list (1929 to 2023-24).



    Spanish clubs promoted in 2024…

2024: Valladolid, promoted back to La Liga after 1 year…
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol are from Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, located, by road, 101 miles (162 km) NW of Madrid. The elevation of Valladolid is 2,290 ft [or 0.4 miles] (698 m). Valladolid’s metro-area population is around 369,000 {2018 figure}. Valladolid is the 20th-largest city in Spain.

Valladolid wear violet-&-white vertical stripes. Valladolid first played in La Liga in 1948-49. Valladolid have played 47 seasons of 1st division football, which is the 13th-most in Spain. Their best finish was 4th place, in 1962-63. A yo-yo club since 2020-21: Valladolid have been relegated, then promoted, the last 4 seasons. (Relegated in 2021/Promoted in 2022/Relegated in 2023/Promoted in 2024.) Valladolid play in the 42-year-old 27-K-capacity Estadio José Zorrilla, which is a whole lot nicer of a venue since 2019, when the dry-moat that encircled the pitch was removed. Valladolid are currently [19 Dec 2024] in the relegation zone (yet again), and are drawing 21.3-K-per-game (77.2%-capacity).
valladolid_promoted-2024_estadio-jose-zorilla_h_.gif
2024-25 Valladolid home jersey, from uksoccershop.com. Stadium photo unattributed at skyscrapercity.com/[Valladolid - Estadio José Zorrilla Expansion, May 2023 post].



2024: Leganés, promoted back to La Liga after 4 years…
CD Leganés are from Leganés, a southern suburb of Madrid. (Leganés is located, by road, 9 miles (15 km) SSW of central Madrid.) In the 1950s, and all the way into the early 1990s, Leganés were a 4th or a 3rd tier team. They finally made it to the 2nd division in 1993, but it took them 23 more seasons to get promoted to La Liga. Leganés first played in La Liga in 2016-17. They played four seasons in the top flight, then were relegated back to Segunda División in 2020. Leganés wear dark-blue-&-white vertical stripes. Leganés play at the 12.4-K-capacity Estadio Municipal de Butarque, and they have been paying there since the stadium opened in 1998. Leganés recently (16 Dec) had a 0-1 upset win over Barcelona, and are currently [19 Dec 2024] in 15th place, and are drawing 10.7-K-per-game (86.3%-capacity).

leganes_promoted-2024_estadio-municipal-butarque_c_.gif
2024-25 Leganés home jersey, from dhgate.com. Estadio Municipal de Butarque, photo from cdleganes.com/noticias.



2024: Espanyol, promoted back to La Liga after 1 year…
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona wear blue-&-white vertical stripes. RCD Espanyol are the 6th-longest serving club in La Liga, having played in 88 of the 94 La Liga seasons. But Espanyol have never won a Spanish title. And Espanyol are considerably overshadowed by their local rivals, FC Barcelona. Part of that has to do with Espanyol’s distancing itself from the Catalan independence movement (the fanbase of Espanyol is generally perceived as being much more right-wing than Barcelona’s fanbase). But part of it also has to do with the fact that Espanyol’s fanbase is a fraction of the size of Barcelona’s: Espanyol can only half-fill their award-winning, but too-large, 40-K-capacity stadium.

Espanyol were a founding member of La Liga in 1929 (one of 10 teams). Espanyol have been relegated 6 times, but each time, they won promotion straight back to La Liga (1961-63, 1968-70, 1988-90, 1992-94, 2019-21, 2022-24). Espanyol have won 4 Copa del Rey titles (1929, 1940, 2000, 2006).

Espanyol are currently [19 Dec 2024] back in the relegation zone, and are drawing 22.8-K-per-game (which is a league-worst 55.8%-capacity), at their 40,000-seat RCDE Stadium.

espanyol_promoted-2024_rcde-stadium_f_.gif
Photo credits above – 2024-25 Espanyol home jersey, from subsidesports.com. RCDE Stadium, aerial photo unattributed at guidetourism.net.



___
Thanks to all at the following links
-Blank map of Spain, by NordNordWest at File:Spain location map.svg;
-Globe-map of Spain, by Rob984 at File:EU-Spain (orthographic projection).svg;
-Map of the Community of Madrid, by Miguillen at File:Spain Madrid location map.svg (en.wikipedia.org).
-Map of Canary Islands, by Miguillen at File:Canarias-loc.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Largest metropolitan areas in Spain (2018 European Spatial Planning Observation Network figures) (en.wikipedia.org).
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Liga#Clubs.
-Autonomous communities of Spain;
-List of metropolitan areas in Spain (en.wikipedia.org).
-Attendance, worldfootball.net/attendance/esp-primera-division-2024-25.

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