Boston Bulldogs (soccer)

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The Boston Bulldogs were a soccer club in the A-League in 1999 and 2000. They played in the USL Pro Soccer League in 2001 before folding. The team started out as the Worcester Wildfire in 1997. The first year in the A-League was fraught with financial problems and lack of a regular training facility. The owner was John Curtis from Cape Cod who also owned the Cape Cod Crusaders and the new women's franchise the Boston Renegades. Curtis probably overstretched his financial limits and ended up selling out before the start of the second year. The first coach of the A-League Wildfire was Nigel Boulton a native of Wales. Boulton resigned following the completion of the first year to take up the State Director of Coaching position in Mississippi. He now coaches the men's program at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS. The Wildfire were the official 'farm team' for the New England Revolution of the Major League Soccer. One notable player on the Wildfire roster in 1997 was Jon Busch (current Chicago Fire, MLS) who eventually went on to play for the Columbus Crew (MLS) and was capped for the US National Team.

[edit] Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1996	2	USISL Pro League	9th Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1996/97	N/A	USISL I-League	Played limited schedule	Did not qualify	N/A
1997	2	USISL A-League	6th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1998	2	USISL A-League	5th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Third Round
1999	2	USL A-League	6th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2000	2	USL A-League	5th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Quarterfinals
2001	3	USL D3-Pro League	1st, Northern	Semifinals	Semifinals