Boston Bulldogs (soccer)
 | |||
| Full name | Boston Bulldogs Pro Soccer | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bulldogs | ||
| Founded | 1996 (as Worcester Wildfire) | ||
| Dissolved | 2001 | ||
| Stadium |
Bowditch Stadium Framingham, Massachusetts | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Owner(s) |
 John Curtis (1996) Tom Bagley Reidar Tryggestad | ||
| League |
USISL (1996) USL A-League (1997-2000) USL D3 Pro League (2001) | ||
|
| |||
The Boston Bulldogs were a soccer club originally founded in 1996 as the Worcester Wildfire. The team debuted in the USISL and would play in the A-League from 1997 to 2000. Before folding, the team played its final season in the USL D3 Pro Soccer League in 2001.[1]
The club played its games at Bowditch Stadium in Framingham, Massachusetts.[2]
History
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 was forced to sell the club before the start of the second season. 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, Mississippi, . The Wildfire were the official 'farm team' for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Notable former players on the Wildfire/Bulldogs roster include Jon Busch (1997) (who would go on to play for the US National Team in 2005) and Steve Nicol, both of whom have found success in Major League Soccer.
-
Worcester Wildfire logo used from 1996-1998
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 | Did not qualify |
| 2001 | 3 | USL D3-Pro League | 1st, Northern | Semifinals | Semifinals |
Coaches
Nigel Boulton: 1997- John Kerr: 1998-99
Steve Nicol: 1999, 2000–01