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Wichita Wings
The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979. They played in the Kansas Coliseum, a venue that featured a 200-by-85-foot field and seating for 9,681 fans.
When the MISL (which had since been renamed the Major Soccer League) folded in 1992, the Wings moved to the National Professional Soccer League. At the time the Wings folded, after the 2000–2001 season, they were the oldest professional soccer franchise in the United States. Despite having some of the best records in US indoor soccer, the Wings never won a league championship or reached the league finals.
A new team named after the Wichita Wings began play in the 2011–12 season and shut down after the 2012–2013 season. They were in turn replaced by a new team called the Wichita B-52s who played in the Major Arena Soccer League.
Local Wichita news sources (KWCH, KAKE) have confirmed that yet another new Wichita Wings will be making a return to professional soccer for the upcoming 2019-20 season, although they have not made public which league they will be playing in.
Another version of the Wichita Wings have since returned in the MASL 2 Indoor Soccer League (MASL 2). With their return, the Wings now call Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, home.
The team hosted the NPSL All-Star Game in 1996 and 1999.
In 1978, Tom Marshall, a local youth soccer promoter with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), convinced the North American Soccer League's (NASL) Dallas Tornado to come to Wichita to play an exhibition game. Proceeds from the event would benefit the local AYSO organization. On December 1, the Tornado squared off against the Houston Hurricane at the Kansas Coliseum. It was Roy Turner’s last game as a professional. Over the next year, Marshall and other soccer enthusiasts, including Jackie Knapp, worked to find investors and bring a professional soccer team to Wichita. Bob Becker, the owner of Great Plains Corporation, an oil marketing operation, agreed to fund the new team. The newly-christened Wichita Wings joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 1979, the league’s second year of operation.
Becker hired Roy Turner as head coach and brought in Ward Lawrence to help oversee operations. Tom Marshall became the Wings’ general manager. On November 23, 1979, with only a week to go before the opening game, Marshall ceased to be a part of the Wings organization. The Wings and Marshall disagreed on the details of the separation, but it was to be permanent. Ward Lawrence took over as general manager and Becker brought in Ray Denton to help run day-to-day operations. Mike Ivanow was to be the first signing, but the paperwork sent to his home misspelled his name. The delay resulted in Norman Piper becoming the first Wichita Wing. Piper was joined by the former Dallas Tornado and Liverpool player Kevin Kewley, who became the team's captain. Former Manchester United forward Jimmy Ryan and Argentinian phenom Omar Gomez anchored the team's offense. Roy Turner brought on George Ley as a player-coach. Later in the season, the team added former Manchester United winger Willie Anderson and forward Andy Chapman. Chapman had signed with Arsenal at age 16 and would become a fan favorite in Wichita, becoming the fifth leading scorer in Wings history. Ivanow would be joined in goal by Keith Van Eron. Though Ivanow had US Olympic experience, Van Eron would end up playing more time in goal.
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Wichita Wings
The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979. They played in the Kansas Coliseum, a venue that featured a 200-by-85-foot field and seating for 9,681 fans.
When the MISL (which had since been renamed the Major Soccer League) folded in 1992, the Wings moved to the National Professional Soccer League. At the time the Wings folded, after the 2000–2001 season, they were the oldest professional soccer franchise in the United States. Despite having some of the best records in US indoor soccer, the Wings never won a league championship or reached the league finals.
A new team named after the Wichita Wings began play in the 2011–12 season and shut down after the 2012–2013 season. They were in turn replaced by a new team called the Wichita B-52s who played in the Major Arena Soccer League.
Local Wichita news sources (KWCH, KAKE) have confirmed that yet another new Wichita Wings will be making a return to professional soccer for the upcoming 2019-20 season, although they have not made public which league they will be playing in.
Another version of the Wichita Wings have since returned in the MASL 2 Indoor Soccer League (MASL 2). With their return, the Wings now call Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, home.
The team hosted the NPSL All-Star Game in 1996 and 1999.
In 1978, Tom Marshall, a local youth soccer promoter with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), convinced the North American Soccer League's (NASL) Dallas Tornado to come to Wichita to play an exhibition game. Proceeds from the event would benefit the local AYSO organization. On December 1, the Tornado squared off against the Houston Hurricane at the Kansas Coliseum. It was Roy Turner’s last game as a professional. Over the next year, Marshall and other soccer enthusiasts, including Jackie Knapp, worked to find investors and bring a professional soccer team to Wichita. Bob Becker, the owner of Great Plains Corporation, an oil marketing operation, agreed to fund the new team. The newly-christened Wichita Wings joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 1979, the league’s second year of operation.
Becker hired Roy Turner as head coach and brought in Ward Lawrence to help oversee operations. Tom Marshall became the Wings’ general manager. On November 23, 1979, with only a week to go before the opening game, Marshall ceased to be a part of the Wings organization. The Wings and Marshall disagreed on the details of the separation, but it was to be permanent. Ward Lawrence took over as general manager and Becker brought in Ray Denton to help run day-to-day operations. Mike Ivanow was to be the first signing, but the paperwork sent to his home misspelled his name. The delay resulted in Norman Piper becoming the first Wichita Wing. Piper was joined by the former Dallas Tornado and Liverpool player Kevin Kewley, who became the team's captain. Former Manchester United forward Jimmy Ryan and Argentinian phenom Omar Gomez anchored the team's offense. Roy Turner brought on George Ley as a player-coach. Later in the season, the team added former Manchester United winger Willie Anderson and forward Andy Chapman. Chapman had signed with Arsenal at age 16 and would become a fan favorite in Wichita, becoming the fifth leading scorer in Wings history. Ivanow would be joined in goal by Keith Van Eron. Though Ivanow had US Olympic experience, Van Eron would end up playing more time in goal.