Mississippi Beach Kings
Mississippi Beach Kings logo | |
Full name | Mississippi Beach Kings |
---|---|
Founded | 1997 (as Columbus Comets) |
Dissolved | 1998 |
Stadium |
Mississippi Coast Coliseum Biloxi, Mississippi |
Capacity | 9,150 |
General Manager | Roy Turner |
Head Coach | Gary Hindley |
League | Eastern Indoor Soccer League |
The Mississippi Beach Kings were an indoor soccer team based in Biloxi, Mississippi. They played their games in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.[1] They were members of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League and played only during the 1998 season.[2] During the 1997 season, the team played in Columbus, Georgia as the Columbus Comets.[3][4][5]
During their existence, the Beach Kings/Comets played a total of 52 games, winning 21 (including two via shootout) and losing 31 (including four via shootout). They scored a total of 595 goals and allowed a total of 719 goals and notched 65 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points.[5] (The EISL awarded 3 points for a win, 2 for a shootout win, 1 for a shootout loss, and 0 for a loss in regulation.)
The team was successful in Biloxi, earning with the league's second-best average attendance in the 1998 regular season with 3,187 fans per game,[6] and nearly 4,000 per game in the playoffs.[7] The Beach Kings planned to return for the 1999 season but the league shutdown after two other teams withdrew.[8][9][10]
Year-by-year
Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Attendance Average |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | EISL | 7th EISL, 3–21 | Did not qualify | N/A |
1998 | EISL | 2nd EISL, 18–10 | Won Semi-Finals vs. Huntsville Fire (2–1);[11][12] Lost Final vs. Lafayette SwampCats (10–9)[13] |
3,187 |
Awards and honors
Head coach Gary Hindley was named EISL Coach of the Year for the 1998 season.[14] General manager Roy Turner was named EISL Executive of the Year for the 1998 season.[7]
Mississippi Beach Kings players named to the 1998 EISL All-League Team included goalkeeper Stuart Dobson and midfielder Novi Marojevic. Players named to the EISL All-League Second Team included midfielder Darren Snyder. Players named to the EISL All-League Third Team included midfielder Curtis Stelzer. Players receiving All-League Honorable Mentions included defender Damian Harley and midfielder Antonio Sutton.[15]
Revival plans
In January 2015, a group of Atlanta-based investors announced plans to potentially revive the Beach Kings as members of the Major Arena Soccer League.[16][17] A local partner was added in February 2015 as negotiations with the league and the arena continued.[18]
References
- ↑ Magandy, Kate (February 20, 1998). "Beach Kings: A Name Fit For the Coast". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. A1.
- ↑ Hammack, Don (September 1, 1998). "Beach Kings Reflect on Achievements of Season". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. D1.
- ↑ "EISL Announces Changes for 1998 Season". Tallahassee, FL: Eastern Indoor Soccer League. February 4, 1998. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ↑ Clayton, John (February 6, 1998). "Soccer team missing a name, but not owners". Savannah Morning News. Savannah, GA: Morris Communications. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- 1 2 Litterer, David. "Eastern Indoor Soccer League". USA Soccer History Archives. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Daily Report Through Games of 08/16/98". Eastern Indoor Soccer League. August 24, 1998. Archived from the original on October 6, 1999. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- 1 2 "Roy Turner Named EISL Executive of the Year". Tallahassee, FL: Eastern Indoor Soccer League. August 27, 1998. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ↑ Stockstill, Eugene (August 17, 1998). "Fans Catch Beach Kings Fever". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. A2.
- ↑ Hammack, Don (October 3, 1998). "EISL Teams Call It Quits; Other Teams to Keep On Playing". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. C1.
- ↑ Magandy, Kate (December 24, 1998). "EISL Folds After Two Seasons; Beach Kings Will Not Return". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. C1.
- ↑ "1998 EISL Championship beginning this weekend". The Daily Iberian. New Iberia, LA: Wick Communications. August 25, 1998. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ Hammack, Don (August 23, 1998). "Beach Kings Douse Fire in Shootout Team to Face SwampCats in Championship Series". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: Knight Ridder. p. D1.
- ↑ "Swamp Cats outscored Beach Kings 10–2". The Daily Iberian. New Iberia, LA: Wick Communications. August 31, 1998. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ "EISL Honors Beach Kings' Coach Hindley". Tallahassee, FL: Eastern Indoor Soccer League. August 18, 1998. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ↑ "EISL Names All-League Team". Tallahassee, FL: Eastern Indoor Soccer League. August 19, 1998. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ↑ Brannan, Jonathan (January 25, 2015). "Indoor soccer in the works again for Biloxi". Biloxi, MS: WLOX. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ↑ Jones, James (January 22, 2015). "Kickin' the idea around: Beach Kings may return to South Mississippi". Sun Herald. Biloxi, MS: The McClatchy Company. p. 4.
- ↑ Giardina, Al (February 18, 2015). "Bringing professional indoor soccer back to the coast takes another giant step forward". Birmingham, AL: WBRC-TV. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
External links
- Mississippi Beach Kings at Soccer Times