Colorado Caribous


The Colorado Caribous was a professional soccer team based in Denver, Colorado, that played in the North American Soccer League. Their primary owners were future Washington state governor Booth Gardner and Jim Guercio, owner of the Caribou Ranch.

History

They played one season in 1978 under head coaches Dave Clements, who was also a player on the team, and Dan Wood. Their home field was Mile High Stadium. The arrival of the Caribous marked the return of professional first division soccer to Denver after a two-year absence caused by the departure of the Denver Dynamos to Minneapolis in 1976. During their only season in the Mile High City, the new team compiled the worst record in the league and finished in last place in the Central Division of the National Conference. After the season, the club moved to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Chiefs.

Uniforms

The lasting legacy of the Caribous is one of the most unusual, infamous uniforms in soccer history. Going with a western-style motif, the players wore brown and tan jerseys that included a strip of leather fringe across the chest. In 2009, the uniforms were voted the "worst soccer uniform in history" by the readers of the Uni Watch sports design site.
On April 1, 2014, the Colorado Rapids of MLS announced the club would wear Caribou "throwback" jerseys for an upcoming home game. It was quickly revealed as an April Fools joke, but not before the team was swamped with calls and e-mails from fans wondering where they could buy replicas.

Year-by-year

1978 Roster

Players included Superstars champion Brian Budd and future NFL placekicker Matt Bahr.

Coaches