Illustrations of Rick Davis and Shep Messing on the cover of the 1986-87 New York Express Media Guide from the Major Indoor Soccer League

New York Express

Major Indoor Soccer League (1986-1987)

Tombstone

Born: May 15, 1986 – MISL expansion franchise
Folded: February 17, 1987

First Game: November 14, 1986 (L 8-7 @ Los Angeles Lazers)
Last Game
: February 15, 1987 (L 6-2 @ San Diego Sockers)

MISL Championships: None

Arena

Nassau Coliseum (16,251)11986-87 Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guide
Opened: 1972

Marketing

Team Colors: Orange & Blue21986-87 Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guide

Ownership

Owners: Stan Henry, Ralph McNamara & Shep Messing

Attendance

The Express played only 13 of a scheduled 26 home dates at Nassau Coliseum before folding during the 1986-87 season.

Hypothetically, had their announced attendance average of 5,212 held up through the entire season, the Express would have ranked 11th among the MISL’s 12 clubs that year, besting only the Los Angeles Lazers (4,378). We consider them to have ranked dead last based on their proclaimed total home attendance of 67,752 fans.

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Source: 1987-88 Major Indoor Soccer League Official Guide

 

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New York Express MISL
Logo T-Shirt

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Old School’s entire MISL throwback line is dynamite and this is a fine addition. We’re not surprised it took them a little extra time to get around to the Express, who played the fewest games (26) of any club in league history!

 

When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

Background

The New York Express, Shep Messing told Newsday in October 1986, will be “better run as a business than any team in the history of professional soccer.”  Bold words from the former New York Cosmos star, who brought a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) expansion franchise to Long Island in the fall of 1986 with the help of two novice sports investors and an unlikely financing scheme.

The MISL granted a franchise to Messing and his partners Stan Henry and Ralph McNamara on May 15th, 1986.  Messing would play the role of local hero and front man.  At the age of 37, he also appointed himself the presumed starting goalkeeper for the Express.  Henry and McNamara were the money men – sort of.  They expected the bulk of the team’s operating capital to come from a sale of public stock.  Henry ran an empire of Pennysaver advertising circulars on Long Island, and served as Board Chairman of the Express.  McNamara was a managing principal at the Long Island brokerage firm of MacPeg, Ross, O’Connell and Goldaber.  He took the title of CFO of the Express and his firm marketed the financial scheme behind the enterprise – a $5.3 million public stock offering intended to finance operations of the club for its first three seasons.

As the broker of record, McNamara had a legal obligation to be more cautious in his forecast for the Express than Messing’s best-organization-in-the-history-of-soccer antics.  “Public offerings are calculated risks,” McNamara told Newsday, “We are going to make an effort to field a team and see what the community will bear.  We think it will work.”

1986 New York Express Program

Soccer…American Style

The Express wanted to differentiate themselves from the MISL’s previous Long Island entry, the bankrupt & heavily Slavic New York Arrows. The team announced the slogan Soccer…American Style and a commitment to build around American players.  Tops on their list was the U.S. National Team captain and former Cosmos star Ricky Davis. Davis signed as a free agent after playing out his contract with the league’s St. Louis Steamers franchise.

The Express also inked a number of aging former Cosmos players including Hubert Birkenmeier, Andranik Eskandarian and Mark Liveric.

After two road losses to open the season, the team debuted at home on November 21st, 1986.  An announced crowd of 10,570 watched them lose to the Kansas City Comets and drop to 0-3.  The match up for the debut on Long Island may have been a bad omen. Comets majority owner David Schoenstadt owned the New York Arrows in 1984 when that club plunged into bankruptcy.

Losses Pile Up

The Express kept losing into December.  When the club reached 0-10, the axe fell on Head Coach Ray Klivecka.  Messing turned to his former Arrows coach, Don Popovic. Popovic arrived in late December and began supervising training sessions, but seemed in no hurry to sign a contract.

“After being with two clubs in two years, I want to be sure this team will be here longer than one year,” Popovic told The Pittsburgh Press.

Unwilling to sign but also unwilling to leave, Popovic continued to run Express training sessions.  But by league rule, Popovic could not be in the team bench area unless he was under contract.  On one night, Popovic sat in the stands, attempting to orchestrate the match from the front row. Finally, Popovic descended to the bench to formally coach a single match, despite never signing a contract. He resigned later the same night.

1986-87 New York Express Pocket Schedule from the Major Indoor Soccer League

Bankruptcy & Midseason Collapse

Meanwhile, the stock sale was a bust and the club spun into its death spiral.

In January, Express GM Kent Russell and Assistant GM Joel Finglass bolted for front office roles with the MISL’s Dallas Sidekicks.  24-year old Micah Buchdahl became acting General Manager, presiding over remnants of a staff that no longer received paychecks.  The Express missed their $75,000 player payroll on February 1st, 1987, forcing the league to draw down the club’s $250,000 letter of credit to cover it.

Messing announced the immediate dissolution of the team and the initiation of Chapter XI bankruptcy proceedings on February 17, 1987 just days after the MISL All-Star Break.  The Express drew an announced average of 5,212 fans to their 13 home dates at the Coliseum, numbers that Micah Buchdahl admits were routinely fudged. The team finished with a dreadful 3-23 record. The price of those three victories? The Express lost a reported $3 million during nine months of operation.

Buchdahl expropriated much of the club’s office equipment and held it hostage in his aunt’s garage in a failed effort to receive his final five weeks of missed paychecks.  Read his highly entertaining behind-the-scenes account of the Express here.

Express defender Andranik Eskandarian, the former Iranian World Cup and Cosmos star, delivered the final judgment to The Chicago Tribune: “This team should never have been let in.  I don’t think the league is going to last long if it’s going to be like this.”3Leptich, John. “Bankruptcy causes Express to fold”. The Tribune (Chicago, IL). February 18, 1987

Aftermath

Express co-owner Ralph McNamara’s firm closed in the wake of the October 1987 stock market crash.  His broker’s license was revoked in 1991.  In the late 1990’s he reappeared in Clearwater, Florida operating a fake venture capital scam under the alias Ralph Deluise.  McNamara was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in 2007.

Rick Davis was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

The original Major Indoor Soccer League folded in July 1992.

 

Voices

“The whole plan for franchise success was built around Ricky Davis. Not the greatest player at that point, but the one with the great American-born name, demeanor and name recognition.  A few days before the media event to introduce him, I was told he had changed his mind.  We had announced that we would introduce the top American-born player in soccer.  I remember <Express GM> Kent Russell and Shep asking me if it would be a problem if we just said we had meant Kevin Maher.  I told them we’d be totally screwed.”

– Micah Buchdahl, Director of Public Relations 1986-87 (2011 FWiL Interview)

 

“Sometime in the middle of December or January the fella <Express owner Stan Henry> called me and asked me to come out on the Island to dinner. Mitch Burke, the deputy commissioner, and I drove out on a snowy night and had a lovely dinner. We sort of kept waiting for the reason for the dinner and we got the check and we were paying and he said to us ‘Oh by the way, I’m not sure I can make payroll this week.’

I said ‘I’m sorry…perhaps we should sit at the bar for a moment and talk about this.’ And he was just out of money or chose to be out of money, you’re never sure.

– Bill Kentling, MISL Commissioner 1986-1989 (2011 FWiL Interview)

 

“Let’s just say the money never really existed and the game plan for selling stock was less than stellar. Before the season even started, I think many people knew there was a little smoke and mirrors happening with the financing.  But I also think Shep thought he could convince someone to give us the money we needed.”

– Micah Buchdahl

 

 

New York Express Shop

Our Favorite Stuff

MISL Logo T-Shirt

This classic era Major Indoor Soccer League logo shirt is available from the guys at Cincinnati’s Old School Shirts in a variety of great styles:
  • Crewneck or hooded sweatshirts
  • Long-sleeve tee
  • 3/4 sleeve raglan
  • Women’s scoop neck
 
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

 

 

New York Express Video

Express at San Diego Sockers. February 15, 1987

 

Downloads

1986 New York Express Stock Offering Circular

1986 New York Express Stock Offering

 

11-30-1986 Express vs. St. Louis Steamers Scorecard & Game Notes

12-26-1986 Express vs. Wichita Wings Scorecard & Game Notes

1-9-1987 Express vs. Kansas City Comets Scorecard & Game Notes

2011 FWiL Interview with Express front office executive Micah Buchdahl

2011 FWiL Interview with Express interim Head Coach Mark Steffens

 

Links

Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guides

Major Indoor Soccer League Programs 1978-1992

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