San Francisco Bay Seals


Defunct - RIP

The San Francisco Bay Seals were one of the best kept secrets in the Bay Area. In fact, they were such a secret, they became invisible! First, they were hardly the "Bay" team, and you could in fact argue that they were not "SF" either, i.e. you'd never see them even mentioned in the local newsrag, the SF Chronicle. Nevertheless, the club was highly successful in the semipro ranks for years, and in it's earlier incarnation as the San Francisco All-Blacks. This team played in fetching All-Black uniforms and was a USISL powerhouse. The New Zealand Rugby team apparently threatened to sue, claiming exclusive rights to the name "All-Blacks". (Of course, the New Zealanders have no blacks on their team.) Perhaps if it had been football or baseball, we would have sent a few warships and pummeled those bloody foreigners, but since it was soccer, SF became the Seals. No matter.

The Seals showed their mettle in the 1997 US Open, as they stunned the MLS clubs Kansas City Wizards and then the San Jose Clash before finally getting knocked out by the MLS powerhouse DC United.

However, by the late 1990s, it was clear there wasn't much interest. In 2000, the club was sold and moved to Hayward. The name was changed to Bay Area Seals. The new ownership was a corporation named Peacock Financial, which owned several minor league soccer clubs. However, Peacock would soon go bankrupt, and all the clubs, including the Seals, folded.

City San Francisco (CALIFORNIA). Pop: 776,733 (2000)
Address 120 Magellan Ave, San Francisco, CA 94116
Phone: (415) 397-3257
e-mail: info@sfbayseals.com
Colors All white, with red "SEALS" across chest. Looks like VfB Stuttgart from afar. Other uniform is red/black horizontal striped shirt, black shorts, red socks.
Stadium Kezar Stadium. Capacity: 5,000 (?).
Once the home of the 49ers, the stadium is now basically just a small park used for the occasional high school football game. After the move across the Bay, they played at Cal State-Hayward's Pioneer Stadium.
Tickets Basically $12 at the gate, $8 for youth. No reason to order ahead, just show up.
Supporters The players probably had to date a lot so they could have all their girlfriends show up.
Friends
Foes
Heroes Among players that have played for the Seals include Joe Enochs (Vfl Osnabrück) and US national team player CJ Brown (Chicago Fire/MLS). Many former and future MLS players.
Zeroes
Beer Anchor Steam. The original microbrew, and SF's unique contribution to the beer world. Usually available on tap at almost every respectable pub in the city, and at most decent restaurants. The city is blessed several excellent brewpubs, 20 Tank, Thirsty Bear, SF Brewing Co., Beach Chalet . No reason to go the Gordon Biersch branch, which is full of yuppies.
Pub Grub There are so many restaurants in SF, we can't even begin to mention them. Obvious choices for drinking are the above mentioned brewpubs.
The Net Official web site at www.sfbayseals.com , now only a memory.


(c) Abseits Guide to Germany