Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Antigua Barracuda F.C.

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Nickname(s)
  
The Barracudas

Stadium capacity
  
5,000

Owner
  
Gordon Derrick

Ground
  
Coolidge Cricket Ground

Dissolved
  
2014

Founded
  
2010

League
  
United Soccer League

Antigua Barracuda F.C. 2xnw2mt2bw82xppry3quo8xqwpenginenetdnacdncomw

Full name
  
Antigua Barracuda Football Club

Stadium
  
Stanford Cricket Ground

Antigua Barracuda were an Antiguan professional soccer team based in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Founded in 2010, the team played in the USL Pro, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.

Contents

The team played its home games at Stanford Cricket Ground (colloquially known as "Sticky Wicket Stadium") in Osbourn, Saint George Parish until the 2013 season when they became a traveling team. The team's colors were sky blue, white and black.

History

The team was originally set to join the USL First Division in 2011, but was later announced as being a founding member of USL Pro and its International Division after the USL First and Second Divisions dissolved in 2010 to make way for the new league.

The club's first official game took place in April 2010, a friendly against the Puerto Rico Islanders. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event.

The club arranged two further friendlies with Montreal Impact, the first of which took place on 17 April 2010 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium with the second scheduled to be held on 4 September at Saputo Stadium in Montreal. They also arranged exhibition matches against Jamaica's Tivoli Gardens and Harbour View for May. On August 20, 2010 Barracuda FC announced the cancellation of the friendly matches because of funding difficulties. Impact President Joey Saputo subsequently made an accusation of a serious lack of professionalism on the part of the Antiguan club.

On 23 September 2010, United Soccer Leagues formally announced that Antigua Barracuda FC would join the newly formed USL Pro in 2011 alongside Sevilla FC Puerto Rico and Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico as founding members of the league's tentatively named Caribbean Division, which was later officially unveiled as the International Division.

The team played its first competitive game on April 17, 2011, a 2–1 home loss to the Los Angeles Blues. The first competitive goal in franchise history was scored by Tamorley Thomas

The 2013 season saw the club lose each of their 26 games, tying the North American professional sports record for futility, as well as being the only time an association football club managed to have a winless season. The club withdrew from the USL Pro on January 6, 2014, due in part to the lack of a home venue and the accompanying financial reasons.

Stadium

  • Stanford Cricket Ground; Saint George Parish, Antigua and Barbuda (2011–2012)
  • Barracuda played their home games at the Stanford Cricket Ground in the village of Osbourn in Saint George Parish in Antigua. The stadium was originally built to host the Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament in 2006, and was temporarily converted for soccer usage for Barracudas games. The stadium's nickname, "Sticky Wicket Stadium", came from the adjoining restaurant complex.

    Final roster

    Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth. Squad correct as of July 6, 2013.

    Coaches

  • Tom Curtis, 2011 – 2012
  • Fernando "Nando" Abraham, 2013
  • Adrian Whitbread, 2013
  • Year-by-year

    All games played on the road.

    References

    Antigua Barracuda F.C. Wikipedia