| Clubname: | New England Tea Men |
| Fullname: | New England Tea Men |
| Founded: | 1978 |
| Dissolved: | 1980 |
| Stadium: | Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Nickerson Field, Boston, Massachusetts Providence Civic Center (indoor) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Capacity: | 60,000 11,940 (indoor) |
| Mgrtitle: | Coach |
| Manager: | Noel Cantwell |
| League: | NASL |
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| Socks1: | FF0000 |
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| American: | true |
The New England Tea Men were an American professional soccer team based in Greater Boston. They played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1978 to 1980. Their home venues for outdoor play were Schaefer Stadium (shared with the NFL's New England Patriots) in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Nickerson Field near Boston University. They also played one season of indoor soccer in the NASL, using the Providence Civic Center for home games.
The Tea Men were originally owned by Unilever's Lipton subsidiary and given their unusual name as a nod to both the company's product line and the Boston Tea Party.
The Tea Men won their division in 1978 and made a further playoff run in 1980. However, the team struggled for financial solvency in Massachusetts. Right at the start of the 1980–81 indoor season[1] they relocated to Jacksonville, Florida and became the Jacksonville Tea Men.[2]
Led in its initial season by former Charlton Athletic F.C. striker Mike Flanagan, the Tea Men won their division to much public acclaim, with Flanagan winning the league MVP award.
Subsequent seasons proved not as successful for two important reasons. First, Flanagan, contracted to Charlton, remained in England (an attempt to secure him via a transfer failed, reportedly over endorsement rights). Second, the team was temporarily evicted from Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts when the owners of Foxboro Raceway – located next door – claimed that the Tea Men's matches were causing traffic problems on racing dates.
After spending one unhappy season at Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University, the team reached an accord with Foxboro Raceway to play in Foxboro, but not on racing dates. As a result, the Tea Men had to play many Monday night matches, which caused attendance to dwindle. At one home game during the 1980 season, only 254 fan attended a game, an all time low for the NASL.[3]
After leaving New England, the team moved to Jacksonville, Florida and became the Jacksonville Tea Men.
| Year | League | W | L | Pts | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NASL | 19 | 11 | 165 | 1st(t), American Conference, Eastern Division | Lost 1st Round (Ft. Lauderdale) | 12,064 | |
| 1979 | NASL | 12 | 18 | 110 | 4th, American Conference, Eastern Division | did not qualify | 6,562 | |
| 1979–80 | NASL Indoor | 2 | 10 | — | 5th, Eastern Division | did not qualify | 3,249 | |
| 1980 | NASL | 18 | 14 | 154 | 3rd, American Conference, Eastern Division | Lost 1st Round (Tampa Bay) | 8,748 |
Division Champions (1)
NASL Most Valuable Player
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
All-Star first team selections
All-Star honorable mentions
Derek Carroll – President Bill Alex – Play-by-Play Announcer
Noel Cantwell – Head Coach