History
Based on the west coast of the United States, the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) came into existence in 1985 as a means of providing semi-pro and amateur clubs an opportunity to compete outside of their local areas. The WSA was given additional impetus by the collapse of the North American Soccer League (NASL) at the end of the 1984 NASL season. One former NASL team, the San Jose Earthquakes, entered the WSA as a charter member. In 1988, the Earthquakes new owner, Bill Lunghi, withdrew the Earthquakes from the WSA. In response, the WSA awarded a franchise to Dan Van Voorhis, a San Francisco Bay Area-based real estate lawyer. Van Voorhis had gotten his start in real estate when he and his partner provided the legal expertise for the creation of the Blackhawk Ranch housing development. Van Voorhis named his new team, which competed in the newly renamed Western Soccer League’s North Division, the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks.
Read more about this topic: San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
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