In 1964, a group of men, longing to play the game of soccer as they had in Europe, placed a newspaper advertisement, in the Orlando Evening Star. A meeting was formed and took place at the Cherry Plaza.
Twenty-seven persons attended that meeting, which resulted in the birth of the Orange Soccer Club.
These men, Sam Homic, Fritz Goetz, Jim Gillies, and Alberto Farina forged the beginnings of what is known today as the Central Florida Soccer League. However, a man by the name of Rudolph Spuller is considered to be the “father” of soccer in Central Florida. Spuller, a native of Germany, played an integral role in the start-up and development of the Orange Soccer Club.
Timeline:
1965- The Orange Soccer Club reaches a peak of 70 dues-paying members, begins an ambitious schedule with nine other Florida cities, including Hollywood, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach.
1968- OSC becomes the Orlando Soccer Club
1969- The Central Florida Soccer League is formed. Teams from Orlando, Brevard, Deland, Daytona, and Jacksonville compete.
1972- An intense rivalry develops between the Orlando Clippers and the Winter Park Reds. Clippers defeat Royal Air Force 5-1 at McCoy AFB. Bob Hartmann Jr. is top local scorer.
1980- Bull and Bush Soccer Club (Over 30) wins the Florida State Cup. The CFSL has 26 registered teams.
1991- CFSL opens league office to handle growth and registration. 32 teams now in league competition.
1993- League reaches 46 registered teams. Women’s team “Calibre” places 2nd in the United States Amateur Soccer Association’s National Cup. Multiple county representation and competition in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, and Brevard Counties.
1997-The CFSL is second largest league in the state of Florida, with over 80 registered teams, eight playing divisions, an intercollegiate league, and more than 2000 registered players. The league provides administrative soccer services for registration, competition, fields, referees, scheduling, rule-arbitration, and tournament play.
2006- Present: The CFSL reaches more than 110 teams playing with over 2,500 registered players in twelve divisions. This includes Four Open Divisions, Three Over 30 Divisons, Three Over 40 Divisons, along with Coed and Women’s Divisions.
