The Toledo Pride were a One-Year Wonder indoor soccer outfit, playing in the Midwest-based American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA). The Pride played a winter schedule during 1986-87, filling empty dates at the Toledo Sports Arena after the city’s long-time minor league ice hockey club went out of business earlier in 1986.
The Pride finished their only season with a 14-28 record, but that was good enough to qualify for the playoffs under the AISA's generous format. The Chicago Shoccers eliminated the Pride in the first round.
The late Carlos Salguero was Toledo’s leading scorer with 45 goals and 23 assists. Salguero ranked 4th in the AISA in both goals and overall scoring.
The Pride endured an absolutely brutal season off the field. Original head coach/general manager Klaas de Boer either was fired or quit two months into the season. He later sued and obtained a judgement against the team's owners. de Boer’s replacement in the GM chair, John Durham, was arrested after two months on the job for grand theft and writing bad checks on team accounts midway. Durham later received a one-year prison term in June 1987. Two League AISA officials considered bumping the Pride from the league's playoff schedule due to the team’s insolvency, but the owners of the Toledo Sports Arena ultimately stepped up to guarantee the team’s expenses to finish out the season.3
The Toledo Pride folded quietly during the spring/early summer of 1987.[3]
Edward Cochran
Klaas de Boer – Head coach / General manager
