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Sunday, December 21, 1997

Sidekicks withdraw from CISL

DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Sidekicks have withdrawn from the Continental Indoor Soccer League to join a new professional indoor soccer league, the team announced Friday.

A Sidekicks news release said the team will "pursue an exciting new opportunity in professional indoor soccer."

The Sidekicks will join the Premier Soccer Alliance, a Portland, Ore.-based league scheduled to begin play in 1998. The Alliance expects to launch with between 12 and 16 charter-member teams, officials of the fledgling league said Friday.

"Our vision is for this new association to become the sole major league indoor soccer organization uniting all of the teams currently playing professional indoor soccer in North America," said Bill Lavelle, president of Portland Professional Soccer, the former Porland Pride franchise of the CISL.

The new league will be owned equally by each of its member teams, league officials said.

Sidekicks general manager Gordon Jago said the new league's goals are the right next step for the team.

"We have fought for 13 years to build this franchise to the position it is today," Jago said. "The new league will provide more stability league-wide and additional national sponsorship influence."

CISL officials said they knew nothing of the Sidekicks' plans until Friday, when they received a copy of the news release by fax.

"They didn't directly notify us other than through receipt of their release," said Chip Namiaf, league vice president for public affairs.

Namiaf said the Sidekicks had been "an important part of the league," which awarded its inaugural championship title to the Sidekicks in 1993.

Namiaf declined further comment Friday, saying CISL Commissioner Ron Weinstein was away from of the league's Ventura, Calif., office.

Jago said the new setup will benefit the Sidekicks.

"This will be a better situation for our players, our franchise and our fans, who have shown tremendous support of this franchise throughout it's history," he said. "We were pleased to play an important leadership role as one of the CISL's key franchises and we look forward to using all of our resources to help the new league reach unprecedented heights."