Syracuse Salty Dogs
 |
|
| Full name | Syracuse Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Salty Dogs |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Dissolved | 2004 |
| Stadium |
P&C Stadium Syracuse, New York |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Owner(s) | Syracuse Pro Sports Group |
| President |
 Tim Kuhl
|
| Coach |
 Laurie Calloway
|
| League | USL A-League |
The Syracuse Salty Dogs (formally Syracuse Football Club) were a professional men's soccer team based in Syracuse, New York. The name of the club originates from "Salty Dog" which is nautical slang for an experienced sailor who has spent much of his life aboard a ship at sea. A salty dog is often given increased credibility by ship mates in matters pertaining to ship-board life and duties. The club was a member of the USL A-League, playing only two seasons from 2003–2004. The club was owned and operated by the Syracuse Pro Sports Group and played most home games at P&C Stadium. The team suspended operations in October 2004 due to financial difficulties and has not played since. However, groups have been working to return pro soccer to Syracuse.
The Salty Dogs debuted in their first season in 2003, where they ended with a record of 11–12–5 (W–L–D) under coach Laurie Calloway. The club improved their record to 15–8–5 in their second season and averaged the third highest attendance in the A-League during both years of play.
Despite high attendance in the A-League over both years of play and reasonable success on the field, the team faltered financially. The club's budget had been strained as a result of using P&C Stadium (now known as NBT Bank Stadium), which is run by the SkyChiefs. During their first season, the team was forced to play several home games at the Liverpool Athletic Complex at Liverpool High School, which was primarily a football field in Liverpool, NY (also shared by the CNY Express, an amateur American football team). During its second season, the team's playoff home games were in Cortland, NY for similar reasons.
During the 2004 season, there were proposals to build a downtown soccer stadium near Armory Square. After the team's folding, Matt Driscoll, Syracuse's mayor, stated that realization of such a stadium is only feasible if a team returns. The Syracuse Pro Sports group filed for bankruptcy and folded the team in October 2004.
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