The incredible untold story of Wolves’ impact in introducing football to a wide audience in the US is set to be brought to life by a new documentary from Wolves Studios – 1967: When LA Wolves Conquered the USA.
Wolves’ internal production house has teamed up with leading football media company Footballco and their award-winning football publisher and documentary makers, MUNDIAL to tell the tale behind the club’s involvement in kickstarting the popularity of soccer and helping the sport grow in the States.
One of the most remarkable stories involving the English football club, 1967: When LA Wolves Conquered the USA focuses on the summer of 1967 and Los Angeles Wolves’ United Soccer Association league title through never-before-seen footage, while transporting supporters back to the scene of the championship glory.
The documentary’s trailer was released today, Friday 14th July 2023, to mark the 56-year anniversary of the United Soccer Association’s championship final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Ten years before Pele and 30 years before the MLS, the tournament that was to change everything for soccer in the US saw 12 clubs from around the world invited to spread the football gospel stateside – including Wolves.
Involving several players from the Old Gold’s 1966/67 squad, LA Wolves’ victory in the first major US soccer league is seen by many as the launchpad of the sport becoming known and loved across the pond.
Sports executive Alan Rothenberg explained: “The 1966 World Cup was carried by satellite into the United States, and so a bunch of sportsmen decided to start a league.
“People will look back and say what was the history of soccer in this country, and people will have to go back to 1967 and say this is where it all began.”
Kevin Baxter, LA Times sportswriter, said: “The idea of professional soccer in the United States, no one had ever really thought about that, not at that level.
“The US didn't qualify for World Cup between 1950 and 1990, so soccer was dead – and then the Wolves come along.
“There isn’t that tradition here that maybe there is in England or Europe where teams are a hundred years old. Everything has to be new here. There is that legacy. They proved that it could work.”
Without players of their own, the United Soccer Association opted to import whole teams from Europe and South America for the competition’s inaugural season, giving them time to build their own squads for the following campaign.
Coming off the back of a 1966/67 Division Two promotion, gold and black heroes such as Phil Parkes, Mike Bailey, Derek Dougan, Gerry Taylor and Terry Wharton headed to the ‘City of Angels’ as Wolves were chosen to represent Los Angeles.
Wolves faced a Western Division consisting of clubs such as San Francisco Golden Gate Gales (ADO Den Haag), Vancouver Royal Canadians (Sunderland) and Houston Stars (Bangu AC), but the side were able to progress to the championship final.
Facing off against Washington Whips (Aberdeen) in the LA Coliseum, the match culminated in Wolves claiming the inaugural Presidents Cup following a thrilling 6-5 extra time win over the Whips. The beautiful game had arrived in the USA – and it was here to stay.
MUNDIAL’s editorial director Owen Blackhurst and features editor James Bird, as well as Footballco’s Max Agostini and cinematographer Matt Sellers have been working alongside Wolves’ Yannie Makarounas – director and producer of Raul Jimenez: Code Red – to bring the story of the 1967 title to life.
As well as in-depth interviews with Rothenberg – who went on to be instrumental in the establishment of the MLS and the US’ hosting of the 1994 World Cup – and Baxter, 1967: When LA Wolves Conquered the USA features contributions from Parkes, Taylor, Wharton, Les Wilson, Washington Whips’ Bobby Clark and Jim Whyte, and journalists David Instone and Dave Harrison.
Speaking of Footballco and MUNDIAL’s appeal to the project, Blackhurst said: “It’s a story which hasn’t been told – or hasn’t been told properly – which is always important, but it’s also such a good one.
“It’s a time in football which no-one really knows about. The MLS story has been told, the NASL story has been told, but this story hasn’t
“This documentary is not just about the football, it’s about the human stories and the people who did something which changed their lives in a small or big way.
“Some of these players were kids who had never left their homes before. They were growing up in fairly industrial places, so to be transported from 1960s Wolverhampton to 60s LA must have been mind-blowing. They described it as like being on the moon.
“There is so much good to tell as it gave people such an amazing time in their lives and informed what they did for the rest of their careers.
“It’s almost 60 years on and when you speak to those involved, they light up and remember a lot of it like it was yesterday, which tells you why this story is so special and why we wanted to tell it.”
Makarounas, Wolves video manager, added: “It’s an amazing story and one which we are proud and privileged to be able to share with the wider world, having worked very closely on the documentary with Footballco and MUNDIAL during the last 12 months.
“There are avid Wolves fans who either don’t remember this story or don’t even know it ever happened, which is something almost unheard of when it comes to Wolves.
“Everyone knows the stories of Honved and the floodlit friendlies at Molineux which helped launch European club football, everyone knows about our English league title wins, our FA Cups and our League Cups, but the story of LA Wolves and the influence the club had on football in the US has gone under the radar, but it’s up to us to tell it in the most interesting way possible.
“It’s not been easy because it happened a long time ago and a lot has changed since 1967, but Wolves fans – and fans of football in general – will really enjoy what is a really fascinating and exciting documentary.”
The full documentary will be released in September, but fans interested in the story can find out more at la.wolves.co.uk, a microsite designed specifically to celebrate this special moment in the club’s history.
Special LA Wolves commemorative merchandise, produced by Avery Dennison, is also now available to buy on la.wolves.co.uk, including limited edition jerseys, replica hoodies and caps.
