264:, the new Fire also played at Soldier Field, albeit in front of small crowds: the biggest attendance of the year was estimated at 8,500. Chicago did have a successful season on the field, winning the AFA's Western Division with a 8-4 record. In the playoffs, Chicago knocked off Jacksonville, 24-17, in front of 5,000 at Soldier Field, then played in the league championship game, a 29-21 road loss to the West Virginia Rockets on August 30, 1981. They even managed to get one of their games on local television:
228:
By late
October, Fire owner Origer had had enough. Fed up by the team's collapse (as well as bankrupt), Origer said at an emergency meeting in Chicago on October 29 that his club would pull out of the WFL (with three games left in the schedule) if league commissioner
221:(also 7-2). However, it turned out to be the last game the Fire would ever win, as a rash of injuries triggered a 10-game losing streak. Crowds also began to dwindle, as barely 20,000 showed up to watch the Fire's last home game, a 60-17 rout by the
253:. But Namath stayed in the NFL, and the Winds were disbanded after just five games (including one game at Soldier Field that drew a crowd of 3,470). The World Football League followed suit a few months later, passing into history.
268:, scrambling for summer sports programming during the baseball strike, broadcast a Fire game from Soldier Field on June 27, 1981. (Although ratings were higher than that of the
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The team was founded in late
October 1973, with building magnate Thomas Origer becoming the first owner to purchase a WFL franchise, for around $ 400,000.
209:, with an average attendance of 33,858 at their first five home contests. After Virgil Carter threw four touchdown passes in a 32-22 road win over
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Fittingly, the Fire started out hot, winning their first four games and seven of their first nine. Chicago also drew decent-sized crowds to
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soccer team on WGN, station officials declined to carry any more Fire games.) Financial losses, and the formation of the bigger-budget
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for
Chicago's final game, forfeiting the contest and giving the Fire a final record of 7-13. Soon after, the club disbanded.
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served as the color commentator. Home games were played at
Soldier Field in the Loop area.
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was not fired. Davidson quit, but two weeks later Origer still refused to fly the team to
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Chicago's current professional soccer team, founded in 1997, also is named the
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Chicago was also the first franchise to sign a player, former Notre Dame and
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In 1981, another
Chicago Fire club played in the minor-league
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161:, who also had played for the NFL's Bears as well as the
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1974 Chicago Fire stats & results at ultimate70s.com
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In 1975, the WFL tried again in the Windy City with the
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910:"1974 World Football League Game Results"
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169:. Another notable Fire player was punter
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942:Chicago Fire on FunWhileItLasted.net
276:in 1982, put the Fire out for good.
1240:American football teams in Illinois
1058:Houston Texans / Shreveport Steamer
13:
1255:1975 disestablishments in Illinois
1225:American football teams in Chicago
1013:New York Stars / Charlotte Hornets
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871:1974 World Football League season
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1250:1973 establishments in Illinois
1230:Defunct American football teams
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258:American Football Association
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20:club with the same name, see
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1188:Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL
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183:Canadian Football League
181:, one-time coach of the
134:team in the short-lived
1131:Southern California Sun
1063:Southern California Sun
891:While the Gettin's Good
611:Southern California Sun
560:Southern California Sun
260:. Led by running back
138:for one season, 1974.
1182:Canadian Football Act
983:World Football League
187:Winnipeg Blue Bombers
136:World Football League
97:World Football League
1156:Christopher Hemmeter
1101:Jacksonville Express
1008:Birmingham Americans
586:Birmingham Americans
534:Birmingham Americans
287:Schedule and results
1038:Jacksonville Sharks
931:, August 1974 issue
657:September 26, 1974
632:September 18, 1974
607:September 11, 1974
381:Jacksonville Sharks
319:1974 regular season
211:Southern California
29:
1220:Chicago Fire (WFL)
1126:Shreveport Steamer
1081:Birmingham Vulcans
927:"Head coach WFL",
836:November 13, 1974
581:September 7, 1974
555:September 2, 1974
167:San Diego Chargers
163:Cincinnati Bengals
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1121:San Antonio Wings
1111:Philadelphia Bell
1086:Charlotte Hornets
1048:Philadelphia Bell
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841:Philadelphia Bell
810:November 7, 1974
789:Philadelphia Bell
784:October 30, 1974
759:October 23, 1974
738:Charlotte Hornets
733:October 16, 1974
483:Philadelphia Bell
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132:American football
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815:Memphis Southmen
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530:August 29, 1974
504:August 22, 1974
479:August 14, 1974
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712:Florida Blazers
687:Charlotte Stars
662:Florida Blazers
458:Florida Blazers
454:August 7, 1974
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22:Chicago Fire FC
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247:Chicago Winds
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207:Soldier Field
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175:New York Jets
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159:Virgil Carter
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151:Chicago Bears
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67:Soldier Field
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1172:World Bowl I
1018:Chicago Fire
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913:. Retrieved
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235:Philadelphia
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179:Jim Spavital
171:Chuck Ramsey
148:
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128:Chicago Fire
127:
125:
77:Jim Spavital
44:January 1975
36:October 1973
28:Chicago Fire
1199:1975 season
1194:1974 season
341:Attendance
262:Billy Marek
201:1974 season
155:Jim Seymour
33:Established
1214:Categories
1177:Dicker-rod
915:2015-11-11
877:References
851:cancelled
833:Wednesday
781:Wednesday
756:Wednesday
730:Wednesday
705:Wednesday
629:Wednesday
604:Wednesday
476:Wednesday
451:Wednesday
399:Wednesday
374:Wednesday
349:Wednesday
251:Joe Namath
217:(9-0) and
215:Birmingham
73:Head coach
63:Home field
807:Thursday
763:Hawaiians
680:Thursday
654:Thursday
578:Saturday
527:Thursday
501:Thursday
433:Hawaiians
335:Opponent
223:Hawaiians
195:Mike Pyle
142:Formation
860:See also
103:Division
83:Owner(s)
57:Illinois
49:Based in
16:For the
893:, p.219
825:14,085
799:12,500
773:20,203
748:20,333
722:23,289
697:22,354
672:16,679
646:26,678
621:24,837
596:54,872
570:27,133
552:Monday
544:44,732
519:10,300
493:27,607
468:31,193
443:12,608
425:Sunday
417:19,358
391:29,308
366:42,000
338:Result
219:Memphis
130:was an
106:Central
53:Chicago
822:24–49
796:31–37
770:17–60
719:17–45
694:30–41
618:28–31
593:40–41
567:32–22
516:35–23
490:32–29
465:21–46
440:53–29
414:29–22
388:25–22
266:WGN-TV
241:Legacy
119:
116:
111:Colors
93:League
41:Folded
18:soccer
1165:Misc.
991:Teams
745:0–27
669:0–26
643:7–25
541:8–22
363:17–0
332:Date
326:Week
1073:1975
1000:1974
329:Day
306:Loss
281:Fire
274:USFL
165:and
126:The
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813:at
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787:at
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753:17
736:at
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702:15
677:14
660:at
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626:12
601:11
584:at
575:10
558:at
507:at
431:at
405:at
311:Bye
301:Win
295:Key
185:'s
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846:L
820:L
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743:L
717:L
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667:L
641:L
616:L
591:L
565:W
539:L
514:W
488:W
463:L
438:W
412:W
386:W
361:W
297::
24:.
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