A 1975 photo of the legendary Clive Charles. His No. 3 jersey has been retired by the organization and a banner now hangs in the rafters of PGE Park.

Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

A photo of fans from a newspaper clipping.

Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

The Timbers battled the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 7, 2008 at PGE Park before a crowd of 12,332.

Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Long-time Timbers icon “Timber" Jim Serrill fires up the crowd at PGE Park on April 17, 2008. Timber Jim served as the club’s icon/mascot for the better part of 12 seasons at PGE Park (1978-1983; 2001-2007)

Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Timbers forward Chris Brown, a Portland native and nine-year Major League Soccer veteran. He was the Timbers’ leading scorer during the 2008 season.

Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Clive Charles of the Portland Timbers
A 1975 photo of the legendary Clive Charles. His No. 3 jersey has been retired by the organization and a banner now hangs in the rafters of PGE Park.
Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Portland Timbers fans
A photo of fans from a newspaper clipping.
Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers versus the Seattle Sounders
The Timbers battled the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 7, 2008 at PGE Park before a crowd of 12,332.
Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Timber Jim
Long-time Timbers icon “Timber" Jim Serrill fires up the crowd at PGE Park on April 17, 2008. Timber Jim served as the club’s icon/mascot for the better part of 12 seasons at PGE Park (1978-1983; 2001-2007)
Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Portland Timbers forward Chris Brown
Timbers forward Chris Brown, a Portland native and nine-year Major League Soccer veteran. He was the Timbers’ leading scorer during the 2008 season.
Courtesy of the Portland Timbers

Local soccer aficionados may remember the glory days of the Timbers—the 1970s and early 1980s, when Portland was known as "Soccer City USA." With players such as Clyde Best, Stewart Scullion, and Peter Withe and coaches Vic Crowe and Don Megson, the Timbers packed Civic Stadium with fans. In its first year, the team made it to the Soccer Bowl, the NASL's version of the Super Bowl.

The North American Soccer League was created in 1968 with the merger of the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League. As U.S. fans warmed to the sport that was so successful abroad, the league expanded in 1975 to include the Timbers.

Soccer was an instant success in Portland. The inaugural season included victory in New York against the Cosmos, the NASL's highest-profile team, and the Timbers drew several crowds in excess of 20,000. They ended the regular season with a 16-6 record.  Portland scored playoff wins over Seattle and St. Louis on their way to Soccer Bowl '75, where the Timbers fell 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

After two down years, the Timbers had another big season in 1978. They had a 20-10 record through the regular season and won two playoff rounds before losing to the Cosmos in the semifinals.

The Timbers would make the playoffs one more time, in 1981, dropping a best-of-three series to San Diego, 2-1. By 1982, attendance figures had fallen dramatically, and the franchise folded after that season.

In 2001, Portland became an entry in the USL First Division, a second-tier professional league in the U.S., and took the name of the Timbers. A much smaller but devout group of fans have supported the current team.

Further Reading:

portlandtimbers.com.