NASL Dallas Tornado original Mike Renshaw dead at 72

[Hagbard Celine 11309]

from Soccer America

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 17, 2021

Mike Renshaw, who starred for the Dallas Tornado in the early days of the North American Soccer League, has died at the age of 72.

Renshaw learned about the Tornado when he saw a help wanted ad in the Liverpool Echo for players to go on its world tour in 1967-68.

The Tornado played 48 games in 25 countries, beginning in Europe and traveling to North Africa and Asia before finishing up in Tahiti. The tour took place during a period of turmoil around the world, including South Vietnam, where they played three games during the war, less than two months before the Tet Offensive.

In October 1967, a Cyprus Airways flight the Dallas delegation was supposed to take from Athens, Greece, to Nicosia, Cyprus, was blown up in mid-air after an explosive device was detonated in the cabin by terrorists. The Tornado were visiting the Acropolis and missed the flight. Of the 18 touring players -- 17 foreigners and St. Louis product Jay Moore -- only Brian Harvey and Renshaw played more than one season for the Tornado.

Renshaw spent nine seasons in the NASL, all with the Tornado, and scored the winning goal in the third game of the 1971 NASL final against the Atlanta Chiefs for the Tornado's only championship. He was a second-team all-NASL pick in 1970.

Owned by Lamar Hunt, the Tornado was instrumental in popularizing soccer in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Its coach in the early 1970s was Ron Newman, and Renshaw's teammates included fellow Englishmen John Best, Ken Cooper, Dick Hall, Roy Turner and Bobby Moffat.

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mike was part of the online dallas burn community in the 90s and early aughts and was always around the cotton bowl on game day before the move to frisco.

i *had* a tornado souvenir ball autographed by renshaw the night of the manchester united friendly at ownby (30 may 76) until my brother decided to USE IT for a kickaround while i was at ut 10 years later.  mike should be in the texas sports hall of fame, but we never mounted a campaign for him after we got kyle rote inducted.

great article on the creation of the tornado, not behind paywall:

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/2014/05/18/sherrington-the-story-of-the-dallas-tornado-a-1960s-soccer-team-on-the-ragtag-worldwide-adventure-of-a-lifetime/

dallas mls franchise tornado content:

https://www.fcdallas.com/tornadoworldtour