Hollywood United F.C.
American amateur soccer team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American amateur soccer team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hollywood United is an American amateur soccer team based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1988, the team plays in Region IV of the United States Adult Soccer Association, a network of amateur leagues at the fifth tier of the American soccer pyramid.
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| Full name | Hollywood United Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 | |||
| Ground | Crossroads High School Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Owners |  Steve Jones Anthony LaPaglia | |||
| Head Coaches | Brendan Bourke (O-40s) Mark Tabberner (O-30s) Tom Tate (LAPL) | |||
| League | Los Angeles Olympic Soccer League | |||
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Hollywood United was founded in the late-1980s by a group of British expatriates who frequented the Cat & Fiddle, an English-style pub on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, California. The original team was made up of several U.S.-based British celebrities from the world of music, film and television, including Paul Cook and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury of The Cult, and Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard. Word eventually spread throughout the entertainment world about the club and its players and, before long, not only other well-known stars, but also former national team soccer players from around the world asked to play.
Initially, Hollywood United basically had one team that competed in different Sunday leagues around Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Metro League and the Glendale League. It was loosely organized and comprised roughly of the same 20 players in all games.
By the mid-2000s, there were two Hollywood United teams: an over-30s squad that competed in the Los Angeles Premier League from 2003 to 2005, and then in the now-defunct Olympic Soccer League from 2005–2006, and a Sunday League team that of older players that did not want to compete with the younger players. The over-30s team started to be the focus of international notoriety[further explanation needed] when people such as actors Anthony LaPaglia, Dermot Mulroney, Jason Statham, Brandon Routh, Ralf Little, Donal Logue, Gilles Marini and Jimmy Jean-Louis, singers Robbie Williams and Ziggy Marley, film director Danny Cannon, Los Angeles Galaxy veteran Paul Bravo, and former international soccer players Vinnie Jones, Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, Richard Gough and Frank Leboeuf, began playing regularly for the team.
Hollywood United qualified for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by going 3-0-0 in a group with National Premier Soccer League's Santa Cruz County Breakers, San Diego United and Phoenix Banat Arsenal. They then advanced to the first round to take on the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division. Hollywood stunned the Timbers by beating them 3-2 thanks to penalties from Matt Taylor, but were defeated 6-0 by Seattle Sounders in the second round.
The Hollywood United Hitmen were formed in early 2009 and compete in the USL Premier Development League, having acquired the franchise rights from the San Fernando Valley Quakes. They play in the "Stadium by the Sea" at Palisades Charter High School in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.[further explanation needed]
Hollywood United LAPL over-30 team plays its home games at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, California. This is the team that was formed out of the remnants of the O-30 Olympic League side that brought HUFC a considerable amount of notoriety.
Tabo's Army is an over-30s side that competes in the Los Angeles Metro League at Griffith Park.
Dad's Army consists of most of the original Hollywood United team, and competes in the City of Los Angeles Metro Soccer League Senior Division. Over the years, the team has featured players such as Vinnie Jones, Steve Jones, Billy Duffy, Vivian Campbell and Paul Cook, and currently includes film director and producer Danny Cannon on the roster.
The Hollywood United 7-a-side teams compete in the Santa Monica Adult Soccer League. The men's team features players from all teams, and has recently[when?] included Anthony LaPaglia, Jason Statham, Steve Jones, Frank Leboeuf, Olivier Biaggi & Jason Harris. HUFC no longer fields a 7's team.[citation needed]
Some of Hollywood United's recent charity events include:
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