Reserving judgement

[ursus arctos]

Essentially to identify the referee to the crowd. Each official had a squad number that was printed in the programme.

That was eventually jettisoned, but persists in other North American sports (now with smaller, less conspicuous numbers most often)

I have found a book that says that the Spartan Stadium pitch was indeed 100 yards by 50 yards

[Flynnie]

Apparently the Spartan Stadium pitch wasn't resized to something like normal standards until 1998, which is amazing since it was the site of MLS's first match.

[ursus arctos]

Yeah, it was a postage stamp when the Clash played there.

The concrete (it was an old school WPA structure that was built to last) was really seen as a permanent obstacle.

[ursus arctos]

San Jose was an extreme example, but virtually all of the NASL grounds were substandard in at least some respect.

Most were first generation turf over concrete, many were sized for gridiron, several were domes, etc.

Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles were the only clubs I can think of that played in what would have looked like a proper football ground to anyone coming from overseas (and Toronto was narrow, whereas the LA Coliseum was cavernous).

[Gangster Octopus]

Yeah, it was a postage stamp when the Clash played there.

Should they stay or should they go?

[ursus arctos]