The Rhode Island Steelers were a minor league American football team based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island . They began play in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) in 1966 as a minor league affiliate of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers . Within weeks of the team's formation was announced, they selected former Pittsburgh Steelers/Dallas Cowboys running back Ray Mathews as head coach.
5-468: The Steelers struggled both on and off the field. Early in the 1966 ACFL season the league provided financial assistance to the team to prevent them from leaving Pawtucket, where they never drew more than 3,000 fans for any home game. The team's final game was a 48-7 loss to the Wilmington Clippers on October 1 in front of just 591 spectators. The next week the team announced they were withdrawing from
10-756: The Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) as the Wilmington Clippers on February 20, 1966. Most of the team's ownership and management carried over from another Wilmington football franchise, the Wilmington Comets of the North American Football League. The team's first signing was Dick Christy , former running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers , Boston Patriots , and New York Jets . Despite losing $ 80,000 in 1966,
15-588: The ACFL due to financial difficulties, having lost five games and tied one. This American football team article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sports team in Rhode Island is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wilmington Renegades The Wilmington Renegades were a minor league American football team based in Wilmington, Delaware . They joined
20-674: The Clippers returned to the ACFL for the 1967 season. The team announced a five-year working agreement with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in March 1967, which saw the Eagles help with the cost of running the team. Despite the agreement, the Clippers continued to lose money and announced their dissolution in September 1967, just two games into the regular season. The league stepped in immediately and offered to finance
25-635: The franchise, which was renamed as the Renegades. Newspapers reported the team's full name alternately as the Wilmington Renegades or Delmarva Renegades. The franchise ceased operations permanently in November 1967, canceling their final two regular season games. This article about a sports team in Delaware is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This American football team article
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