Tim Robbie and the Robbie family has been a mainstay in the soccer community not just in South Florida but in Minnesota as well. The Robbie’s were one of the earliest pioneers in the professional soccer in the United States, helping to bring some of the best players to the US during the days of the original North American Soccer League.
 
“I consider both Minnesota and Fort Lauderdale as my homes.  Both areas hold a place in my heart because of the passion for sports and, and particularly soccer that exists within their respective communities, “said Strikers Team President Tim Robbie.
 
The Robbie Family was instrumental in the introduction of professional soccer to the American public and that would lay the groundwork for future professional leagues to come. The birth of the NASL was among the initial steps in realizing the potential for soccer’s future success in the United States. 
 
The Strikers were consistently one of the top teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from their inception in 1977 to their relocation to Minnesota after the 1983 season. They found success quickly, not just with their record on the field, but in the community as well, regularly selling out Lockhart Stadium to enthusiastic fans. Strikers' players were often seen at community events and other happenings around town.

While they were in Fort Lauderdale, the Robbie family brought in players such as Ray Hudson, George Best, Nene Cubillas, Gordon Banks, Gerd Muller, and many more legends of the game.  With some of the most talented players in the world the Strikers easily found success on the field making the playoffs every year and even finishing runner up to the New York Cosmos in 1980. The Strikers also cemented a bond with the community that still endures three decades later.
 
But only after seven seasons in Fort Lauderdale, the team would move to Minnesota to become the Minnesota Strikers. As the team moved, so did Tim as his family who still owned the team. After their relocation to Minnesota, the Strikers played in the 1984 NASL season and then joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) until the 1988 season when the team folded.  Thousands of soccer fans in Minnesota filled the Met Center to watch the Strikers' playoff games with tickets being scalped in the parking lot for 10 times their face value.
 
“The highlight of the Strikers' stay in Minnesota was the sell out crowds we achieved at Met Center in the 1985 MISL Championship series. We played against the San Diego Sockers, who were captained by current Traffic Sports Director of Soccer Fernando Clavijo. The series was epic, and wasn’t decided until the final game of the best –of- seven series. Our three home games at the Met Center were all complete sellouts of nearly 16,000 and the atmosphere in our arena was electric. ,” said Robbie.
 
The high standards set in South Florida carried into Minnesota with the team consistently placing in the top of the division and making it to the championship in the 1985-86 season.  
 
The Robbie family successfully introduced soccer into two areas of the country with the same results, winning records and new fans. One of the many reasons that Tim and his family have become well known in both the South Florida soccer community and the Minnesota soccer community.
 
Tim Robbie is currently the team president for the newly reformed Fort Lauderdale Strikers who will be making their first trip back to Minnesota to take on the NSC Minnesota Stars on Saturday May 7th at 8:30 P.M.
 
The Strikers will be having a pub crawl in downtown Fort Lauderdale starting 5 P.M. for more information click here