This Day in Atlanta Soccer History: October 25: The Promise and the Struggle
From early optimism about soccer's future in Atlanta to the end of the original Atlanta Chiefs, October 25 provides a fascinating look at the city's soccer history.
1912: Soccer Gaining Ground in Atlanta
On October 25, 1912, The Atlanta Constitution published an article titled “Soccer Gaining Ground Locally,” describing efforts to establish the sport in Atlanta and encouraging local fans to support its development.
Atlanta's soccer organizers were preparing for a match against Lithonia at Piedmont Park the following afternoon. They hoped to attract more players and eventually establish a city league.
Although soccer was still relatively unfamiliar to much of the South, the newspaper pointed to its growing popularity elsewhere in the United States and expressed optimism about the sport's future in Atlanta.
It was another indication that the city's soccer ambitions extended well beyond the arrival of professional soccer in the 1960s.
1972: The Original Atlanta Chiefs Reach the End
Exactly 60 years later, the outlook was considerably different.
On October 25, 1972, The Atlanta Constitution published “Chiefs Reach End of Road in Atlanta,” reporting the end of the original Atlanta Chiefs.
The Braves-owned club had accumulated approximately $1.5 million in losses over six seasons, despite winning the 1968 North American Soccer League championship and helping introduce the sport to thousands of young players throughout the region.
The Chiefs had worked to establish youth leagues, organize camps, and promote soccer in schools. Those efforts helped create a foundation for the game's continued development, even as the club struggled to attract enough spectators to sustain its operations.
The Chiefs represented Atlanta's boldest experiment with soccer to that point. While the original club lasted only six seasons, its impact extended far beyond the results on the field or the financial losses that ultimately brought it to an end. Through youth programs, school outreach, and the introduction of professional soccer to a new generation of Atlantans, the Chiefs planted seeds that are still growing today.
The Chiefs' departure wasn't the end of professional soccer in the city. The Atlanta Apollos competed in 1973, and the Chiefs name returned in 1979.
For more on this period, read our earlier SDH historical feature, The Barren Pitch: Atlanta Pro Soccer in the Mid-1970s.
1914: Soccer in Atlanta's Schools
On October 25, 1914, The Atlanta Constitution published a photograph of the Hill Street School soccer team under the headline “Boys Are Playing Soccer Now.”
The photograph featured students from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, providing an early glimpse of organized school soccer in Atlanta.
Another article published that day reported Slaton School's 2–1 victory over Fraser School at Grant Park. That match had taken place on October 19, making October 25 the anniversary of the newspaper coverage rather than the game itself.
The photograph and accompanying coverage demonstrate that soccer was finding a place in Atlanta schools more than a century ago.
1968: Georgia State Defeats Oglethorpe
On October 25, 1968, Georgia State defeated Oglethorpe 4–1 in a college soccer match.
The result came during a period when Atlanta-area universities were helping establish organized soccer opportunities for players in the region.
This was Georgia State's first season as a varsity program after a season as a club team, while Oglethorpe launched their program during 1961.
2015: Georgia Women Earn Road Victory at Auburn
On October 25, 2015, Georgia's women's soccer team defeated nationally ranked Auburn 1–0 on the road.
Freshman Sydney Shultis scored her first collegiate goal in the 83rd minute, converting a corner kick from Taylor Donohue.
Goalkeeper Louise Hogrell made five saves as Georgia handed Auburn its first home defeat of the season.
October 25 Birthday
Toni Tiente (1997): The former Atlanta United 2 midfielder turns 29 today. Tiente played college soccer at Georgia Gwinnett College before joining Atlanta United 2 in 2022.
This Day in Atlanta Soccer History is part of the SDH Reference Desk's ongoing research into the people, teams, and events that shaped soccer in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.
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