The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will host a Pittsburgh Spirit reunion at F.N.B. Stadium on October 10, marking 40 years since the beloved indoor soccer club disbanded. The reunion, set for 7 p.m. that Saturday, will bring former Spirit figures back to the pitch as the Riverhounds take on Hartford Athletic, with the home team's players sporting Spirit-inspired warm-up jerseys during pregame activities.
According to WPXI, former Spirit players and figures Paul Child, Bobby Vosmaer, Joe Luxbacher, John Kowalski and Dave MacKenzie are expected to attend the reunion events. Kowalski previously served as the Spirit's head coach. A VIP welcome event is planned for the night before, on October 9, also at F.N.B. Stadium, with tickets priced at $55 per person and registration available online at pittsburghspirit.com.
What's Included in the VIP Send-Off
The station reports that the VIP welcome event will include a catered dinner, giving fans and alumni a chance to gather ahead of the main event at the stadium the following night. On match day, Spirit-themed scarves, hats and T-shirts will be available for purchase, alongside the Spirit-inspired warm-up jerseys the Riverhounds players will wear before kickoff.
A Team Pittsburgh Once Packed Arenas For
The Pittsburgh Spirit was one of six founding franchises in the Major Indoor Soccer League during its inaugural 1978-79 season, according to Fun While It Lasted. The club played its home games at the old Pittsburgh Civic Arena, which had a listed capacity of 16,033, and folded after playing its final season in the winter of 1985-86.
Attendance figures from the Spirit's heyday vary depending on the source. Fun While It Lasted reports the team averaged 8,278 fans per game during the 1983-84 season while posting a 32-16 record, while the Riverhounds' own team site states the Spirit drew 8,000 fans per game to the Civic Arena that same season, according to a Riverhounds Hall of Fame profile of Paul Child. Either way, the numbers reflect a franchise that punched well above its weight in a city more famous for football and hockey.
Paul Child's Long History With Pittsburgh Soccer
Paul Child joined the Spirit for the 1981-82 season and went on to play five years with the club, scoring 140 goals along the way, per the Riverhounds' profile. That legacy earned him induction into the Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame as a builder in the Class of 2024. Child has also spoken about the size of the crowds the Spirit used to draw, telling Steelers Takeaways that games drew crowds of 10,000 to 12,000 fans.
DK Pittsburgh Sports has reported that the Spirit routinely topped 12,000 fans when rivals like the Cleveland Force came to town, and that the club averaged roughly 2,000 more fans per game than the Penguins at the Civic Arena during the 1983-84 season. That same outlet noted a past Pittsburgh Spirit night at Highmark Stadium that brought out former Spirit members Paul Child, John O'Hara and Dave MacKenzie, showing this isn't the first time the club's alumni have made a public appearance together.
Soccer's Roots Still Run Through the City
DK Pittsburgh Sports has also described the Riverhounds as drawing better crowds in recent years, crediting the club's growing connection to the developmental levels of the local soccer community. The October 10 reunion offers a direct link between that grassroots growth and the city's indoor soccer past, giving longtime fans and newer supporters alike a shared night at F.N.B. Stadium to celebrate both eras.
