A pair of native New York goalkeepers – Shep Messing and Alan Mayer – have been elected into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame.
They were among 10 inductees into the Hall, which was announced on the Kick This! radio show Saturday morning.
Former National Professional Soccer League media director and Associated Press sportswriter Chuck Murr revealed the list that consisted of five field players, two goalkeepers, and three coaches. It’s the first class inducted by the ISHOF since 2014.
Messing, 69, who was born in the Bronx but grew Roslyn, N.Y., starred for the New York Arrows when they won their Major Indoor Soccer League’s first four championships. He also played outdoors for the Cosmos, Oakland Stompers, Boston Minutemen and Rochester Lancers.
Mayer, 66, who was born in Islip, N.Y., performed for several indoor teams, including the Pittsburgh Spirit, New Jersey Rockets, San Diego Sockers, Las Vegas Americans and Kansas City Comets. He also played in the North American Soccer League for the Baltimore Comets, San Diego Jaws and Sockers, Las Vegas Quicksilvers and California Surf.
Keith Tozer, indoor soccer’s all-time winningest coach, led all voters, appearing on 24 of 28 ballots. Tozer was a first-ballot selection as voting was expanded to include the NPSL and Continental Indoor Soccer League and Western Indoor Soccer League eras for the first time.
Hector Marinaro, Zoran Karic, Pato Margetic and Daryl Doran were considered choices when their NPSL accomplishments were considered in addition to their MISL exploits. Former scoring terror Stan Terlicki also was elected. Joining Tozer are fellow head coaches Roy Turner and Timo Liekoski.
Voting was so fragmented that a second runoff vote was needed to select the final three after seven nominees qualified in the first round of tallies. With so many candidates, the electorate was split. Thirty-four nominees received at least six votes.
The ISHOF selection committee is made up of former coaches, players, administrators, and media. Hall of Fame members become eligible to vote in future years.
With the addition of 10 new members the ISHOF roster has been increased to 34. The Hall includes two administrators, seven coaches, five goalkeepers and 20 field players.
“This joyous announcement is tempered by the recent deaths of Ron Newman and Fernando Clavijo,” ISHOF founder Sydney Nusinov said. “Part of the mission of the Hall is to remember those that forged a path for our sport and to keep these legends engaged in the sport and I am proud to say that Ron and Fernando were active participants on our Selection Committee, and they will both be missed terribly.”
Ron Newman died Aug. 27, 2018 and Fernando Clavijo, who voted on this year’s balloting, died Feb. 8, 2019. Terlecki passed away on December 28, 2017.