Hollywood United F.C.
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| Full name | Hollywood United Football Club | |||
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| Ground | Manhattan Beach Village | |||
| Chairman |  Anthony LaPaglia | |||
| League | Coast Soccer League | |||
| 2008 | in progress | |||
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Hollywood United Football Club is an American amateur soccer club, founded in the late-1980s by a group of British expatriates who frequented the Cat & Fiddle, an English-style pub on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, California.
Club history
Origins
The original team was made up of several U.S.-based British celebrities from the world of music, film and television, including Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury of The Cult, and Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard. Word eventually spread throughout the entertainment world about the club and its players and, before long, not only other well-known stars, but also former national team soccer players from around the world asked to play. From these humble beginnings 20 years ago the Hollywood United Football Club has grown into what it is today; a star-studded, world famous, and competitively successful soccer club.
Initially, Hollywood United basically had one team that competed in different Sunday leagues around Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Metro League and the Glendale League. It was loosely organized and comprised roughly of the same 20 players in all games.
2003-2007
By the mid-2000s, there were two Hollywood United teams: an over-30s squad that competed in the Los Angeles Premier League from 2003 to 2005, and then in the now-defunct Olympic Soccer League from 2005-2006, and a Sunday League team that of older players that did not want to compete with the younger players. Both teams played their home games at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, California.
The over-30s team started to be the focus of international notoriety when people such as actors Anthony LaPaglia, Dermot Mulroney, Jason Statham, Brandon Routh, Ralf Little, Donal Logue, and Jimmy Jean-Louis, singers Robbie Williams and Ziggy Marley, film director Danny Cannon, Los Angeles Galaxy veteran Paul Bravo, and former international soccer players Vinnie Jones, Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, Richard Gough and Frank Leboeuf, began playing regularly for the team.
2008 U.S. Open Cup Run
Hollywood United qualified for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by going 3-0-0 in a group with National Premier Soccer League's Santa Cruz County Breakers, San Diego United and Phoenix Banat Arsenal. They then advanced to the First Round to take on the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division. Hollywood stunned the Timbers by beating them 3-2 thanks to penalties from Matt Taylor, but were defeated 6-0 by Seattle Sounders in the second round.
Current Teams
Hollywood United Hitmen
The Hollywood United Hitmen were formed in early 2009 and compete in the USL Premier Development League, having acquired the franchise rights from the San Fernando Valley Quakes.
Hollywood United First Team
The current Hollywood United First Team was formed in late summer 2007 out of the remnants of the former California amateur soccer powerhouse Doxa Italia, and is made up of former A-League and Major League Soccer players, combined with several younger talented players who aspire to play professionally. The team competes in the Coast Soccer League and plays its home games at "The Village" in Manhattan Beach, California. In its first season the team won the Coast Soccer League title, the International Cup of Iran, and the Los Angeles Galaxy Clasico IV tournament championship.
2008 CSL/USOC Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Over 40s ("Dad's Army")
Dad's Army consists of most of the original Hollywood United team, and competes in the City of Los Angeles Metro Soccer League Senior Division. This team has recently featured players such as Vinnie Jones, Steve Jones, Billy Duffy, Vivian Campbell, Paul Cook, Danny Cannon and Anthony LaPaglia.
Over 30s ("Tabo's Army")
Tabo's Army is an over-30s side that competes in the Los Angeles Metro League at Griffith Park. This team consists of many of the original HUFC players.
HUFC 7s
The 7-a-side teams compete in the Santa Monica Adult Soccer League. The mens team features players from all teams, and has also included Anthony LaPaglia, Steve Jones, Frank Leboeuf and Olivier Biaggi.
Charity
Hollywood United's sports and entertainment personalities are bonded by their passion for soccer and their desire to help the world become a better place, and recognizes that many of its members are famous and this provides a means by which we can help those less fortunate both in our community and throughout the world. Hollywood United Football Club is able to leverage its unique position in the soccer world to provide hope by sharing its love of the game in charity events.
Some of Hollywood United's recent charity events include:
- Champions United v. Hollywood United, November 22, 2008. As part of the activities surrounding the 2008 MLS Cup Hollywood United will host a special charity match. All proceeds from the match, including donations collected on the day of the game, will be for people whose lives were severely affected by the devastation of Hurricane Ike. Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 22nd at the Home Depot Center, field #5. Players for Hollywood in this game include Ziggy Marley, Santiago Cabrera, Jimmy Jean-Louis and John Harkes.[1]
- Los Angeles Galaxy v. Hollywood United, November 4, 2007. Following the string of devastating wildfires in Southern California, the LA Galaxy, Hollywood United F.C. and the Herbalife Family Foundation joined together to host a special charity match. All proceeds from the match, including donations collected on the day of the game, went towards the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army to aid in their efforts to assist those affected by the wild fires. Players for Hollywood in this game included, in addition to their usual celebrities, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Joe-Max Moore, Jorge Campos and Yari Allnutt.[2]
- Match to Benefit Survivors of Torture, July 22, 2007. Proceeds from the event benefited PTV, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free medical care, psychological evaluation and other essential social services to alleviate the suffering and health consequences of torture victims living in Los Angeles. Funds raised at the event also benefited the Hollywood United Youth Soccer Association (HUYSA), an organization dedicated to supporting youth soccer programs.
- Match to Benefit Children of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, June 15, 2007. Hollywood United Football club participated in a match against a team of Mexican International legends. Luis Hernández, Benjamin Galindo, and Adolfo Rios spearheaded the Mexican team against Hollywood United regulars Eric Wynalda, Richard Gough, and Jimmy Jean-Louis. The event raised thousands of dollars to benefit the homeless children of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico