The 1974 Seattle Sounders NASL team will be honored prior to Saturday night’s match against Minnesota United as the inaugural inductee of the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends, a ceremony that highlights the most hallowed individuals to ever represent the club.
The Sounders 1974 team laid the groundwork of what the club has grown into today. Whether it be the club's values or the vast history of success the organization exhibits, it all started with the first people to ever don a Sounders jersey.
“When we started, the game wasn't that big of a deal, so guys like Dave Gillett (‘74-‘80), Adrian Webster (‘74-‘79), and Tommy Jenkins (‘76-‘79), went into the schools and really, really worked the community hard to make it what it is now,” said former defender Jimmy McAlister.
The 1974 team constructed the family-centric ideologies that remain in the organization to this day.
“It was such a great family right off the bat with the Sounders,” Eddie Fernandez said of his father, Pepe Fernandez’s experience. “And at that point, the front office and how they got embedded into the community, whether it be games with Memorial Stadium or going to schools and doing clinics, that just brought him closer, which made that inaugural [year] feel more special.”
The Sounders embraced the feeling of tradition and togetherness from the get-go, especially when it came to growing the game and the supporters of the club.
“I think most of the guys that have gotten to play here are giving, they want to give more than just play the game and go home, they want to help build it in the community,” said Gillett.
Former player Peter Hattrup (‘94-’95, ‘97-’99) is a prime example of how the inaugural team did exactly that, while leaving a lasting impact on individuals for years to come.
“I started as a 10 year old kid going to the first game in 1974, and then I became a season ticket holder,” said Hattrup. “And then in the mid-90s when the Sounders came back, I played for them, and eventually [served] as an assistant coach and player for a little while. And when the 2009 MLS team came, I became a season ticket holder, [again]. So, it's been a part of my life for the last 50 years.”
The sense of unity the 1974 team cultivated continues to be present at the organization and is expected to remain for years to come.
“[My father, Pepe] always had that close feel with the organization,” said Fernandez. “They always kept in touch with him and kept him part of it.”
From maintaining relationships with former players or employees at the club, to continuously advocating for the game in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, since 1974, the Seattle Sounders have always adhered to being the best in whatever they do.
Hattrup said it perfectly.
“It’s [about] being part of the community, having that never say die attitude, and always expecting excellence.”
