Founded in 1975, and owned by local businessman Bob Darling, the team's name was a reference to the upcoming
bicentennial anniversary of the United States founding in 1976. The team began play during the
1975 NASL Indoor tournament, finishing second in Region 2 and missing the final four on
goal difference. Prior to the
1975 outdoor season, the Bicentennials signed fourteen players from the
1974 American Soccer League (ASL) champions
Rhode Island Oceaneers, including goalkeeper
Arnie Mausser,
Charlie McCully, and
Mohammad Attiah, as well as hiring the Oceaneers' head coach
Manny Schellscheidt and General Manager Michael Bosson. The Bicentennials finished their inaugural season in last place of the Northern Division with a record of six wins and sixteen loses and an average attendance of 3,720 playing their home games at the
Dillon Stadium which they shared with the
Connecticut Yankees of the ASL. After the season, Bosson was replaced by the GM of the Connecticut Yankees Rudi Schiffer and, along with the signing of three European players, the contract of goalkeeper Arnie Mausser, who had allowed a record 50 goals during the season, was sold to the
Tampa Bay Rowdies. Schellscheidt was replaced by Bobby Thompson after a 2-3 start to the 1976 outdoor season. The team ended the
1976 season with a record of twelve wins and twelve losses and averaging 3,420 fans per game. The team relocated to
New Haven, Connecticut and rebranded as the Connecticut Bicentennials before the 1977 season. Playing their home games at the
Yale Bowl, the team finished the
1977 season in last place of the Atlantic Conference Northern Division with a record of seven wins and nineteen losses. The Bicentennials drew their biggest crowd ever, with 17,302 fans in attendance, for their 1977 home opener against the
New York Cosmos featuring Brazilian star
Pelé, but averaged only 3,848 fans for the season. Citing low gate revenues and the cost to adequately light the Yale Bowl for night games, Darling sold the team to
Milan Mandarić who relocated the team to
Oakland, California for the 1978 season, where they became known as the
Oakland Stompers. ==Year-by-year==