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The Chargers: From Los Angeles to San Diego and back.
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football franchise that currently plays and competes in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers were established in 1960 and played one season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961. The team returned to Los Angeles in 2017.
Quick Facts
- Current stadium
- SoFi Stadium (moved in 2020; played at StubHub Center from 2017 to 2019)
Lore & Background
The Chargers were established in 1960 as one of eight American Football League teams. The original owner was hotel heir Barron Hilton. General manager Frank Leahy picked the name 'Chargers', and Hilton agreed. The team played its inaugural season at the Los Angeles Coliseum. After one season, the Chargers moved to San Diego in 1961 due to the popularity of the Rams. The Chargers won their only AFL Championship in 1963. After the 1970 merger, they made their lone Super Bowl appearance in 1994, a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Reader's Guide
The Chargers' original uniforms featured blue and gold with lightning bolts on the sides of the helmets and trousers. The team's first head coach was Sid Gillman, named on January 8, 1960. The Chargers played their first game on September 10, 1960, defeating the Dallas Texans 21–20. They finished the season 10–4 and won the AFL Western Division title before losing the AFL championship game to the Houston Oilers.
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