The team's ownership group included rock musicians Rick Wakeman, Peter Frampton, Mick Jagger, and Paul Simon.

[4] The following month, Rick Wakeman and former Yes manager Brian Lane led a press conference announcing the team would be known as the Fury and that former Newcastle United F.C.

The organization also announced that it had reached a financial settlement with original Atoms owner Thomas McCloskey and intended to settle approximately $90,000 remaining outstanding debts owed by the previous franchise.

[9] The team's penultimate game of the season ended in controversy with Pierce O'Leary, on loan from Ireland's Shamrock Rovers F.C., attempted to attack referee George Courtney after Toronto Metros-Croatia striker Sead Sušić scored a goal in sudden death overtime.

[13] During the offseason, GM Ehlinger brought in goalkeeper Keith Van Eron from the Houston Hurricane, striker Davie Robb from the Tampa Bay Rowdies and four Yugoslav players, including Niki Nikolic who came in a deal from the Tulsa Roughnecks along with Englishmen Jimmy Redfern.

[12] Alan Ball agreed to return after Southampton was defeated by Nottingham Forest in the 1978–79 Football League Cup, but only play eight games for the team before his loan deal was sold to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

[19] On June 20, 1979, the Fury named Tom Fleck, youth coordinator for the United States Soccer Federation, as general manager.

[20] Despite the roster and management changes, the Fury ended the 1979 season with a losing record of ten wins and twenty losses, having lost all fifteen away matches.

[30] Notable additions to the squad brought in by Firmani included Netherlands national team forward Bobby Vosmaer, Đorđe Koković, and Andrew Parkinson.