St. Catharines Heidelberg was formed in 1960 and represented the German Canadian community in the Niagara region, with club president Connie Kolbow playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the organization.
[5] In 1971, the Niagara region received a representative in the National Soccer League as Heidelberg managed to acquire a franchise in the professional circuit.
[10] Initially, Alf Herman coached the team, he would recruit players from the previous roster and local regions such as Hamilton and Niagara.
[21] Originally, the club failed to secure the necessary funds required for the addition which caused the ownership to request a leave of absence for one year.
[22][23] However, the club managed to raise the funds needed for the lighting and received the approval of the parent company to continue fielding a team for the 1973 season.
[21][26] Throughout the early stages of the regular season, St. Catharines would become a contender for the title, as they held the top position twice and also produced an 11-game undefeated streak.
[35] St. Catharines' final notable performance occurred in the 1978 season when Heidelberg finished as runners-up in the Second Division, and qualified for the promotion/relegation playoff match.