Birmingham Legion FC
Birmingham Legion FC is an American professional soccer club based in Birmingham, Alabama, that competes in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. The team was established in August 2017 and began their first professional season on March 10, 2019.
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| Full name | Birmingham Legion FC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | August 9, 2017 | |||
| Stadium | BBVA Field Birmingham, Alabama | |||
| Capacity | 5,000 | |||
| Owners | Jack Bryant Billy Harbert John Harbert Jeff Logan James Outland Jim Rein Lee Styslinger III | |||
| President and general manager | Jay Heaps | |||
| Head coach | Tom Soehn | |||
| League | USL Championship | |||
| 2019 | 10th, Eastern Conference Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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History
On August 9, 2017, the United Soccer League (now known as USL Championship), the Division II sanctioned league by the United States Soccer Federation, granted a team for Birmingham to begin play in the 2019 season.[1] On January 17, 2018, the team name was revealed as Birmingham Legion FC, a reference to the historic Legion Field that opened in 1927. However, the team will instead play at BBVA Field, the current home of the UAB Blazers soccer program.[2]
Oak Mountain High School graduate and Real Monarchs' star forward Chandler Hoffman signed on as the team's first player in July 2018.[3] In August the team announced that Tom Soehn would be the first head coach of Birmingham Legion FC.[4]
Their first professional game resulted in a 2–0 defeat against Bethlehem Steel FC on March 10, 2019.[5]
Sponsorship
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–present | Nike | Red Diamond[6] |
Players and staff
Roster
- As of July 10, 2020[7]
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- ^ USL Academy Contract
Out on loan
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Forward | Chandler Hoffman (at Orange County SC) |  |
Team management
| Front office | |
|---|---|
| Owners | Jack Bryant Billy Harbert John Harbert Jeff Logan James Outland Jim Rein Lee Styslinger III |
| President and general manager | Jay Heaps |
| Executive vice president | Doug Hicks |
| Coaching staff | |
| Head coach | Tom Soehn |
| Assistant coach | Khano Smith |
Team records
Year-by-year
- As of October 26, 2019
| Season | USL Championship | Play-offs | U.S. Open Cup | Top scorer 1 | Head Coach | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts | Pos | Player | Goals | ||||
| 2019 | 34 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 35 | 51 | 43 | 10th, Eastern | Conference Quarterfinals | 3rd Round | |
8 | |
^ 1. Top scorer includes statistics from league matches only.
Head coaches
- Includes USLC regular season, USLC playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Soehn | |
August 16, 2018 | present | 38 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 36.84 |
Average attendance
| Year | Reg. season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4,551 | — |
References
- "USL Officially Awards Franchise to Birmingham". USL. August 9, 2017.
- "Birmingham Legion FC Branding Unveiled". United Soccer League. January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- Inabinett, Mark (July 30, 2018). "Chandler Hoffman coming home as Birmingham Legion FC's first player". The Birmingham News. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- Stephenson, Greg (August 16, 2018). "Birmingham Legion FC hires Tom Soehn as head coach". The Birmingham News. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- Legion FC Communications Team (March 10, 2019). "Sellout crowd sees Legion FC fall in inaugural season home opener". BHMLegion.com. Birmingham Legion FC. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- Patchen, Tyler (December 17, 2018). "Legion FC unveils new jersey and home-opener opponent". The Birmingham Business Journal. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- "2020 Roster". BHMLegion.com. Birmingham Legion FC. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
External links
