Birmingham Legion FC

Last updated

Birmingham Legion FC
Birmingham Legion FC logo.svg
Full nameBirmingham Legion FC
FoundedAugust 9, 2017;7 years ago (2017-08-09)
Stadium Protective Stadium
Capacity47,100
Owners
President and
general manager		 Jay Heaps
Head coach Tom Soehn
League USL Championship
2024 9th, Eastern Conference
Playoffs: DNQ
Website bhmlegion.com
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

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 2013 and played under the name Birmingham Hammers until 2018 and began their first professional season as Legion FC on March 10, 2019. As of March 5th 2023 Spanish filmmaker Enrique Cerezo has maintained a 15% ownership share in the club.In a shock move on 7th November 2024 Anglo-Brazilian businessman Neilinho Colesco Bought a 1% shair in the club in honor of his late wife a Birmingham Alabama native.

Contents

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 instead played at BBVA Field, the 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]

During the 2023 U.S. Open Cup, Birmingham Legion FC defeated a Major League Soccer (MLS) side for the first time, with a 1-0 win over Charlotte FC in the round of 16. The game was played at Protective Stadium before a record home crowd of 12,722. [6] Legion FC's U.S. Open Cup run was cut short by MLS team Inter Miami CF after a 0-1 loss at Protective Stadium in the quarter-final of the U.S. Open Cup, setting yet another record attendance of 18,418 spectators. [7]

Stadium

Legion FC played its home matches at Protective Stadium, which also serves as the Blazers' home field, which began in the 2021-22 season.

On March 15, 2021, Legion FC was forced to move its scheduled match against rival Memphis 901 to historic Legion Field because of unplayable pitch conditions at PNC Field, caused by heavy rains in the previous days. The match, dubbed "Legion at Legion," drew a club-record crowd of 10,177, which the club said was also the largest crowd ever to attend a professional soccer match in Alabama. [8] (Legion Field's largest soccer crowd ever was a 1996 Summer Olympics match between the United States and Argentina, which also set the stadium's all-time attendance record with 83,810 fans.) Inclement weather also forced delays or cancellations in other matches.

In November 2021, the club and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees agreed to terminate Legion FC's eight-year lease early. No reason was announced through official channels. [9] On December 7, 2021, the club announced the Legion would play their home games at Protective Stadium starting with their 2022 season. [10] [11]

Club culture

Rivalries

Birmingham competes in the Southern Harm derby against rivals Memphis 901. [12]

Sponsorship

PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
2019–2021 Nike Red Diamond [13]
2022–2023 Coca-Cola
BODYARMOR
2024–present Hummel [14]

Players and staff

Roster

As of December 3, 2024 [15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Matt Van Oekel
3 DF Flag of Rwanda.svg  RWA Phanuel Kavita
4 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ramiz Hamouda
8 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Kobe Hernandez-Foster
9 FW Flag of Venezuela (state).svg  VEN Darwin Matheus
11 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Dawson McCartney
13 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jake Rufe
15 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Tyler Pasher
17 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Matthew Corcoran
No.Pos.NationPlayer
18 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Trevor Spangenberg
19 MF Flag of Uruguay.svg  URU Enzo Martínez
20 DF Flag of Grenada.svg  GRN A. J. Paterson
23 FW Flag of Cameroon.svg  CMR Tabort Etaka Preston
33 DF Flag of Ghana.svg  GHA Moses Mensah
75 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Owen Jack
77 FW Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  SLE Mohamed Buya Turay
— GK Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX Fernando Delgado
— FW Flag of Haiti.svg  HAI Ronaldo Damus (on loan from GIF Sundsvall)
  1. ^
    USL Academy Contract

Team management

Front office
OwnersJack Bryant
Billy Harbert
John Harbert
Jeff Logan
James Outland
Jim Rein
Lee Styslinger III
President and general manager Jay Heaps
Vice president of operationsJason Coleman
Director of ticketingCason Gooch
Coaching staff
Head coach Tom Soehn
Assistant coach Eric Avila
Assistant coach Braeden Cloutier

Last updated: March 25, 2019
Source:

Team records

Year-by-year

As of October 26, 2024
Season USL Championship Play-offs U.S. Open Cup Top scorer 1 Head CoachAvg. attendance
PWLDGFGAPtsPosPlayerGoals
2019 341215735514310th, Eastern Conference quarterfinals 3rd Round Flag of the United States.svg J.J. Williams 8 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Soehn 4,541
2020 167542919282nd, Group G Conference quarterfinals Canceled Flag of Jamaica.svg Neco Brett 91,250
2021 3218865131612nd, Central Conference semifinals Canceled Flag of Jamaica.svg Neco Brett 184,389
2022 34171075637584th, Eastern Conference quarterfinals 3rd Round Flag of Uruguay.svg Enzo Martínez 155,405
2023 34141644453467th, Eastern Conference semifinals Quarter Final Flag of Jamaica.svg Neco Brett 115,091
2024 34131564451459th, Eastern Did not qualify Ro32 Flag of Brazil.svg Stéfano Pinho 143,708

^ 1. Top scorer includes statistics from league matches only.

Head coaches

CoachNationalityStartEndGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Tom Soehn Flag of the United States.svg United StatesAugust 16, 2018present167776129046.11

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References

  1. ↑ "USL Officially Awards Franchise to Birmingham". USL. August 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Birmingham Legion FC Branding Unveiled". United Soccer League. January 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  3. ↑ Inabinett, Mark (July 30, 2018). "Chandler Hoffman coming home as Birmingham Legion FC's first player". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ Stephenson, Greg (August 16, 2018). "Birmingham Legion FC hires Tom Soehn as head coach". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Legion FC Communications Team (March 10, 2019). "Sellout crowd sees Legion FC fall in inaugural season home opener". BHMLegion.com. Birmingham Legion FC. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ Legion FC Communications Team (May 24, 2023). "Legion FC Triumphs 1-0 over MLS Club Charlotte FC and Makes Alabama Sports History". BHMLegion.com. Birmingham Legion FC. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ jjgood (June 7, 2023). "Birmingham Legion FC's Open Cup Run Comes to an End in Dramatic 1-0 Loss Against Inter Miami". BHMLegion.com. Birmingham Legion FC. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Legion FC Defeats Memphis in Front of Record Crowd of 10,177 at Historic Legion Field". Birmingham Legion FC (via OurSportsCentral). May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  9. ↑ Seale, Michael (November 5, 2021). "Legion FC And UAB End Stadium Lease Agreement". Patch Birmingham. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  10. ↑ Goodman, Joe (November 5, 2021). "'Overrated' Birmingham Legion FC ready for first home playoff game". Birmingham News/al.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  11. ↑ Turrentine, Caleb (December 7, 2021). "Legion officially name Protective Stadium as home field for 2022". ABC 33/40. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  12. ↑ "A brief introduction to Birmingham vs. Memphis, AKA Southern Harm". uslchampionship.com. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ Patchen, Tyler (December 17, 2018). "Legion FC unveils new jersey and home-opener opponent". The Birmingham Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Birmingham Legion FC Announces Multi-Year Partnership with hummel". Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Roster Archive". Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
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