Birmingham Legion FC
Professional soccer club based in Birmingham, Alabama.
via Wikipedia: Birmingham Legion FC · see source
Birmingham Legion FC is an American professional soccer club based in Birmingham, Alabama, competing 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. Legion FC began its first professional season on March 10, 2019.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 9 August 2017
- Stadium
- Protective Stadium
- Capacity
- 47,100
- Chairman
- Jay Heaps
- League
- USL Championship
- Season
- 2025
- Position
- 12th, Eastern Conference; Playoffs: DNQ
Facts from the source article.
History
On August 9, 2017, the United Soccer League granted Birmingham a team to begin play in the 2019 season. The name Birmingham Legion FC was revealed on January 17, 2018, referencing historic Legion Field, though the team initially played at BBVA Field. Chandler Hoffman, a graduate of Oak Mountain High School and Real Monarchs forward, became the team's first player in July 2018. Tom Soehn was announced as the first head coach in August 2018. The club's first professional game was a 2–0 loss to Bethlehem Steel FC on March 10, 2019. In the 2023 U.S. Open Cup, Legion FC defeated MLS side Charlotte FC 1–0 in the round of 16 at Protective Stadium before a record home crowd of 12,722. The run ended with a 0–1 quarter-final loss to Inter Miami CF at Protective Stadium, setting another attendance record of 18,418.
Stadium
Birmingham Legion FC began playing its home games at Protective Stadium, also the home of the UAB Blazers, for the 2022 season. In March 2021, heavy rain made PNC Field unplayable, forcing a match against rival Memphis 901 to move to historic Legion Field. That game, nicknamed "Legion at Legion," set a club attendance record of 10,177 and was described as the largest crowd ever for a professional soccer match in Alabama. Later that year, in November 2021, the club and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees ended Legion FC’s eight-year lease early for reasons that were not made public. On December 7, 2021, the team announced it would move to Protective Stadium starting the following season.
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