Charleston Battery

Did You Know?

• In 2023, the Battery achieved the best turnaround campaign in USL Championship history, improving by 34 points from the previous season.
• Fidel Barajas matched the single-season assists record with 11 in 2023 and became the club's youngest all-time goalscorer.

History

The Charleston Battery were founded in 1993 by a group of local soccer fans led by Tony Bakker, a Londoner who had moved his software company, Blackbaud, to the Charleston area in 1989. The club brought in Tim Hankinson, a University of South Carolina graduate and experienced college coach, to build the team. The Battery began play in the USISL, which became the USL in 1995. Under Portuguese manager Nuno Pitteira, they claimed their first league title in 1996, beating the Charlotte Eagles 3–2 in the final.

The next year, Charleston joined the newly formed A-League as a founding club. In 1999, the Battery moved into what is now MUSC Health Stadium, becoming the first non-MLS professional side in the U.S. to build its own venue. The club then hired veteran English coach Alan Dicks and signed a mix of experienced domestic players like Paul Conway, Dan Calichman, and Eric Wynalda, along with internationals such as Terry Phelan and Raúl Díaz Arce. Dicks was replaced in 2001 by fellow Englishman Chris Ramsey, who guided the Battery to an A-League championship in 2003 with a 3–0 win over Minnesota Thunder in Charleston.

After Ramsey left in 2004, the club promoted longtime player and assistant coach Mike Anhaeuser to head coach. In 2008, the Battery reached the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final for the first time, facing MLS side D.C. United at RFK Stadium. The match ended 2–1 to D.C. United after a late extra-time goal by Marco Reda for Charleston was controversially ruled offside.

Stadiums

Charleston Battery began their history at Stoney Field in downtown Charleston, sharing the space with college and high school teams for their first six seasons from 1993. In 1999, the club relocated to Daniel Island, moving into MUSC Health Stadium, originally called Blackbaud Stadium. This venue was the first privately funded soccer-specific stadium in the United States, with a capacity of 5,100. Its design was inspired by lower-tier English grounds, and it includes an on-site pub named The Three Lions behind the west stand, plus a training field and club offices.

A 3,000-square-foot video board, the second-largest in the Southeast, was added in 2016; relative to stadium seats, it is the largest such screen in the world. The complex also features sky boxes, a corporate plaza, and advanced media facilities. In 2019, under new owner Rob Salvatore, the team announced a move to Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. This site, located near the Ravenel Bridge, also hosts College of Charleston soccer, baseball, and softball teams.

Following renovations completed in early 2020, Patriots Point opened with limited attendance during the pandemic-shortened season, holding its official grand opening in 2021. The ownership later added premium seating by converting shipping containers into multi-level suite boxes, with three such boxes now available for fan rental.

Club culture

The Regiment is the main independent supporters' group for Charleston Battery, gathering in the Supporters Section behind the north goal alongside other groups like Queen Anne's Revenge, which is tied to the American Outlaws, and the Spanish-speaking Charleston Barra Brava. Whenever the Battery face their rival D.C. United from Major League Soccer, they play for the Coffee Pot Cup, a trophy created by fans of both teams and currently held by D.C. United.

The two sides have faced off regularly in friendlies and cup tournaments, with their most notable meeting being the 2008 US Open Cup final. Charleston also has a long-standing league rivalry with the Richmond Kickers. The Battery's supporters compete with North Carolina FC's fans for the Southern Derby Cup, a trophy Charleston has claimed a record ten times. They also take part in the No Quarter Derby against supporters of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, specifically Ralph's Mob and the Skyway Casuals.

In the middle of the 2021 season, the club added a cannon to the stadium that fires after every Battery goal, as well as at the start and end of matches. Gray Television handles local media rights, similar to the arrangement USL club Phoenix Rising FC has with Arizona's Family Sports. WCSC 5.3 serves as the flagship station, and games also air in the Columbia market on Gray station WIS 10.4.

Players and staff

Lee Cohen serves as Club President. Ben Pirmann is Head Coach, with assistant coaches Ian Cameron, Robbie Crawford, Brian Jones, and Rob Seaton. Pete Calabrese is Performance Director, and Luke Cantin is Head Athletic Trainer. Notable former players include those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions in appearances or goals, or contributed to the sport before or after their time with Charleston.

Among them are Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Anhaeuser, Brian Anunga, Fidel Barajas, Dan Calichman, Paul Conway, Raúl Díaz Arce, Eric Wynalda, Terry Phelan, Lamar Neagle, Trey Muse, Dante Polvara, and many others. The club's head coaches have included Tim Hankinson (1993–1994), Nuno Piteira (1995–1999), Alan Dicks (1999–2001), Chris Ramsey (2001–2004), Mike Anhaeuser (2004–2021), Conor Casey (2022), and Ben Pirmann (2023–present). Owners have included Tony Bakker (1993–1998), Nigel Cooper (1999–2008), Andrew Bell (2008–2018), Mike Kelleher (2018–2019), and Lee Cohen (2022–present).