For people from or living in Alabama that are into soccer. Or for Alabama related soccer news...or really for anybody that wants to post here. Post away...
US Women to play England in Birmingham, AL on May 17th. Full story here: http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=28242
All-right! Soccer in Alabama. Never thought I'd see the day. nic, I remember the grasshoppers days, a bunch of ex B'ham-Southern players right? Saints were a W-League team IIRC. They were before my time.
The Saints were post Grasshoppers actually. I think they were basically the same team but they just changed names when they changed owners. I think if they had played anywhere but out at BSC that that team could've survived. Nobody wanted to drive out the the ghetto watch Fourth Division soccer. True, the Grasshoppers were primarily comprised of ex-BSC players, but they had a few others that weren't too. It was still nice to get to see higher level matches locally.
Well, they were both before my time. And true, I can think of little reason to go down Greymont way if Alabama (or the occasional soccer game) isn't playing.
I'm actually friends with a few ex-Grasshoppers. The Saints were a men's team like my bro says but there was a women's team for one year. Alabama Angels I think.
1st player born in AL drafted by Crew Michael Ritch. Saw him play in high school in the state championships. Thought he was good. Not good enough at the time to be drafted professionally. He was also drafted by Syracuse of the A-League where he is more likely to play. http://www.thecrew.com/club/bio.cfm?ID=81&header=TEAM
UAB signees http://uabsports.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/022403aaa.html I'm familiar with a few of these players since I coach around here.
A resounding no! Birmingham is not a pro sports city. If we could name the team Birmingham USA or Birmingham Olympics Team or B'ham Redwhiteblue then maybe we would support it or maybe Birmingham Crimson Tigers.
I agree, I just dont see it happening. maybe a lower division team, if done in the right way could make it. BTW, how dare you sully the name of the great Crimson Tide by placing it in the same breath with that other team that will remain unnamed.
Ala connection in Colo Hi. I'm from B'ham originally but live in Denver now (Go, Rapids!). I'm sort of thinking of coming home for the USWNT vs. England, esp. since there's always the chance City Stages might not suck (always a *chance*). What are the sight lines like at Legion Field? For Rapids games our seats are at about the 45 yard line, row 2, and the view is awesome. Hearing players yell to each other is awesome. Where would be a good place to sit at Legion Field? What are prices like? Also, FYI, the coach for the Rapids, Tim Hankinson, coached at Alabama A&M back in, like, 1980. I asked him if he ever knew the soccer coach from my high school, Ray Woodard, and he said, "Oh, of course I remember Ray!" I thought that was pretty cool. If any of you know Ray (or Eric) Woodard, please pass that tidbit on to them.
I'm with you on that one. Just using it as an example of what it would take for soccer to get noticed.
Re: Ala connection in Colo Prices are very reasonable. The low end is $16 with top price being $45 I think. Since Legion field is HUGE, I suspect they will do with this match what they did for the match against Ecuador: Shut one side of the stadium down and make everyone sit on one side so it looks like a full stadium on TV. They didn't do that in the Olympics (didn't have to, some sold out) and they didn't do it against Tunisia, but did it with Ecuador and the results were good I heard (forgot to tape it so I could watch after seeing it live.) The site lines are pretty good, though clearly designed with American football in mind. I wouldn't want to sit any lower than about 10 rows, but that's just my personal preference.
Re: UAB signees I'm surprised he Getman didn't recruit any from his typical recruiting hotbeds: Ontario, St. Louis, & Texas.
While I don't think we can support an MLS team, I do think we could handle whatever is a notch below A-League. As mentioned earlier, BSC was not the place to hold those matches...and didn't both of those teams fold before the Olympics and our "new soccer culture" emerged? I wouldn't go so far as to say we aren't a pro-sports city as much as I would say we are very much a college sports city. The "off-brand" (non-NFL) pro football that has come here has actually done quite well...it is the leagues themselves that have buckled. Regarding the pro-hockey team...who gives a toss? We are from Alabama, the only ice we ever see is made in our freezers so winter sports don't really work here. The Barons have been around forever and a day and I imagine they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I honestly think we could support an NFL team or a Division 3 soccer team.
I graduated in 1989. I'm all jealous that the school has nice fields now---they were really, really crappy way back when, like, when our gymnasium was an airplane hangar!
If you played soccer then we probably played against each other. I graduated from Homewood in 1990. I coached with Eric Woodard at Homewood for 3 years before he went back to ISS. The soccer field there is so nice now.Big, flat & green
small world Well, I know I never played against you, pvan, but I may well have been a spectator at games you played in. My chosen sport in h.s. was even dorkier to most Americans than soccer is: fencing. I'm tracking airfares to BHM for the USWNT weekend in May. If we end up coming back there, it would be really cool to meet up with some of y'all for a BigSoccer tailgate or something. I could definitely go for some Dreamland ribs or a Golden Rule BBQ sandwhich... Mmmm.... tailgate food... And as for MLS in BHM, I can't see it happening. SEC says, "Son, this town ain't big enough for the both of us." But what about an MLS team *anywhere* else in the Deep South? I figured that a year or two after the Fla. contraction they might try for a team in, maybe, Memphis or Charleston. I had thought maybe Atlanta, but probably not now that the WUSA is there. I don't go out of my way to follow the WUSA at all (though the Rapids season opener last year was a double-header with a WUSA preseason matchup---fun game), and I'm wondering what the attendance has been like for the Atlanta games. Anybody from Ala. ever make it over there for a game?
Re: small world That'd be cool to get together with some 'bama boys current and ex. I'm not much for watching women's soccer which is funny since I coach girls in both high school & club.