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Joe E. Fuller, a local insurance man, announces
his intention to bring indoor soccer to
Birmingham. The franchise would be a member of
the planned International Indoor Soccer League.
Fuller is giving himself one week to come up
with the $50,000 guarantee that will secure a
franchise for Birmingham. Fuller is seeking the
money in two ways, "I'd like to have 10 other
businessmen (contribute) or get 5 businessmen
and a civic club to come in with the other half.
There's a certain point in time that you have to
move from the financial end to the sports end.
Where you've got to sell tickets and obtain
players. If I can't do it then I will pass the
hat to someone else. Maybe a person from out of
town will want to come in and make a lot of
money and have some fun." Fuller believes the
city and surrounding suburbs have an untapped
base of soccer fans to draw on.
The IISL season would run from May to
September with 30 home games and 30 away games
for each team. The IISL's president is Florida
businessman Norm Johnson. Another high ranking
official is William R. Putnam, former owner of
the Birmingham Americans, who won the World
Football League's first and only World Bowl in
1974. |
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