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Will Birmingham join the Arena Football League?

August 12, 1991

	Arena Football League creator Jim Foster

It is reported that the Arena Football League is interested in placing an expansion team in Birmingham for the 1992 or 1993 season.

The AFL is an indoor football league that began play in 1987 in four cities; Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC. The AFL grew to six teams the following year, five teams in 1989, back to six the next year, and had eight teams this season.

The league was created by Jim Foster, a promotions manager with the National Football League, who created the idea of indoor football while watching an indoor soccer match at Madison Square Garden in 1981.    

"Arena football" is distinguished from "indoor football" by its use of large rebound nets attached to the side of each goalpost, which keep any missed field goal or overthrown ball in the field of play which allows the ball to remain live. The AFL was awarded a patent for their rebound net system. 

Foster says that Birmingham is a possibilty. "Birmingham definitely does fit the mold. We're looking for markets where the people love football in general."

The problem so far has been finding a workable ownership group to come forward. The AFL prefers local ownership for the franchises, but no one has put together a group in Birmingham. The initial cost for a new franchise is currently $500,000, with half up front and the remainder deferred. Foster says the operating budget for a franchise is around $700,000, with half of that in working capital. Foster also says that a successful franchise can see a return on that investment "in two to three years".

The only person attempting to do so is Gadsden businessman John Ritchie, who owns the Alabama Raiders of the Minor League Football Alliance. Ritchie says he can't afford to own an Arena team but is interested in operating the local franchise. He says he already owns the player equipment and has two years of managing a football organization. His Raiders were 14-1 in the first year last season and are currently 3-0 this season. "I don't want to exaggerate this and I don't want to get people's hopes up, but I'm going to pursue it."

	Arena Football League's patented goal post net system allows for scoring kicks in the center, while the large netting on each side keep balls in play.

Foster has a tie to Birmingham in his past. He was hired as the USFL's Birmingham Stallions marketing director in 1982 before taking a similar position with the USFL's Arizona Wranglers.

The league has already looked into the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center as a playing site. They want to expand to 8-10 teams in 1992 and then add two more teams for 1993. Phoenix is already secured for 1992. Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City are also under consideration for 1992 or 1993.

While the AFL is considered professional, veteran players earn $400 each game while rookies earn $300. Each team has an 18-player roster and games are played with eight players on each side. Most players, except the quarterback and kicker, play both offense and defense.

With the World League of American Football's Birmingham Fire already based in town and playing a spring schedule, Foster believes the two franchises could co-exist. The WLAF plans to shift their schedule next year to begin in March and the AFL doesn't start until June.

There are several WLAF players that also play in the AFL. The Fire's Anthony Newsome also plays for the AFL's Dallas Texans.

Epilogue
Birmingham never made it into the Arena Football League. However, the Birmingham Steeldogs were an inaugural franchise in the AFL's developmental circuit, arenafootball2, which began play in 2000. The Steeldogs would rename themselves the Alabama Steeldogs in 2007, but would ultimately fold after the season.

arenafootball2 would continue to play on until September 8, 2009 when none of the teams submitted the paperwork required to return in 2010.

The Arena Football League suspended operations before the 2009 season and then later suspended all operations indefinitely after declaring bankruptcy. By that point, the AFL was the majority owner of the af2, and the minority owners of the af2 were wary of being owned by, and paying money owed to, the bankrupt league's creditors.

			Teams of the                            Arena Football League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Firebirds 1990 to 2000		Anaheim Piranhas 1996 to 1997		Arizona Rattlers 1992 to 2008		Austin Wranglers 2004 to 2007		Buffalo Destroyers 1999 to 2003
	Carolina Cobras 2000 to 2004		Charlotte Rage 1992 to 1996		Chicago Bruisers 1987 to 1989		Chicago Rush 2001 to 2008		Cincinnati Rockers 1992 to 1993
	Cleveland Gladiators 2008		Cleveland Thunderbolts 1992 to 1994		Colorado Crush 2003 to 2008		Columbus Destroyers 2004 to 2008		Columbus Thunderbolts 1991
	Connecticut Coyotes 1995 to 1996		Dallas Desperados 2002 to 2008		Dallas Texans 1990 to 1993		Denver Dynamite 1987; 1989 to 1991		Detroit Drive 1988 to 1993
	Detroit Fury 2001 to 2004		Florida Bobcats 1996 to 2001		Fort Worth Cavalry 1994		Georgia Force 2002 to 2008		Grand Rapids Rampage 1998 to 2008
	Houston ThunderBears 1998 to 2001		Indiana Firebirds 2001 to 2004		Iowa Barnstormers 1995 to 2000		Kansas City Brigade 2006 to 2008		Las Vegas Gladiators 2003 to 2007
	Las Vegas Sting 1994 to 1995		Los Angeles Avengers 2000 to 2008		Los Angeles Cobras 1988		Maryland Commandos 1989		Massachusetts Marauders 1994
	Memphis Pharaohs 1995 to 1996		Miami Hooters 1993 to 1995		Milwaukee Mustangs 1994 to 2001		Minnesota Fighting Pike 1996		Nashville Kats 1997 to 2001; 2005 to 2007
	New England Sea Wolves 1999 to 2000		New England Steamrollers 1988		New Jersey Gladiators 2001 to 2002		New Jersey Red Dogs 1997 to 2000		New Orleans Night 1991 to 1992
	New Orleans VooDoo 2004 to 2005; 2007 to 2008		New York CityHawks 1997 to 1998		New York Dragons 2001 to 2008		New York Knights 1988		Oklahoma Wranglers 2000 to 2001
	Orlando Predators 1991 to 2008		Philadelphia Soul 2004 to 2008		Pittsburgh Gladiators 1987 to 1990		Portland Forest Dragons 1997 to 1999		Sacramento Attack 1992
	San Antonio Force 1992		San Jose SaberCats 1995 to 2008		St. Louis Stampede 1995 to 1996		Tampa Bay Storm 1991 to 2008		Texas Terror 1996 to 1997
	Toronto Phantoms 2001 to 2002		Utah Blaze 2006 to 2008		Washington Commandos 1987; 1990

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