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Will Birmingham join the American Soccer League?

January 7, 1981
Richard Melvin, director of franchise development for the American Soccer League, spends the day in Birmingham meeting with Chamber of Commerce officials and touring the city. Melvin is also the owner of the ASL's Carolina Lightnin', one of 10 teams currently playing in the outdoor league.

"We're very much interested in locating a franchise here. There seems to be a tremendous amount of interest in Birmingham to bring professional soccer in," Melvin said.

When asked about the failed Super Soccer League, which the Birmingham Bandits were a member of in 1978, Melvin said, "I remember the league, and I remember its problems. We're not that kind of operation. We've been around a few years. The league was incorporated in 1923." The American Soccer League has the distinction of being the longest-running professional sports league in U.S. history.

May 1981

			1981                            American Soccer League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Carolina Lightnin'		Cleveland Cobras		Detroit Express		New England Sharks		New York Eagles
	New York United		Pennsylvania Stoners		Rochester Flash

Epilogue
Since its beginning, the American Soccer League concentrated on the New England/New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia area, but in the early 1970's it expanded into the Midwest.

In the late 1970's, during the boom years of the North American Soccer League, it opened a division along the West coast. This ambitious plan proved too expensive for the league, and franchises dwindled until their final season in 1983.

Before their last season, the ASL was planning to move indoors, but the league disbanded before it could make the move.

While the league may have folded, the Carolina, Jacksonville, Dallas, and Oklahoma City franchises joined the newly formed United Soccer League, which played until 1985.

Soccer finally made it to the Magic City, however. In May 2017 the United Soccer League announced they would place a team in Birmingham in 2019, and the Birmingham Legion has remained active in the USL's Championship league.

			Teams of the                            American Soccer League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Allentown 1939-40		Baltimore Americans 1939-40 to 1948-49		Baltimore Bays 1972 to 1973		Baltimore Flyers 1967-68		Baltimore German 1938-39
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Baltimore Pompei 1957-58 to 1960-61		Baltimore Rockets 1953-54 to 1956-57		Baltimore S.C. 1936-37 to 1941/42; 1943-44 to 1947-48		Baltimore St. Gerards 1966-67		Baltimore Stars 1972
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Bethlehem Hungarian 1938-39		Boca Juniors 1963-64		Boston Astros 1968 to 1975		Boston Metros 1963-64		Boston Tigers 1965-66 to 1967-68
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Brookhattan-Galicia 1957-58 to 1958-59		Brookhattan 1938-39 to 1956-57		Brooklyn Celtic 1933-34 to 1934-35		Brooklyn F.C. 1933-34		Brooklyn Giants 1941-42
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Brooklyn Hakoah 1948-49 to 1955-56		Brooklyn Hispano 1933-34 to 1940-41; 1943-44 to 1955-56		Brooklyn Italians 1956-57 to 1960-61		Brooklyn Red Devils  1942-43		Brooklyn Wanderers 1942-43 to 1948-49
			NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
	California Sunshine 1977 to 1980		Canton S.C. 1934-35 to 1935-36		Carolina Lightnin' 1981 to 1983		Chicago Americans 1972		Chicago Cats 1975 to 1976
							NEED LOGO
	Cincinnati Comets 1972 to 1975		Cleveland Cobras 1974 to 1981		Cleveland Stars 1972 to 1973		Colombo 1959-60		Columbus Magic 1979-80
									NEED LOGO
	Connecticut Wildcats 1973 to 1974		Connecticut Yankees 1975 to 1978		Dallas Americans 1983		Delaware Wings 1972 to 1974		Detroit Corinthians 1946
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Detroit Express 1981 to 1983		Detroit Mustangs 1973		Detroit S.C. 1972		Elizabeth Falcons 1954-55 to 1958-59		Falcons-Warsaw 1962-63 to 1963-64
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Falcons S.C. 1959-60 to 1961-62		Fall River Astros 1967-68 to 1968		Fall River S.C. 1957-58 to 1962-63		Galicia-Honduras 1961-62		Galicia S.C. 1958-59 to 1960-61
	NEED LOGO								NEED LOGO
	Gary Tigers 1973		Georgia Generals 1982		Golden Bay Buccaneers 1976		Golden Gate Gales 1980		Hartford Kings 1966-67; 1968
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO						NEED LOGO
	Hartford S.C. 1964-65 to 1968		Hispano F.C. 1933		Indiana Tigers 1973 to 1974		Indianapolis Daredevils 1978 to 1979		Inter-Brooklyn Italians 1961-62
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Inter S.C. 1962-63; 1965-66		Irish-Americans 1933-34 to 1941-42; 1949-50 to 1951-52		Jacksonville Tea Men 1983		Kearny Americans 1941-42 to 1949-50		Kearny Celtic 1942-43 to 1948-49
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Las Vegas Seagulls 1979		Los Angeles Skyhawks 1976 to 1979		Ludlow Lusitano 1955-56 to 1957-58		Ludlow S.C. 1956-57		Miami Americans 1980
			NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Nashville Diamonds 1982		New Brunswick Hungarian 1963-64 to 1967-68		New Brunswick Hungarian Americans 1963-64 to 1966-67		New England Oceaneers 1977		New England Sharks 1981
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	New Jersey Americans 1976 to 1979		New Jersey Brewers 1973 to 1975		New Jersey Schaefer Brewers 1972		New York Americans 1933-34 to 1955-56		New York Apollo 1973 to 1979
	NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	New York Brookhattan 1933-34 to 1937-38		New York Eagles 1978 to 1979; 1981		New York Greeks 1971 to 1972		New York Hakoah-Americans 1956-57 to 1963-64		New York Hakoah 1956-57 to 1961-62
	NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	New York Inter 1965-66 to 1969		New York United 1971 to 1981		Newark Falcons 1964-65 to 1966-67		Newark Germans 1933-34 to 1936-37		Newark Portuguese 1951-52 to 1962-63; 1964-65 to 1967-68
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Newark Sitch 1969 to 1970		Newark Ukrainian Sitch 1962-63 to 1968		Nor'East United 1972		Oakland Buccaneers 1976		Oklahoma City Slickers 1982 to 1983
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Olimpia 1965-66 to 1966-67		Passon Phillies 1936-37 to 1940-41		Paterson Caledonian 1936-37 to 1937-38		Paterson F.C. 1939-40 to 1940-41		Pennsylvania Stoners 1979 to 1983
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Philadelphia Americans 1941-42 to 1953-54		Philadelphia German-Americans 1933-34 to 1940-41		Philadelphia Nationals 1941-42 to 1953-54		Philadelphia Spartans 1969 to 1973		Philadelphia Ukrainians 1968-69 to 1970
			NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
	Phoenix Fire 1980		Pittsburgh Canons 1972		Pittsburgh Miners 1975		Ponta Delgada S.C. 1951 to 1953		Rhode Island Oceaneers 1974 to 1976
			NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Rochester Flash 1981 to 1982		Rochester Lancers 1967-68 to 1969		Roma S.C. 1964-65 to 1967-68		Sacramento Gold 1978 to 1980		Sacramento Spirits 1976 to 1977
			NEED LOGO						NEED LOGO
	Santa Barbara Condors 1977		Scots-Americans 1933-34 to 1940-41; 1950-51 to 1952-53		Southern California Lazers 1978		St. Louis Frogs 1972		St. Mary's Celtic 1933-34 to 1941-42
			NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Syracuse Scorpions 1969 to 1970		Syracuse Suns 1971; 1973 to 1974		Tacoma Tides 1976		Trenton Americans 1948-49 to 1950-51; 1953-54 to 1954-55		Trenton Highanders 1938-39
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Uhrik Truckers 1954-55 to 1964-65		Ukrainian Nationals 1957-58 to 1963-64; 1965-66 to 1967-68		Utah Golden Spikers 1976		Utah Pioneers 1976		Virginia Capitol Cavaliers 1971
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
	Washington Britannia 1967-68		Washington Cavaliers 1972		Washington Darts 1968-69		Worcester Astros 1975

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Last update: January 22, 2024