Will Birmingham play in the International Indoor Soccer League?
February 23, 1978
Joe E. Fuller
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 five 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, but that isn't a guarantee. "The thing I have working for me is
that the league wants Birmingham. And the thing I have against me is the lack of
civic pride. The old 'Let's do something good for Birmingham' feeling isn't here
anymore. Now, it's a matter of economics. I'n going to give myself a week to put
the people together. In two weeks I hope to begin negotiating with the
(Jefferson County) Civic Center Coliseum for a home playing site, and in three
weeks, begin selecting staff and negotiating players from the league."
The IISL season would run from May to September with 30 home
games and 30 away games for each team.
Besides Birmingham, teams are planned in
Atlanta, Miami, New England, and Washington DC. Possible franchise locations
named are Providence, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and New York. The
league hopes to have 14 to 18 teams in place before play begins.
The IISL's president is Florida businessman Paul Johnson who announced the new
league at a press conference in New York.
William R. Putnam, former owner of the
Birmingham Americans
who won the World Football League's first and only World Bowl in 1974, is the
league's vice president of operations. The IISL will rely on college players,
rather than going after established pros, for their talent. "We don't want to
get into an NBA-ABA, NHL-WHA kind of situation," Putnam said.
"We have 50 arenas in the U.S. adaptable to this game, and we plan to fill as
many of these arenas as possible," Johnson said.
March 1978
At some point during the month, Putnam agrees to merge the IISL with another
indoor soccer upstart, the Super
Soccer League.
The SSL is a creation of promoter Jerry Saperstein, who's father founded the
Harlem Globetrotters.
Putnam will serve as the vice president of operations in the SSL.
Epilogue
The Super Soccer League came as close as possible to playing their inaugural
season in 1978, but ultimately failed to generate the necessary funding.
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.
