Birmingham Pro Soccer Team Adds To Its Ownership Group

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Birmingham's United Soccer League team, the Birmingham Legion FC, has added to its ownership group. Birmingham business leaders John Harbert, Billy Harbert, Jim Rein and Jack Bryant will join co-owners Jeff Logan, Lee Styslinger III and James Outland as the team prepares to begin play in 2019.

"We are proud to align with this strong group of influential, dedicated and proven local businessmen, and we are confident that their support will enhance Birmingham Legion FC as a club and a force on the field," Outland said in a release. "Each has his own strengths, but we have one common goal moving forward: to establish Legion as a true league contender."

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John Harbert is an associate with Harbert Management Corporation's U.S. real estate team, assisting in the areas of acquisitions, financings and dispositions for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Bryant is director and co-portfolio manager of the Harbert Discovery Fund, which seeks to generate long-term capital growth primarily through investments in small and microcap stocks in the U.S. and Canada.

Billy Harbert serves as chairman and chief executive officer of BL Harbert International, providing leadership and direction of all company projects worldwide and guiding executive management and C-suite executives.

Rein is a founding Partner of Bonaventure Capital where he primarily participates in private market activities and previous president and COO of BL Harbert International.

"Our ownership's collective expertise, business acumen and community pride are invaluable to our project, and their professional and personal reputations will be pivotal forces as we approach our inaugural season of play," Jay Heaps, Legion FC president and general manager said. "We welcome John, Jack, Billy and Jim to the Legion FC family and look forward to all we accomplish together."

Birmingham has had an interesting history with professional sports. While the Birmingham Barons have been a mainstay in the community for decades, other professional teams have come and gone with varying success. The Birmingham Americans (later the Vulcans) of the World Football League in the early 1970s did not last two years; the first incarnation of the Birmingham Bulls hockey team lasted from 1976 to 1981; the USFL's Birmingham Stallions football team arrived in 1983 and lasted until the league folded in 1985, which was followed by another Bulls hockey team (1992-2001, and again in 2017), a World League of American Football team in the Birmingham Fire (1991-1993), one season of a Canadian Football League team (the Barracudas, 1995) and the Birmingham Steeldogs arena football team, which played from 2000 to 2005.

However, soccer has had some success in Birmingham. When Atlanta hosted the Olympics in 1996, Birmingham hosted several matches of Olympic Soccer at Legions Field and drew impressive crowds. Other exhibition soccer games involving either the men's or women's national teams have been held in Birmingham and were huge draws for the city.

Photo from USL Birmingham

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