Legion Field
Legion Field, sometimes referred to as the "Old Gray Lady", is a large stadium at 400 Graymont Avenue in the Graymont neighborhood. It is primarily designed to be used as a football venue, but is also used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. After several expansions, its peak capacity was 83,810 for a soccer match during the 1996 Olympics. The recent removal of the upper deck has reduced the capacity to 71,594.
History
Construction was begun in 1926 using designs developed by David O. Whilldin. The stadium, which originally seated 21,000, cost $439,000. It opened on November 19, 1927 with a game between local colleges Howard and Birmingham-Southern. Howard won the game 9-0.
A new pressbox was constructed in 1965 to accommodate up to 300, with dark rooms, restrooms and elevators for the press. In 1969 new "Multi-Vapor" lamps were installed to allow night games to be broadcast on color television.
Playing surface
"PolyTurf" artificial turf was installed at Legion Field in 1970. It was replaced with Astro-Turf in 1975. Artificial surfaces remained in place until 1995 when a high-tech, natural, Bermuda grass was installed for soccer games of the 1996 Olympics. The stadium has also been used successfully as a site for other major soccer events, including exhibition games by the U.S. men's and women's national soccer teams and a World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Guatemala in 2005.
The original PolyTurf was stored by the city and eventually sold, in 2006, to the City of Gardendale. Both cities used sections to cover high-traffic areas on playgrounds and around athletic fields. The remainder, 50 rolls, was auctioned on January 20, 2007 for a total of $4,145. (Phillip Booke of Anniston was the primary buyer, winning 35 rolls.) The later artificial turf was re-used at Birmingham's Lawson Field. In 2006, to accommodate high school football games, the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board reconverted Legion Field's grass surface back to artificial turf. As a result, the future of world class soccer at Legion Field is doubtful.
Upper deck
In 2004 a structural evaluation determined that the 9,000 seat upper deck, installed in 1961, would need major remediation to meet modern building codes. Because the capacity of the stadium was well beyond the needs of any of its current tenants, the process of dismantling and removing the upper deck was begun in June 2005 and completed two months later.
Memorials
The south entrance to Legion Field from Graymont Avenue includes a wide formal stair flanked by a pair of large limestone sculptures of sleeping lions. A pair of flagpoles on broad limestone towers flank the top of the stairs. Bronze plaques mounted to the towers by the Birmingham American Legion Post No. 1 in 1929 list the names of all those from Alabama "who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War 1917-1918".
In 1985, the University of Alabama's A-Club erected a monument at the top of the entrance stairs on the south side of the stadium to honor former Crimson Tide football coach Bear Bryant. The granite monolith bears a bronze likeness of Bryant’s head in addition along with this inscription:
- Americans have lost a hero who always seemed larger than life. A coach who made legends out of ordinary people, he was a hard but loved taskmaker, patriotic to the core, devoted to his players and inspired by a winning spirit that wouldn't quit.
- "Bear" Bryant gave his country the gift of a life unsurpassed in making the impossible seem easy. He lived what we strive to be.
- -President Ronald Reagan
Collegiate teams
Until the 1990s the University of Alabama played the majority of their home football games at Legion Field, a practice that has now ended. Auburn University has used the stadium similarly for a while, but not as extensively. It currently serves as the home field for the UAB Blazers, who compete in Conference USA.
Legion Field was best-known for hosting the annual Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn every year from 1948 to 1988. In 1989 Auburn moved their "home" games in the series to their own stadium. Alabama followed suit in 2000. On August 19, 2004, the University of Alabama announced that they would not be playing any further home games at Legion Field, leaving UAB as the sole regular season tenant.
The stadium also hosts of the annual Magic City Classic played by Alabama A&M University (of Huntsville) and Alabama State University (of Montgomery), the two largest historically black universities in the state, since 1946. Additionally, between 2001-2006, the Steel City Classic pitting Miles College against Stillman College was played here before the game was shifted to a home-and-home series for the 2007 edition.
Legion Field also hosted five post-season bowl games, the Vulcan Bowl (1942-1949), the Dixie Bowl (1947-1948), the Hall of Fame Classic (1977-1985) and the All-American Bowl (1986-1990). In 2006 Legion Field hosted the inaugural Birmingham Bowl which was renamed the Papajohns.com Bowl the next year and is still played to this day.
In addition, it hosts the title game for the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and was the site of the first two SEC football championship games.
Professional teams
The facility has served as the home field for eight professional football teams during its history. These teams are as follows:
- Birmingham Americans of the World Football League in 1974
- Birmingham Vulcans of the World Football League in 1975
- Alabama Vulcans of the American Football Association in 1979
- Alabama Magic of the American Football Association in 1982
- Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League from 1983-1985
- Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football (now NFL Europe) from 1991-1992
- Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League in 1995
- Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL in 2001
High school football
The city uses the stadium for occasional high school football matchups and was formerly host of the annual "Super 6" AHSAA state high school football championships from it's inception until 2008.
See also
Proposed renovations
In October 2006, Birmingham City Council President Carole Smitherman proposed that Legion Field be converted into a domed facility as an alternative to the proposed dome for the BJCC. The idea of covering the stadium was first proposed in the late 1990s with a thin, canvas like material. In addition to the proposed roof, a new parking garage would also be constructed as part of the project in an effort to draw more businesses to the Graymont Avenue corridor. The renovations would ideally serve as a catalyst for development into the Smithfield neighborhood.
In December 2007, after his Birmingham Economic and Community Revitalization Ordinance was passed, opening the way for construction of a new domed stadium, Mayor Larry Langford mentioned the possibility of demolishing Legion Field.
References
- Bryant, Joseph D. (October 4, 2006). "Councilwoman wants body to consider her plan to bring new life to city's old stadium." The Birmingham News.
- Martin, Wayne (January 6, 2007). "Hallowed turf can be had, if the price is right." The Birmingham News.
- Martin, Wayne (January 23, 2007). "Metro Briefs." The Birmingham News.