Wilmington Hammerheads
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| Full name | Wilmington Hammerheads Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Hammers |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Stadium |
Legion Stadium Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Chairman | Sam Fink |
| Head Coach | Mark Briggs |
| League | Premier Development League |
| 2016 | 9th, Eastern Conference (USL) Playoffs: DNQ |
| Website | Club home page |
Wilmington Hammerheads FC is a semi-professional American soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team competes in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The Hammerheads had one championship in 2003, and were a finalist in 2002 & 2012, losing to the Long Island Rough Riders 2–1 in 2002 and losing 0–1 to the Charleston Battery in 2012. Wilmington found great success in the US Open Cup in their later years, regularly drawing MLS teams in the late rounds. Their most famous result occurred in 2003 when they drew the Dallas Burn, an MLS team, in the middle of a particularly bad year. They shocked the soccer world by defeating the Burn 4–1 at Legion Sports Complex before bowing out to D.C. United 1–0 in the quarterfinal round. The Hammerheads regularly drew well over 2,000 fans per game, and had drawn nearly 5,000 for playoff games. On June 30, 2009, the Hammerheads upset the Chicago Fire in the third round of the 2009 US Open Cup 1–0 at home.
The team went on hiatus in 2010 and returned for the 2011 USL PRO regular season, due to local businessman Bill Rudisill and a minority ownership group combining their efforts and financial support to the Port City. Following the 2011 USL PRO regular season, the Hammerheads competed in the division semifinals. In 2012, the Hammerheads finished their regular season with an overall record of 10–7–7 After qualifying for playoffs, they defeated both the Richmond Kickers and Orlando City Lions to obtain their spot in the finals versus the Charleston Battery whom took the 2012 USL PRO Championship title at Blackbaud Stadium after defeating the Hammerheads 1–0. The Hammerheads fell short of qualifying for a playoff position following their 2013 regular season.
In September 2013, the Wilmington Hammerheads announced that after three years of dedicated ownership, Bill Rudisill would no longer be majority owner of the team and that George Altirs, CEO of Capelli New York, has taken the role of Wilmington Hammerheads Owner.
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