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| Full name | Charleston Battery | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Black and Yellow,Battery,Holy City FC | ||
| Founded | 1993 (32 years ago) (1993) | ||
| Stadium | Patriots Point Soccer Complex Mount Pleasant, South Carolina | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Owner | Rob Salvatore[1] | ||
| Head coach | Ben Pirmann | ||
| League | USL Championship | ||
| 2024 | 2nd, Eastern Conference Playoffs:USL Championship Conference Final | ||
| Website | charlestonbattery.com | ||
 Current season | |||
TheCharleston Battery are an American professionalsoccer club based inCharleston, South Carolina, and member of theUSL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer club in the United States.
Charleston are one of the more successful lower-division soccer clubs in the United States, having won four league titles. The Battery won theUSISL Pro League in 1996, theUSL A-League in 2003, theUSL Second Division in 2010 (where they also won the regular season title),[2] and theUSL Championship in 2012. They were also crowned the USL Championship Eastern Conference champions and league finalists in2023. Charleston are also the most successful club in the history of the supporter-ledSouthern Derby competition with 10 first-place finishes.
The Battery have become renowned for their impressive list of alumni to play at the next level, domestically and abroad. These players who were developed at Charleston includeFidel Barajas,Ozzie Alonso,Lamar Neagle,Maikel Chang,Dante Polvara,Trey Muse andBrian Anunga, among others.[3]
Charleston Battery currently play at Patriots Point Soccer Complex inMount Pleasant, South Carolina. Previously, the club played its home games at thesoccer-specificMUSC Health Stadium in theDaniel Island section of Charleston from 1999 to 2019. The team's colors are black and yellow, with a traditional red scheme for away uniforms. From 2004 through the 2021 season, their head coach and general manager wasMike Anhaeuser.[4]
Charleston Battery was formed in 1993 by an ownership group of local soccer enthusiasts led by Tony Bakker, a native of London who had relocated his software companyBlackbaud to the Charleston area in 1989. The club hired experienced college coach andUniversity of South Carolina graduateTim Hankinson to develop the team, and Battery started as a member of the USISL, which eventually evolved and came to be known as the USL in 1995. The Battery won their first league championship in 1996 under Portuguese manager Nuno Piteira, defeating theCharlotte Eagles 3–2 in the final. In 1997 Charleston became one of the original clubs of the newly brandedA-League (later theUSL First Division).
In 1999 Charleston Battery moved into what is now known asMUSC Health Stadium, becoming the first non-Major League Soccer professional club in the United States to build its own stadium, and forged a reputation as one of the country's most well-established lower division clubs. The Battery hired veteran English coachAlan Dicks and signed many experienced domestic players such asPaul Conway,Dan Calichman andEric Wynalda while also bringing in notable foreign signings such asTerry Phelan andRaúl Díaz Arce. In 2001 Dicks was replaced by fellow EnglishmanChris Ramsey, who led Charleston to the A-League championship in 2003 with a 3–0 victory in the final overMinnesota Thunder in Charleston. Following Ramsey's departure in 2004, the club promoted longtime player and assistant coachMike Anhaeuser to be the club's new coach.
In 2008 Charleston Battery reached theLamar Hunt US Open Cup final for the first time, playing againstMajor League Soccer teamD.C. United atRFK Stadium.[5] In the final the Battery conceded an early goal but bounced back with a quick-fire equalizer through anIan Fuller goal, assisted byChris Williams. Later in the halfLazo Alavanja hit the post but at half time the scores were tied at 1–1. At the start of the second half Charleston conceded early again, but in the final seconds of extra timeMarco Reda put the ball in the back of the net for Charleston, only to have his goal controversially disallowed as offside. D.C. United would go on to win the match 2–1.
In 2010 Charleston was invited by several other USL clubs to join the breakaway league eventually known as theNorth American Soccer League, but Battery chose to remain in the USL system and self-relegate to theUSL Second Division, which eventually became the chief USL professional division. In their first third division season in 2010, Charleston led the league standings for the entire year and went undefeated at home. Charleston defeated theRichmond Kickers 2–1 in the final to claim the club's third league championship.Lamar Neagle was named the USL-2 league MVP and lead the league in scoring with 13 league goals.[6] Anhaeuser was named the league's coach of the year, his second time receiving the honor.[6] In 2012 Charleston Battery won their fourth league title in club history, defeating local rivalsWilmington Hammerheads 1–0 in the final.Micheal Azira scored a 74th-minute winner afterJose Cuevas slipped a pass to him on the left side of the penalty area.
In recent years Charleston Battery have had loan affiliations with several Major League Soccer clubs, beginning with a one-year deal to become the USL Pro affiliate ofVancouver Whitecaps FC in 2014.[7] For the 2015 season, Battery signed a one-year deal to affiliate with theHouston Dynamo.[8] On January 15, 2016, it was announced that the club would be partnering with theAtlanta United FC for the 2016 MLS season prior to Atlanta's entry to MLS in 2017.
In February 2016, it was announced that longtime majority owner Tony Bakker had sold the club to B Sports Entertainment, an investment group led by local tech executives. Club president Andrew Bell and coach Mike Anhaeuser remained in charge of team operations after the ownership transition. In early 2018 it was announced that Bell would be leaving the club to take over operations of an announced USL expansion club inMemphis, Tennessee, ending a two-decade career in the Charleston front office. Bell was replaced by club operations officer Mike Kelleher.
In October 2019, it was announced that B Sports Entertainment had sold the club to Rob Salvatore of HCFC, LLC with a move to Patriots Point Soccer Complex inMount Pleasant.[9]
At the conclusion of the 2021 season, the Battery announced on November 1, 2021, that the club and Mike Anhaeuser had parted ways. Anhaeuser joined the Charleston Battery as a player in 1994, and switched into a coaching role in 1999. In 2004, he was named head coach of the club and led Charleston Battery to a U.S. Open Cup Final appearance in 2008 as well as two USL Championships in 2010 and 2012.[4]
On December 20, 2021, Battery announced that they had hired Conor Casey as head coach.[10] However, on October 12, 2022, with one match remaining in the season and the Battery near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the club and Casey opted to part ways by mutual agreement.[11] Assistant coachDennis Sanchez was named interim head coach while a search for a permanent replacement began.
On November 17, 2022, Battery announced that they had hiredMemphis 901 FC head coachBen Pirmann for the same position in Charleston.[12] Pirmann was named the 2022USL Championship Coach of the Year after leading Memphis to a 2nd-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the conference semifinals.
In 2023, the Battery bounced back with the best turnaround campaign in USL Championship history,[13] amassing a 17-9-8 record in the regular season to finish third in the conference, a 34-point improvement from 2022. Charleston won a league-best 29 points away from home and tied for the most road wins (eight), along with winning 16 points from losing positions (sixth-most in the league). The Battery advanced to the 2023 USL Championship Final after defeating Indy, Birmingham and Louisville in the earlier rounds to claim the Eastern Conference title, the club's first trophy since 2012. Charleston were narrow runners-up in the Final to Phoenix Rising FC at home. The season was highlighted by the break-out campaigns ofFidel Barajas,Nick Markanich,Derek Dodson,Dante Polvara andTrey Muse, andAugustine Williams was the top scorer for a second consecutive year. Barajas matched the single-season assists record with 11, became the club's youngest all-time goalscorer, and was named the USL Championship Young Player of the Year and All-League Second Team. Pirmann was named a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Barajas and Muse were sold to MLS sidesReal Salt Lake andPortland Timbers, respectively, in the following offseason prior to the 2024 campaign.[14]
Charleston's traditional colors are yellow, black and red. In Charleston Battery's first few seasons, the home kit was typically black and white with a red accent. Beginning in 1997 the club began using black with yellow stripes, which has remained in use as the home jersey ever since. The Charleston away kit has typically been a combination of red, white and black, though for the 2017 season the away kit is either the 25 Anniversary black and silver combination, or white and black.
The club badge remained the same iconic logo from 1993 through the 2019 season, other than minor adjustments in color, resolution and the addition of four stars representing each of the team's league championships. It is a classic shield in the club's signature yellow and black stripes, featuring a pair of crossed artillery cannons (alluding to the city's naval history and current presence) above a depiction of a football ball.
In December 2019, the club unveiled the new branding for 2020 and moving forward.Matthew Wolff, who has designed a number of logos for soccer clubs around the world, was instrumental in working with Battery ownership to create a modern representation of Charleston's crest.[15] The new logo featured crossed cannons on a black circle, with the iconic crescent shape, with Charleston emblazoned across the top and 1993, the year the club was established at the bottom.
Charleston Battery played their first six seasons in downtown Charleston at Stoney Field, a facility they shared with various college and high school sports teams.
The club moved toMUSC Health Stadium (previously known as Blackbaud Stadium) in the suburban Daniel Island area in 1999. The first privately fundedsoccer-specific stadium built in the United States, it seats 5,100 people.[17] MUSC Health Stadium is modeled on lower level English soccer stadiums and features an on-site pub called The Three Lions behind the west stand. The stadium site also features a training field and club offices.
In 2016, the ownership built the second-largest video board in the Southeast. MUSC Health Stadium's jumbotron is 3,000 square feet. When comparing the square footage to stadium seats ratio, the video board is the largest in the world.
Additionally, the complex includes sky boxes, a plaza for corporate entertaining, and state-of-the-art media capabilities, making it one of the premier professional soccer venues in the U.S.
In 2019, under new ownership led by Rob Salvatore, the club announced that Charleston Battery would move off Daniel Island to Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.[16] The current stadium complex is home to the College of Charleston soccer, baseball and softball teams. Situated off the Ravenel Bridge in Mt. Pleasant, Battery's new stadium is back in the heart of Charleston. Patriots Point sits a short drive from all corners of the Holy City and minutes from the best bars, restaurants and attractions the city has to offer.
After extensive renovations and expansion in early 2020, Patriots Point opened to limited fans during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The stadium held its grand opening during the 2021 season as fans 'packed the Point' to cheer on the Black and Yellow.[18] The ownership group has continued to expand developments at Patriots Point, with the introduction of premium seating options via shipping containers transformed into suite-like boxes with multiple levels. The stadium currently holds three "suite boxes" that fans can rent out for matches.[19]
The independent supporters' group isThe Regiment,[20] who stand in Supporters Section directly behind the north goal of the stadium, along with other supporters' groups including theAmerican Outlaws-affiliatedQueen Anne's Revenge and the Spanish-speakingCharleston Barra Brava.
Charleston Battery competes for theCoffee Pot Cup every time it faces their rival team D.C. United of Major League Soccer, a trophy established by the two sides' supporters and currently held by DC. The clubs have regularly faced each other in friendlies and cup competitions, with the2008 US Open Cup final remaining the highest profile match between the two clubs to date. Charleston are also longtime league rivals of theRichmond Kickers.
The supporters' groups compete with supporters of the Norh Carolina FC in the Southern Derby Cup, which Charleston Battery had won a record 10 times.
The supporters' groups compete with supporters of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Ralph's Mob and the Skyway Casuals, in the No Quarter Derby.[21]
Halfway through the 2021 season, the club introduced a cannon in the stadium to fire off after each Battery goal and at the start and end of matches.
Gray Television holds local media rights with an arrangement similar to USL clubPhoenix Rising FC, which has rights with the variousArizona's Family Sports.WCSC 5.3 is the flagship station with games airing in the Columbia market on Gray stationWIS 10.4.[22]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Lee Cohen –Club PresidentBen Pirmann –Head Coach
Robbie Crawford –Assistant Coach Tim Daniels –Assistant Coach Brian Jones –Assistant Coach Devin Rensing –Assistant Coach Bobby Weisenberger –Head Athletic TrainerThis list includes those former players who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left.
Nelson Akwari
Osvaldo AlonsoMike Anhaeuser
Brian AnungaLazo Alavanja
Stephen Armstrong
Khalil Azmi
Fidel BarajasDan CalichmanTed ChronopoulosPaul Conway
Omar Daley
Raúl Díaz ArceLinval Dixon
Colin FalveyAdam GrinwisBen HollingsworthDusty Hudock
Lee Hurst
Gilbert Jean-BaptisteDane KellyForrest LassoTroy Lesesne
John LimniatisNick MarkanichLester MoreTrey MuseLamar Neagle
Patrick OlalereBo OshoniyiNicki PatersonTerry PhelanDante PolvaraZach PrinceRobert Rosario
Brent SanchoDean SewellNicky SpoonerTemoc SuarezMark WatsonJohn WilsonEric Wynalda
Velko YotovPaul YoungTim Hankinson (1993–1994)
Nuno Piteira (1995–1999)Alan Dicks (1999–2001)Chris Ramsey (2001–2004)Mike Anhaeuser (2004–2021)Conor Casey (2022)Ben Pirmann (2023–Present) Tony Bakker (1993–1998) Nigel Cooper (1999–2008) Andrew Bell (2008–2018) Mike Kelleher (2018–2019) Lee Cohen (2022–Present)^ as co-champions
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Charleston Battery. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Charleston Battery seasons.
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental / Other | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name | Goals | ||||||
| 2019 | 2 | USLC | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 46 | 1.35 | 9th | 19th | R1 | R4 | DNQ | 2,424 |  Zeiko Lewis | 8 | |
| 2020 | USLC | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 15 | +11 | 30 | 2.00 | 5th | 9th | QF | NH | N/A | Nicque DaleyZeiko Lewis | 6 | |||
| 2021 | USLC | 32 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 49 | 60 | −11 | 37 | 1.16 | 6th | 10th | DNQ | NH | 2,771 |  Claudio Repetto | 9 | |||
| 2022 | USLC | 34 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 41 | 77 | −36 | 25 | 0.74 | 12th | 25th | DNQ | R2 | 2,797 |  Augustine Williams | 16 | |||
| 2023 | USLC | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 47 | 43 | +4 | 59 | 1.74 | 3th | 4th | RU | R4 | 3,113 | Augustine Williams | 15 | |||
^ 1.Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2.Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league play, playoffs,U.S. Open Cup, and other competitive matches.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Record: W:8–D:1–L:13
Carolina Challenge Cup Record: W:5–D:9–L:20
Exhibition Record: W:5–D:2–L:7
| Preceded by | USISL Pro League (USL-2) Winner 1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | USL A-League (USL-1) Champions 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | USL Pro Champions 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Southern Derby Winner 2003 | Succeeded by Atlanta Silverbacks |
| Preceded by Atlanta Silverbacks | Southern Derby Winner Co-winners with Atlanta Silverbacks 2005 | Succeeded by Atlanta Silverbacks |
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