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Birmingham Vulcans
Team logo
EstablishedMarch 1975
FoldedOctober 1975
Based inBirmingham, Alabama
Home fieldLegion Field
Head coachMarvin Bass
General managerJack Gotta
LeagueWorld Football League
DivisionEastern
ColoursBlue, Red, and White
     
World Bowl wins1975 (regular season title, league folded before World Bowl could be played)

The Birmingham Vulcans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the five-team Eastern Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Vulcans, founded in March 1975, played in the upstart league's second and final season in 1975. The team was owned by a group of Birmingham businessmen with Ferd Weil as team president.

The Vulcans replaced the Birmingham Americans who had held the WFL franchise for Birmingham in 1974, winning World Bowl I in December 1974 before suffering financial collapse.[1] The Vulcans were the best team in the league in 1975 with a 9–3 record and the best at the box office until the league folded 12 weeks into its second season. After the WFL ceased operations, the Vulcans were declared league champions by virtue of having the best record.[2]

When the league folded, Birmingham and the Memphis Grizzlies attempted to get admitted into the National Football League for the 1976 season, although unlike the similar and more extensive effort in Memphis which involved actual cash deposits toward season tickets, it seemed to consist mainly of getting fans to sign a "statement of support" somewhat similar to a petition. When the Memphis effort failed, Vulcans followers were forced to accept the inevitable as well, and efforts to get the team into the more established league were abandoned.

The Vulcans name would be recycled for the Alabama Vulcans, a member of the American Football Association, in 1979.

As of April 2010, two former Vulcans players have been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Birmingham native Johnny "Italian Stallion" Musso, who placed 4th in Heisman Trophy voting while playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was inducted in the Class of 1989.[3][4] Larry Willingham, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and retired for medical reasons in 1973 but made a comeback in 1974 with the Birmingham Americans, was inducted in the Class of 2003.[5] Willingham was also elected to the Auburn Tigers football "1970s Team of the Decade."[5]

Schedule and results

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Key: Win Loss Bye

1975 regular season

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Week Day Date Opponent Result Attendance
1 Sunday August 2, 1975 Chicago Winds W 10–0 31,000
2 Sunday August 9, 1975 Philadelphia Bell W 23–17 21,000
3 Sunday August 16, 1975 at Jacksonville Express L 11–22 16,049
4 Sunday August 23, 1975 Southern California Sun L 25–35 32,000
5 Sunday August 30, 1975 Shreveport Steamer W 21–8 18,700
6 Saturday September 6, 1975 at Portland Thunder W 26–8 6,342
7 Saturday September 13, 1975 San Antonio Wings W 33–24 12,500
8 Sunday September 21, 1975 Charlotte Hornets W 22–16 18,500
9 Saturday September 27, 1975 at Jacksonville Express L 18–26 10,881
10 Saturday October 4, 1975 at Hawaiians W 29–16 18,894
11 Sunday October 12, 1975 at Memphis Grizzlies W 18–14 20,192
12 Sunday October 19, 1975 Memphis Grizzlies W 21–0[6] 35,000

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "New name for the old Americans". Gadsden Times. Associated Press. March 8, 1975. p. 38. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  2. ^ Talley, Rick (July 16, 1978). "Origer's feelings for WFL, Fire still burn bright". Chicago Tribune. p. B8. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Although he could have sold 22000 season tickets for that ill-fated '75 season, he folded the team [...]
  3. ^ "Johnny "Italian Stallion" Musso – Class of 1989". Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  4. ^ Smith, Wayne (May 14, 1995). "Musso remains one of the most popular Tide stars". Gadsden Times. p. D6. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Larry Willingham – Class of 2003". Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  6. ^ Thomas, Roy (20 Oct 1975). "Vulcs take fire out of Southmen". Montgomery Advertiser. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-10-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.
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