SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer Last game at MUSC Healthcare Stadium aka Blackbaud Stadium

Battery's last home game in their current stadium is getting some local acknowledgement.

https://www.live5news.com/2019/10/18/looking-back-musc-health-stadium/

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/charlest...ad-of-last-game

The team sold the venue earlier this year to an Atlanta properties company for almost $6.5 million dollars. When Blackbaud Stadium opened in 1999 it made history as the 1st modern era stadium in the U-S designed just for soccer.

"The 1st championship at Blackbaud came in 2003 when the Battery won the USL A-League title with a 3-0 win over Minnesota. Battery legend Paul Conway scored a goal in that victory...

In 2004, a new tradition began with the start of the Carolina Challenge Cup, a 4 team round-robin event that saw MLS teams come to visit the Lowcountry. Over the years, some of the biggest names in soccer took part including Freddy Adu, David Villa, and Kaka...

More championships would also come, in 2010, the Battery beat Richmond to win the USL 2nd division title. 2 years later, they’d beat Wilmington for the USL Pro Championship.

The stadium would start to reach international audiences as well with exhibitions against teams from the English Premier League. 1st against the Bolton Wanders in 2010 and then with the stadium renamed MUSC Health in 2015 against West Bromwich Albion

And the Battery wasn’t the only team to play on the pitch on Daniel Island. The US Women’s national team played 3 exhibitions against Mexico in 2002, 2005 and 2009. The US Rugby team played 3 qualifying matches against Canada in 2008, 2009 and 2013.

Westling legends Ric Flair and Jeff Hardy took part in a TNA event in 2010 and the Major League Lacrosse championship game took place in 2018."


Battery officials sent the following statement when asked about plans for the property:

"The team was a tenant of the stadium and cannot comment on its ownership, who bought it, or what is happening to it until our lease is over. We will announce where the Battery will play next year after the season."

"I think wherever they end up moving, it’s going to be good no matter what," said Taylor Mueller, who's played eight years for the Battery. "At the same time, it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to such a legendary place to play."

Officials with The Citadel said earlier this year they had conversations with Battery officials about the possibility of the team playing there in 2020. Stoney Field at Burke High School is another option.

https://ussoccerplayers.com/2019/10/end-...own-future.html

That will leave the Battery homeless for a least a time, though they are framing this as a move they want to make anyway. Fan demographics and conventional wisdom have shifted significantly since 1999. The club want to get closer to the, stop me if you've heard this before, urban dwellers and millennials who have replaced suburban soccer moms and dads as American pro soccer's target audience of choice.

Club officials have expressed interest in returning to Stoney Field, the city-owned field in downtown Charleston they shared with local high school sports in their early years. It's more accessible to more people and adjacent to the local minor-league baseball park. The problem, at least in the short term, is that the half-century-old venue was built atop a landfill and is sinking into the alluvial soil of a city essentially built atop a river delta.

That's necessitated a multi-million-dollar renovation project of Stoney Field that won't finish until Fall 2020 at best. The Battery has expressed interest in chipping in funds to ensure that it's rebuilt with soccer in the plans. That will need approval from the city government. It's far from clear how far along those efforts are. In the meantime, Johnson Hagood Stadium, the football venue at The Citadel military academy nearby, looks like the Battery's best option for 2020.

It's hard to understand why Charleston sold their historic ground before locking down a new one. Perhaps the developers gave them an offer they couldn't refuse. The club has yet to confirm where they will play their home games next year, though, telling local media that an announcement will come after season's end. Sources tell USSoccerPlayers that the Battery will definitely compete next year, yet it's not clear exactly what the club's long-range prospects are. As much may have changed over the past two decades, ownership will likely still need to invest significantly to make a lower-division team work.

I will be very sad to see the Stadium go (figuratively and literally). Many happy memories there including men's leagues, club events, children birthday parties, Battery, Premier League clubs and US Women's games.

But most importantly part of my daily routine as my office shares a car park with the ground and I see it every time I turn around in my office. As a soccer guy, it is going to hurt to see that place dismantled, but understand why change is sometimes necessary and a new location may be in the best interest of the club (we will see).

I'll just be sad to see her go (feeling very nostalgic), after walking this space 20+ years ago as we broke ground wearing high boots to protect us from the snakes and critters in the undergrowth on what was then, a rural Daniel Island. Makes you feel very old, and humble, when you realize they are tearing things down that are a fraction of your own age (-:

Here is my view: My Battery View

I'm now just wondering what I'll be looking at in the next year or two?

I couldn’t agree more Dave, and you were very fortunate with that view.

Its started
Big screen coming down today.

Let's hope it makes it to the new venue!

Moving to Patriots Point through 2023

What's the next step to quieting the doomsayers I wonder? Poor SoccerinLC.

Sports writer Bob Williams just tweeted that a change in Battery ownership will take place this week.

Good luck convincing anyone that the previous owner EB was good for the pro team. No doomsday now that new owner has come in to save the team. One of his first actions.. ending the connection to EB youth club. TIFWIW if I had the money to buy the team I wouldn’t line it up with my kids club. No reason to alienate local youth. Too bad during the previous owners reign that all of youth soccer couldn’t have been joined in support to/ from pro club. Glad that’s behind us!

Oh look. PervertinLC is over in this thread.

Happy to see you aren't bullying kids or making male anatomy jokes in this post.

Bullying on a Message Board - I think I’ve heard it all now. Geez!

Right on Kyle!

PervertinLC do you take Kyle's comment to mean he supports calling out specific children on a public soccer forum?

Do you take Kyle's comment to mean he supports making jokes about male anatomy on a public soccer forum?

Sorry, but where did either instance take place? Please advise, thanks!

On May 21st, SoccerinLC claims to know who scsoccerfan123D is:
#176739 - 05/21/19 12:18 PM Re: New USAMP Fields [Re: scsoccerfan123D]

That’s right John!


On May 31st, with a specific person in mind for scsoccerfan123D, SoccerinLC claims there is "no chance" that specific person's child could make a top level team:
#176816 - 05/31/19 09:58 PM Re: Battery’s Long Term Plan or lack of one... [Re: SoccerinLC]

Your safe SCSoccer, the USA/MP coach mentioned above is very popular with USA/MP & isn’t likely to be coaching at a club your kids are at any time soon. Not to mention he is only coaching top level teams, no chance your player runs into him.

On December 4th, SoccerinLC makes a male anatomy joke on this public soccer forum:

#177232 - 12/04/19 01:46 AM Re: No CBSC, USAMP Agreement [Re: scsoccerfan123D]

Haven’t you heard the warnings that follow the commercials, if that doesn’t go down in 4 hours you need to go to the doctor.

Of course not nor is my comment to Kyle in support of bullying. It’s my opinion that it is silly to suggest that my comments on a message board rise to the level of bullying.

Afterall, in unrelated threads you have addressed me as pervertedinLC. My feelings aren’t hurt nor would I try to cry bully as a response. The things you say are a reflection on you, not me.

Just to be clear... as it pertains to calling out children my response speaks for itself from the thread.

“Maybe you ought to stop trying to make it out as if I said your son is a terrible player- which I didn’t. Pointing out that your child wouldn’t run into a coach due to the coach coaching high level teams ( corrected after the fact to represent my original intention - older high level ) isn’t shaming your child, it’s a reality. CBSC aren’t even in the same league as the coach ( which is a high level league ). So even if your son is on a “top team” with the Battery, he won’t be playing at a high level ( as far as league is considered ). I stand behind my comment with or with out the word older in the message, don’t try to make it more than it is again”