Legion FC Bringing Changes to Protective Stadium After Long Lines, Concessions Shortages

March 14, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Birmingham Legion FC News Release

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Birmingham Legion FC announced today, in partnership with the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC), changes to stadium food options and the concessions process to improve fan experience at Legion home games and beyond.

Founded in 2018, Legion FC now enters its fifth season of competition in the United Soccer League’s Championship division, the league’s highest level. Playing seventeen home games at the BJCC operated Protective Stadium, a consistently good fan experience is key to the team’s success in Birmingham.

At the team’s Home Opener on March 11, fans experienced several issues with concessions at the stadium. Issues the BJCC’s Executive Director and CEO Tad Snider called a “service failure.”

Snider said, “The BJCC and its concessionaire Sodexo Live work with Legion FC with the goal of providing the best possible experience for fans. Unfortunately, this Saturday, we were unable to deliver on the fan experience and regret that this service failure led to frustration and disappointment for Legion fans. On behalf of the BJCC and Sodexo Live, we apologize and perhaps more importantly, we will work together with Legion FC to ensure an improved stadium experience starting this Friday, March 17 at the next Legion FC home game and all games going forward.”

Legion FC President and General Manager Jay Heaps said, “Fan experience is the most important part of what we do. Fans come to see the action on the field. That quality needs to be matched by the quality of their experience in the stadium. Birmingham showed up on Saturday and it’s because we saw those numbers that we were able to lead the charge to make some changes.”

Changes Legion FC is putting in place, for its next home game on Friday, March 17th and moving forward throughout their season, include:

 
Food Trucks

Local Birmingham food trucks and mobile food carts will be available at every game moving forward. This will give fans more options to choose from, decreasing the pressure on stadium concession lines. 

Speed of Service & Product Availability 

Legion FC and the BJCC have plans in place to address the lack of food and beverage options in specific concession areas as well as the speed and staffing of the lines.

 
Heaps continued, “We’re hopeful, with these changes, the stadium experience will match the quality of what you’re…