A new era is coming for the oldest continuously-run professional soccer club in the United States.
The Charleston Battery have been sold to HCFC, LLC, a group led by Rob Salvatore, a 44-year-old New York native. For the past three years, the club was owned by Eric Bowman and B Sports Entertainment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“The Battery are an indelible part of the Charleston community,” Salvatore said in a statement released by the club Wednesday. “As one of the most historic professional soccer organizations in the United States, this club has brought people throughout the Lowcountry together for decades. As ownership and custodians of the club, we will honor and respect that history while bringing new energy, experience and resources to grow the club’s connection to the community both on and off the field.”
The Battery – which play in the second-tier USL Championship – will also have a new venue for games next season for the first time in two decades. The club will play at Ralph Lundy Field at the Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant on the campus of the College of Charleston.
Since 1999, the club has played at Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island. It was the first privately-owned, soccer-specific stadium in the country.
“This partnership with the Charleston Battery is a win-win for the College of Charleston,” the college’s director of athletics Matt Roberts said in a statement. “It will not only enhance our coaches’ and student-athletes’ overall experience by exposing them to a professional team and a professional environment, but it will be a boon for our greater community, as residents of the Town of Mount Pleasant will be given an even greater opportunity to see and cheer on top-level soccer competition.”
At Blackbaud Stadium, the Battery created a national brand by hosting clubs from the English Premier League, Liga MX and Major League Soccer for exhibitions. The U.S. women’s national team had also played there. But earlier this year, the stadium was sold to Holder Properties Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. They plan to redevelop the space for office, retail and commercial use.
Regardless of where they have played, the Battery have been one of the most successful clubs in all of American soccer, winning league titles in 1996, 2003, 2010 and 2012. In 2008, they made the U.S. Open Cup final. This past season, with an 11-10-13 record, they made the postseason for the 12th straight year.
Salvatore met with club personnel for the first time Wednesday and has not yet decided if the club’s longtime head coach Mike Anhaeuser will remain in place, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
“He’s obviously done a great job over the years, and his record speaks for itself,” Salvatore said of Anhaeuser.
Anhaeuser has been with the club in some capacity since 1994.
USL president Jake Edwards, who played for the Battery in 2002 and 2003, said in a statement he was “thrilled” to have Salvatore in the league.
Salvatore was previously the CEO and co-founder of Tongal, a creative platform. He has degrees from Boston College and the University of Texas.
Over the next several months, Salvatore aims to attend several community listening sessions in an effort to get a handle on how the club can grow even closer to Charleston.
“Our guiding light has and will continue to be our supporters and engaging the community in order to return the club to relevance,” Salvatore said. “We want to empower an inclusive and diverse supporters’ culture that resonates on both local and national levels. A concerted and fresh approach to how we engage the community, coupled with the changes we envision at Patriots Point will help facilitate that.
“We may own the team, but it belongs to Charleston. It is paramount that we earn and keep the community’s trust. That starts by listening and being transparent.”