Birmingham Grasshoppers

Birmingham Grasshoppers were an American soccer team that played in Birmingham, Alabama from 1992-1996 as a member of the United States Interregional Soccer League. When the USISL split into two leagues in 1995, the Grasshoppers joined the Premier League. Preston Goldfarb (soccer coach at Birmingham-Southern College) was instrumental in originating the team and while at the helm, the Birmingham Grasshoppers won a division title, participated in the USISL "Sizzlin Nine" National Tournament, and hosted two regional playoffs. The Grasshoppers team was designed to give his players an opportunity to compete at a high level during the off-season, but travel schedules and time away from Birmingham-Southern led Goldfarb to discontinue the Grasshoppers after four seasons.