View source for Birmingham Vulcans

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox American football team
| name              = Birmingham Vulcans
| logo              = Birmingham Vulcans logo.gif
| helmet            =
| uniform           = 
| established       = March 1975
| suspended         = 
| folded            = October 1975
| location          = [[Birmingham, Alabama]]
| field             = [[Legion Field]]
| colours           = Blue, Red, and White<br>{{color box|#00205B}} {{color box|#9D2235}} {{color box|#ffffff}}
| nickname          = 
| coach             = [[Marvin Bass]]
| manager           = [[Jack Gotta]]
| owner             = 
| mascot            = 
| league            = [[World Football League]]
| division          = Eastern
| league_champ_type = [[World Bowl (WFL)|World Bowl]] wins
| league_champs     = 1975 (regular season title, league folded before World Bowl could be played)
| div_champs        = 
| website           = 
}}

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 (WFL)|World Bowl I]] in December 1974 before suffering financial collapse.<ref name="gt750308"/> 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.<ref name="ct780716">{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Talley |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |title=Origer's feelings for WFL, Fire still burn bright |page=B8 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/630803312.html?dids=630803312:630803312&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026130928/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/630803312.html?dids=630803312:630803312&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |quote=Although he could have sold 22000 season tickets for that ill-fated '75 season, he folded the team [...] |date=July 16, 1978 |access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref>

When the league folded, Birmingham and the [[Memphis Southmen|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|2010|04}}, two former Vulcans players have been inducted into the [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]].  Birmingham native [[Johnny Musso|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.<ref name="ashof-jm"/><ref name="gt950514"/> [[Larry Willingham]], who played for the [[St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)|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.<ref name="ashof-lw"/>  Willingham was also elected to the [[Auburn Tigers football]] "1970s Team of the Decade."<ref name="ashof-lw"/>

==Schedule and results==
{| cellpadding=5 style="border:1px solid #BBB"
|-
| '''Key''': || style="background: #CCFFCC;" | '''Win''' || style="background: #FFCCCC;" | '''Loss''' || style="background: #CCCCCC;" | '''Bye'''
|}

===1975 regular season===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Week
! Day
! Date
! Opponent
! Result
! Attendance
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!1
|Sunday
|August 2, 1975
|[[Chicago Winds]]
|'''W''' 10–0
|31,000
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!2
|Sunday
|August 9, 1975
|[[Philadelphia Bell]]
|'''W''' 23–17
|21,000
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!3
|Sunday
|August 16, 1975
|at [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)|Jacksonville Express]]
|'''L''' 11–22
|16,049
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!4
|Sunday
|August 23, 1975
|[[Southern California Sun]]
|'''L''' 25–35
|32,000
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!5
|Sunday
|August 30, 1975
|[[Shreveport Steamer]]
|'''W''' 21–8
|18,700
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!6
|Saturday
|September 6, 1975
|at [[Portland Storm|Portland Thunder]]
|'''W''' 26–8
|6,342
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!7
|Saturday
|September 13, 1975
|[[San Antonio Wings]]
|'''W''' 33–24
|12,500
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!8
|Sunday
|September 21, 1975
|[[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|Charlotte Hornets]]
|'''W''' 22–16
|18,500
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!9
|Saturday
|September 27, 1975
|at [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)|Jacksonville Express]]
|'''L''' 18–26
|10,881
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!10
|Saturday
|October 4, 1975
|at [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|Hawaiians]]
|'''W''' 29–16
|18,894
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!11
|Sunday
|October 12, 1975
|at [[Memphis Southmen|Memphis Grizzlies]]
|'''W''' 18–14
|20,192
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!12
|Sunday
|October 19, 1975
|[[Memphis Southmen|Memphis Grizzlies]]
|'''W''' 21–0<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/262297243/?terms=Birmingham%20Vulcans&match=1|work= Montgomery Advertiser |title= Vulcs take fire out of Southmen|date= 20 Oct 1975|page=7|first=Roy|last=Thomas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2021-10-04}}</ref>
|35,000
|----
|}
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wflfootball.tripod.com/1975/results.html| title=1975 World Football League Results| access-date=2015-11-11}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Birmingham Americans]]
*[[1975 World Football League season]]
*[[1975 in sports]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="gt750308">{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |work=[[Gadsden Times]] |title=New name for the old Americans |page=38 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iqsfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2012,1453998&dq=birmingham-americans&hl=en |date=March 8, 1975 |access-date=April 7, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="ashof-jm">{{cite web |publisher=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame |title=Johnny "Italian Stallion" Musso – Class of 1989 |url=http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company_detail&srctype=display&refno=222&category=Football&search=Johnny%20Musso |access-date=April 8, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="ashof-lw">{{cite web |publisher=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame |title=Larry Willingham – Class of 2003 |url=http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&srctype=display&id=317&submenu=Inductees&view=company_detail |access-date=April 8, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="gt950514">{{cite news |first=Wayne |last=Smith |work=[[Gadsden Times]] |title=Musso remains one of the most popular Tide stars |page=D6 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19950514&id=MLkfAAAAIBAJ&pg=1257,1349384 |date=May 14, 1995 |access-date=April 9, 2010}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191128092356/https://www.wfl1974.com/ WFL1974 – a Birmingham Americans & Vulcans history site]
* [http://www.birminghamprosports.com/ BirminghamProSports.com]

{{WFL}}
{{Birmingham Alabama Pro Football}}

[[Category:Birmingham Vulcans| ]]
[[Category:Defunct American football teams]]
[[Category:American football teams in Birmingham, Alabama]]
[[Category:American football teams established in 1975]]
[[Category:American football teams disestablished in 1975]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Alabama]]
[[Category:1975 disestablishments in Alabama]]


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