af2 expands to Mobile, AL

by af2 Press Release
June 15, 2001 - arenafootball2 (af2)

af2 Press Release

MOBILE, AL - The league office of arenafootball2 announced today that Mobile, Alabama received unanimous approval from the af2 Board of Directors as the newest addition to the planned expansion for the 2002 season. Approval by the full Arena Football Board of Directors is expected to be announced later this month.

From its inception in 2000, af2 has grown from fifteen teams to twenty-eight teams for the current season, and is on course to add an additional ten to fourteen teams for league play in 2002.

"I have been a fan of Arena Football for a number of years," said Mobile businessman and owner of the Mobile af2 team Norris Armstrong. "We will strive to maintain a strong, positive presence in our community and focus on presenting a quality product that the people deserve."

"We are extremely pleased to be able to bring the fan-friendly game of arenafootball2 to the Mobile market," said af2 Executive Director Mary Ellen Garling. "Both Beth and Norris Armstrong are passionate sports enthusiasts who have a strong tradition in the Mobile marketplace that will surely carry over to the fans in the community."

The strategic plan of arenafootball2 concentrates on the development of regional divisions designed to minimize travel costs and create local rivalries.

"With an af2 team in Pensacola and two others in Alabama (Birmingham and Huntsville), we plan to generate the intensity shown in any Alabama vs. Auburn sporting event," said Armstrong.

"af2 will continue Mobile's movement toward becoming the dominant sports city in Alabama," said Mobile Mayor Mike Dow. "I commend Norris Armstrong for his commitment to the city."

The management staff for the Mobile af2 team will be appointed within the next few weeks and team headquarters will be located at the Lafayette Plaza Hotel near Mobile's Civic Center, where all home games will be played. A team name and logo will be announced in the near future.

"Armstrong and arenafootball2 are a first-class combination and one that the entire community can be proud of," said Reggie Copeland, Sr., Mobile City Council Vice President. "The game of arenafootball2 is exciting, family entertainment that we want in our city."

Mobile marks the second arenafootball2 expansion team for the 2002 season; af2 previously announced Bakersfield, CA.

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• af2 expands to Mobile, AL - OSC Original by af2 Press Release

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