HALL OF FAME
ANNOUNCES ROTHENBERG AS 2007 BUILDER
INDUCTEE
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News From The Hall
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ONEONTA,
NY (March 23, 2007)
The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced today that Alan
I. Rothenberg, former President of the U.S. Soccer Federation and Chair/CEO of
the 1994 World
Cup, will be the 2007 builder inductee. Induction 2007, presented by The Century
Council’s Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking, will
be Sunday, August 26 at noon on the Soccer Hall of Fame campus in Oneonta.
Rothenberg, well known for his work in the soccer community, served as the President
of the USSF from 1990 to 1998. During his tenure Rothenberg undertook several
crucial projects that had a positive impact on soccer in the United States, especially
his work that completed the transformation of the Federation from a small association
run primarily by volunteers to a professional organization, his leadership of
the1994 World Cup, and his critical role in the launching of Major League Soccer.
He established American soccer in the sports industry by gaining sponsors and
television recognition, making it possible to raise money in support of soccer
programs that led the way to the MLS.
“Alan Rothenberg revolutionized soccer in America,” George Brown, President
of the Hall of Fame said. “It was his dynamic leadership and management
skills that resulted in the U.S.A receiving worldwide acclaim as host of the
1994 World Cup. And it was those same attributes that resulted in that World
Cup being the most successful in history.”
“Alan breathed new life into soccer,” Brown continued. “Starting with
the catalyst of the 1994 World Cup, soccer in the United States has undergone
a renaissance leading to the launch of Major League Soccer and the phenomenal
growth and success of both the men’s and women’s national teams in
international competition. We will be honored to welcome Alan Rothenberg into
the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He has earned his place.”
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Alan Rothenberg
2007 Builder Inductee |
Rothenberg, born April 10, 1939, became involved in soccer
in 1967 as a lawyer for Jack Kent Cooke, the owner of the Los
Angeles Wolves of the National Professional
Soccer League. Rothenberg was an owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North
American Soccer League from 1977 to 1980. He continued his career in soccer during
the very successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where he served as the commissioner
of soccer and brought the largest attendance to soccer of any of the Olympic
sports. In 1990 he succeeded Hall of Famer Werner Fricker (Class of 1992) as
President of USSF. Among his first acts was to hire another future Hall of Famer
Hank Steinbrecher (Class of 2005) as the Federation’s Secretary General.
During his career he directed the1994 FIFA World Cup, the most successful FIFA
World cup in history attended by a still-standing record 3,567,415 people. The
1994 World Cup made a $50+ million profit, generating a surplus large enough
to create the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the
United States. The Foundation is one of Rothenberg’s great legacies that
will continue to benefit soccer far into the future. In 1999 Rothenberg made
another contribution to soccer at the Women’s World Cup, when he served
as a Chairman for the historic event.
Rothenberg will be inducted alongside previously announced Player Inductees Mia
Hamm and Julie Foudy. The election for a veteran member of the Class of 2007
is underway. Announcement of the veteran inductee, should one be elected, will
be in early April.
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The
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The
Mission of the National Soccer Hall of Fame is to
Celebrate the History, Honor the Heroes, Inspire the
Youth and Preserve the Legacy of Soccer in the
United States.
Located in Oneonta, NY, the
National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a new 30,000 sq.
ft., state-of-the-art multimedia museum in 1999. The
Hall of Fame tells the story of soccer in America
through artifacts, photographs, video and written
narratives. The main VideoWall portrays some of the
greatest moments and the greatest goals in soccer
history as well as live soccer action from the World
Cup, MLS, and U.S. Soccer matches. The Hall features
an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks Zone,
including a kid-sized indoor field, where visitors
have fun kicking, heading and playing computer
trivia stations and video soccer games. Unique and
rare artifacts on exhibit range from The Dewar Cup,
the oldest team trophy in U.S. Sport, to the Women’s
World Cup won by the USA in 1999, the uniforms of Pele and Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly’s golden shoes,
NASL championship rings and MLS championship
trophies. That and so much more are all at the
National Soccer Hall of Fame. In addition to the
interactive Museum, the National Soccer Hall of
Fame’s 61-acre complex boasts the Kicks Hall of Fame
Museum Store, a research library, four world-class
soccer fields and office/meeting facilities.
The
Century Council
The Century
Council’s mission is to promote responsible
decision-making regarding drinking or non-drinking
of beverage alcohol and to discourage all forms of
irresponsible consumption through education,
communications, research, law enforcement, and other
programs. Recognizing nearly fifteen years of
progress, America’s leading distillers have promoted
The Council’s mission by investing over $160 million
in its programs to fight drunk driving and underage
drinking. For more information about Girl Talk or
The Century Council, please visit
www.grltlk.org or
www.centurycouncil.org.
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EuroSport
Induction 2007 Presented by
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