The owner of Charlotte’s original pro soccer team has died

Bob Benson, the owner of Charlotte’s original pro soccer team, died Wednesday from complications from a fall. He was 83.

Benson’s Carolina Lightnin’ played in the American Soccer League from 1981-83. The Lightnin’ won the ASL championship in 1981 in front of more than 20,000 fans in Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium.

Benson’s most prescient move as owner of the Lightnin’ was hiring English soccer legend Rodney Marsh as coach, bringing the franchise instant credibility and a dash of charisma.

Benson understood the challenges of marketing a sport like soccer, which was struggling to find a place in the American sports landscape. He once brought in The Beach Boys for a postgame concert and held a contest to give away an airplane.

Benson, who played basketball at Clemson under coach Press Maravich, was a native of Jeannette, Pennsylvania. He also owned the Charlotte Heat, a World Team Tennis franchise that played from 1987-91. The Heat won championships in both 1987 and 1988 under Benson’s stewardship, with homegrown players like Tim Wilkison and John Sadri starring during matches at Olde Providence Country Club that occasionally drew as many as 5,000 fans in the days when the club still had its own stadium.

This story was originally published January 23, 2021 at 2:32 PM.