Toronto players come to Wilmington with the goal of gaining first team experience. In August 2014, the Hammerheads' longtime head coach, Englishman David Irving, stepped down from his position following fifteen seasons with the club. New York City FC announced a one-year affiliation with the Hammerheads in January 2015, in which NYCFC can send players to train and play in Wilmington for further development. On August 1, 2016, it was reported that the Hammerheads were planning another hiatus from the USL, beginning with the 2017 season. This would allow the club to restructure "in order to keep pace with the growth in stature of the USL." Six weeks later, the Washington Post reported that the Hammerheads were a possible contender to move to Baltimore, Maryland for the 2018 season, noting that Wilmington is the smallest of the league's twenty-nine markets. The team self-relegated to the Premier Development League on September 29, 2016. After the 2017 season, the PDL team was disbanded. The organization continues as a youth soccer academy under the name "Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC". Stadium Legion Stadium: Wilmington, North Carolina (2003–2009, 2011–2016) UNCW Soccer Stadium: Wilmington, North Carolina (2017) Notable former players Head coaches David Irving (1998–2014) Carson Porter (2014–2015) Mark Briggs (2015–2016) Achievements USL PRO Championship Finalist 2012 USL Second Division Regular Season Champions 2009 USL Pro Select League Champions 2003 USL D-3 Pro League Southern Division Champions 2002 USL D-3 Pro League Southern Division Champions 2001 Record Year-by-year Supporters The primary supporters group is the Port City Firm. The group was founded in 1997 and stuck together during the team's hiatus year in 2010. A second group, the East Side Ultras, was founded in 2015 and are identified by their sky blue helmets/hats and black shirts. References External links Association football clubs established in 1996 Association football clubs disestablished in 2017 Defunct soccer clubs in North Carolina Sports in Wilmington, North Carolina Former USL Championship teams Former USL Second Division teams 1996 establishments in North Carolina USL League Two teams 2017 disestablishments in North Carolina