MEMPHIS, Tenn. – USL Memphis announced on Monday it had appointed longtime USL executive Andrew Bell, previously of the Charleston Battery, as its inaugural Sporting Director.

Bell, who has spent nearly 20 years with the Battery, will be tasked with handling all player and technical staff-related decisions and building the USL Memphis Front Office with the team’s 2019 debut one year away.

“We are excited to take this first step in building a world-class franchise,” said USL Memphis President Craig Unger. “Andrew brings tremendous experience on both the technical and business side of soccer, and his knowledge, passion, and dedication to the game is exactly what we need as we get ready to bring professional soccer to AutoZone Park.”

“Memphis is a remarkable city, and the opportunity to help build what I'm certain will be an amazing soccer club was too big to pass up,” Bell said. “I'm excited to start working on the project, and I can't wait to meet the fans. The commitment of our ownership group is going to allow us not just to be part of the amazing growth of professional soccer in the United States but also to create something really special here in Memphis.”

“Charleston’s operation has a fantastic reputation in the soccer world from top to bottom,” said USL Memphis Advisor Tim Howard. “Having Andrew join the Memphis staff brings instant credibility to the organization and sets it up to hit the ground running.”

A native of Wokingham, Berkshire, England, Bell began working for the Battery as its radio play-by-play announcer in 1999 after moving to the United States in 1995. He served in a variety of roles for the team, including Director of Marketing, Director of Sales, and President, which was the role he held most recently from 2008 until moving to USL Memphis.

During his tenure as Battery President, the club won two USL championships in 2010 and 2012 and advanced to the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2008, which marked the last time a non-Major League Soccer side played in U.S. Soccer’s national championship match.