Ahead of Chattanooga FC's summer kick-off match against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday, May 25th, there was a special moment of history made as the club's first-ever Hall of Legends inductees were honored in a special ceremony.
The class of 2024 consists of former player and co-founder Thomas Clark, former head coach and sporting director Bill Elliot and the club's all-time appearance-maker Zeca Ferraz—the first three influential individuals chosen by the club's supporter owners.
The three inductees were each given plaques that will forever be displayed at Finley Stadium.
THOMAS CLARK
Thomas Clark was the driving force behind the founding of Chattanooga FC. Playing on an amateur team in the newly formed summer league, the National Premier Soccer League, in Birmingham during 2008, Thomas came to believe that Chattanooga needed a team. His idea and efforts brought together eight other co-founders and Chattanooga FC was born in early 2009.
Thomas not only helped to found the Chattanooga Football Club and play on the team from 2009 to 2011, but he has served as a very active board member from 2009 to the present. Thomas was part of the 2010 team that won the club’s very first NPSL Southeast Conference Championship and would advance to the club’s first National Championship later that same year.
BILL ELLIOT
Bill Elliott served as head coach of Chattanooga FC from 2012 to 2018. In 2019, under his own recommendation he served as co-head coach with Peter Fuller. In 2020, Elliott decided to become technical director for the club while Peter Fuller moved into the role of head coach.
During his time as head coach, Elliott led the club to seven NPSL Southeast Conference Championships, three NPSL South Region Championships and three NPSL National Finalist trophies.
Under his leadership in 2015, CFC won the USASA National Amateur Championship (the Hank Steinbrecher Cup). Elliott had an impressive career record of 97W - 28T - 34L during which he won 13 trophies for the club. He also received the NPSL’s 2014 Alexander Arellano Memorial Trophy after leading Chattanooga to the national title game.
ZECA FERRAZ
Zeca Ferraz is a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil and played with the club from 2013 to 2021. Zeca played on teams that won five NPSL Southeast Conference titles, three NPSL South Region titles and Zeca played in two NPSL National Championships (2014-2015). He was also a member of the 2020 NISA Independent Cup winning team (Southeast Region).
He is the club's all-time leader in appearances with 142.
Most notably, Zeca was on the 2015 USASA National Amateur Championship team that won the Hank Steinbrecher Cup. From 2013 to 2019 he had 20 goals and 15 assists with the amateur CFC teams. Some of his most famous goals came in friendlies, and those included a header that tied CFC 1-1 with FC Dallas of MLS in early 2018, along with his late goal against La Liga’s Real Betis in 2019 to close out CFC’s loss at just 4-3.
Ferraz is fourth on the list of all time CFC scorers with 24 goals, and has 22 assists to his name as well. He and fellow striker Luke Winter and midfielder Juan Hernandez are the only players who have played eight seasons with Chattanooga FC.
All three of the inaugural inductees were also presented with customized 2024 Chattanooga FC jerseys at half-time of the match.
