By John Cargile Sports Staff

Will people in Birmingham support a professional hockey team'' Do people in Birmingham know anything about hockey?

The questions are being asked this week in Birmingham, and guess who is asking ?

John Bassett. Jr.

You remember John Bassett, Jr , from the World Football League'sMemphis Grizzly organization Well, Mr Bassett was in Birmingham this weekend to meet people and ask questions. Most importantly he visited the near-completed Birmingham-Jefferson CountyColesium.

“I've visited the great coliseums in the world.” Bassett said from his Toronto, Canada home Tuesday night, “and there is not a finer complex that I've seen It's like a fellow who goes out and buys a diamond ring, but doesn't have a girlfriend.''

Bassett, this morning, was to break the news to the city of Toronto that he is moving his Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association away from that city. The reasons were given. 1) not enough fans, and 2) losing money.

The Toros use the same facility as the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, which lessens an interest Several Toros players have been injured this past season and the team has not won its share of games.

Among the noted players is Frank Mahovlick, a veteran NHL player, that John signed.

“We've decided to move the franchise,” Bassett confirmed to The Post-Herald.” We are going to break the news Wednesday morning. ''

Birmingham is only one of the cities.

Bassett is interested in Among the others are St. Paul, Minn , Hollywood. Fla . and Ottawa, Canada Bassett indicated that Birmingham was one of the leading cities.

Bassett is sending Peter McAskile to the city today to meet with “immediate persons” who are interested in professional hockey coming to the city. McAskile is the director of marketing for the Toros, and is expected to visit the Coliseum. and meet with other people in the city. He'll be asking the question.

“Will people here support professional hockey?”

Bassett indicated that he is not looking for buyers, but will use the same format he used in Memphis
“I'm looking for local investors to carry some of it.” he said. But he indicated he would continue to be the majority owner
Casey Jones, assistant director of the Civic Center, confirmed his meeting with Bassett Saturday.

“He (Bassett» only made one comment about rent,” Jones said. “He mentioned the rent he was paying in Canada I told him it would be substantially lower here .”

Jones said he will recommend to the Park and Recreation Board what the rental fee would be for the Coliseum. He said he will present his recommendation to the board Thursday, May 13.

Jack Gotta, who is devoting 99 percent of his efforts in bringing a National Football League franchise to Birmingham. is acting as a liaison between Bassett and the city.

“The best man in hockey is thinking about a team in Birmingham,” Gotta said “John has talked many times about bringing his hockey team here when he came to the city with his football team.

“He really fell in love with Birmingham. I remember him talking about hockey for Birmingham over a year ago. He asked me last year if I could help him meet some people here and I told him I would take care of it.

“He visited with me this weekend, and 1 put him in contact with some people who might be interested in investing. They are people outside the football area I'm working in.

“I believe a hockey team here would add to the stature of us getting a professional football franchise ”
Bassett took his hockey team to Sweden to train before the season got underway this season, according to Gotta “He said even the coliseum in Sweden couldn't match the one in Birmingham”

Will Birmingham support a hockey team'' Will it support a World Hockey Association team'?

That's what Bassett wants to know. He is about to ask those questions.

“I'll decide where to move the franchise in June,” Bassett said. “We're having our league meeting here in Toronto June 17. We'll know then where we're going.”