Tampa Bay Rowdies
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| Full name | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Rowdies |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Stadium |
Al Lang Stadium St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Capacity | 7,500 |
| Owners |
Bill Edwards (Majority) Andrew Nestor (Minority) David Laxer (Minority) |
| Head Coach | Stuart Campbell |
| League | United Soccer League (2017) |
| 2017 (USL) |
Season: 2nd in Eastern Conf. Playoffs: TBD |
| Website | Club home page |
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. The Rowdies were members of the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, and will join the United Soccer League in 2017. They play their home games at Al Lang Stadium on St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront. Their current manager is Stuart Campbell.
The current club shares its name, logo, and some of its club culture with the original Tampa Bay Rowdies, who were active from 1975 until 1993, most notably in the original North American Soccer League. The owners of the current club announced their intention to use the old Rowdies' trademarks at its introductory press conference in 2008. However, licensing issues forced the club to use the name FC Tampa Bay until December 2011, when it gained full rights to the Rowdies name and other intellectual property. The current Rowdies have always used the same green and yellow color scheme and "hoops" as the original team, even when they could not yet use the Rowdies name.
The Rowdies captured the NASL championship in Soccer Bowl 2012, and their team shield includes two stars: one for their 2012 win and one for the 1975 Soccer Bowl championship won by the original Rowdies. The club has a long-standing rivalry with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, with whom they have contested the Florida Derby since the original Rowdies and Strikers first met in 1977.
The original Tampa Bay Rowdies were an expansion franchise in the original North American Soccer League and played for 10 seasons in Tampa Stadium starting in 1975. The Rowdies were an immediate and consistent success, winning Soccer Bowl 1975 in their inaugural season, reaching the league final on two additional occasions, and regularly earning playoff berths. They showcased international stars such as midfield captain Rodney Marsh (England), league-leading goal scorers Derek Smethurst (South Africa) and Oscar Fabbiani (Argentina), assist leader Steve Wegerle (South Africa), and all-star defenders Arsene Auguste (Haiti) and "Iron" Mike Connell (South Africa). Head coaches included well-known managers Eddie Firmani, John Boyle, and Gordon Jago. The Rowdies enjoyed broad popular support from their "Fannies" until the NASL folded in 1984, after which the team played in the AISA, ASL and the APSL before folding in 1993.
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