Tampa Bay Rowdies

Full name	Tampa Bay Rowdies
Nickname	Rowdies
Founded	June 19, 1974
Dissolved	January 31, 1994; 31 years ago (January 31, 1994)
Stadium	Outdoor: Tampa Stadium (71,000) USF Soccer Stadium (4,000) Indoor: Bayfront Center (6,410) Expo Hall (9,200)[1] Lakeland Civic Center (8,178)
Owner(s)	George W. Strawbridge, Jr. (1974–1983) Stella Thayer, Bob Blanchard & Dick Corbett (1983–1986) Cornelia Corbett (1986–1994)
Chairman	Beau Rogers, IV Chas Serednesky, Jr
Coach	Eddie Firmani (1975–1977) John Boyle (1977) Gordon Jago (1978–1982) Al Miller (1982–83) Rodney Marsh (1984)
League	North American Soccer League (1975–1984) American Indoor Soccer Association (1986–1987) American Soccer League (1988–1989) American Professional Soccer League (1990–1993)
Home colors Away colors

TheTampa Bay Rowdies were anAmerican professionalsoccer team based inTampa, Florida, that competed in the originalNorth American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1984. They enjoyed popular support in the Tampa Bay area until the NASL folded in 1984, after which the team played in various minor indoor and outdoor leagues before finally folding on January 31, 1994.^[2] The Rowdies played nearly all of their outdoor home games atTampa Stadium and nearly all of theirindoor games at theBayfront Center Arena in nearbySt. Petersburg, Florida.^[3][4] AlthoughSan Diego played indoors until 1996, the Rowdies were the last surviving NASL franchise that played outdoor soccer on a regular basis.

On June 19, 1974^[5]George Strawbridge and Beau Rogers, IV purchased an expansion franchise inNorth American Soccer League for the sum of $25,000 and by July 24 they namedEddie Firmani their coach.^[6] In October 1974,Alex Pringle becomes the first player to sign with the team. On November 21, 1974, theTampa Bay Professional Soccer Club^[7] announced that they would henceforth be known as theTampa Bay Rowdies. The Rowdies played ten seasons atTampa Stadium and won their onlySoccer Bowl championship in their1975 inaugural season, defeating thePortland Timbers 2–0 on August 24. The Rowdies also finished as runners-up in1978 and1979. The team showcased international stars such as midfielder, and team captainRodney Marsh (England), 1979 league scoring leaderÓscar Fabbiani (Chile), swift and forwardSteve Wegerle (South Africa), rock-solid defensemanArsene Auguste (Haiti), 1976 NASL goal scoring championDerek Smethurst (South Africa), who was also the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer with 57 tallies in 65 games, as well as forwardClyde Best (Bermuda). Coached along the way by Firmani,John Boyle,Gordon Jago,Al Miller, and Marsh after his retirement, their catch phrase and marketing slogan was "The Rowdies arrrre...a kick in the grass!"

While no NASL team ever captured atreble, in 1975–76 Tampa Bay came the closest by winning the three different NASL titles available at the time (Soccer Bowl '75,1976 Indoor Title,1976 Regular Season title) in succession within twelve months. On and off the pitch, the Rowdies would prove to be one of the league's most recognizable brands. At one three-year point in their history, the team regularly drew crowds of well over 25,000 a night. In 1979 three different matches were attended by over 40,000 people, and the following year two more surpassed the 50,000 mark. The Rowdies had long-standing rivalries with both theFt. Lauderdale Strikers and theNew York Cosmos.

Following the 1981 season theDallas Tornado merged with Tampa Bay. At the time, Dallas principalsLamar Hunt and Bill McNutt retained a minority stake in the Rowdies.^[8][9] Two years later after the 1983 season, Strawbidge, Hunt and McNutt sold the team outright to local investorsStella Thayer, Bob Blanchard and Dick Corbett.^[10]

*playoff game

In the winter of1975, the NASL ran a two-tiered, 16 team indoor tournament with four regional winners meeting in a "final-four" style championship. The Rowdies defeated theNew York Cosmos 13–5 in the semi-final, before losing 8–5 to the hostSan Jose Earthquakes in the finals on March 16 at theCow Palace. The Rowdies again reached the final-four in1976, but that year were the host team. This time Tampa Bay would not be denied, as they followed up a 6–2 semi-final win overDallas with a 6–4 finals triumph over theRochester Lancers on March 27 in theBayfront Center. Over the next few years, the Rowdies (and a handful of other NASL teams) played indoor friendlies and invitationals^[14] as preparation for the start of the outdoor season.^[15] The NASL did not sanction a full indoor season until1979–80, when the Rowdies won the championship by defeating theMemphis Rogues 2 games to 1. The1980–81 campaign marked the first time Tampa Bay had ever missed the playoffs, indoor or outdoor. In the1981–82 season they lost the finals to theSan Diego Sockers 2 games to 0. Once again the NASL chose not to sanction a full indoor season in 1982–83, but (in addition to a few friendlies) Tampa Bay and three other teams participated in theGrand Prix of Indoor Soccer.^[16] The Rowdies finished second in the round-robin stage and subsequently went on to defeatMontreal for the championship in a double overtime thriller at theMontreal Forum; 5–4.^[17] The final NASL indoor season took place in1983–84 and the Rowdies finished last out of the seven teams. Due to scheduling issues that season, the Rowdies played five games at the Bayfront Center, eight at the State Fairgrounds'Expo Hall in Tampa, and three in theLakeland Civic Center.^[4] Tampa Bay regularly drew home crowds of over five thousand "fannies" to the Bayfront Center, despite the arena's limited seating capacity and relatively remote location.^[18]

*playoff game

Coach	Tenure	League	Cup^	Indoor	Indoor Cup^	Totals*
Eddie Firmani	1977–1984	41–15	3–1	4–0	3–1	51–17
Lenny Glover(interim)	1977	0–1	–	–	–	0–1
John Boyle	1977	7–8	0–1	–	–	7–9
Gordon Jago	1978–1982	81–56	17–9	28–20	11–5	137–90
Kevin Keelan(interim)	1982	0–1	–	–	–	0–1
Al Miller	1982–1983	9–30	0–0	4–2	2–0	15–32
Rodney Marsh	1983–1984	9–15	–	9–23	–	18–38

*Excludes friendlies.^Cup includes playoff games and mini-games.^[41][42]

Captain	Outdoor seasons	Indoor seasons
John Boyle	1975	1975
Derek Smethurst	-	1976
Rodney Marsh	1976, 1978, 1979	1978, 1979
Tommy Smith	1976	-
Alex Pringle	-	1977
Lenny Glover	1977	-
Jan van der Veen	1978, 1981	1979–80, 1980–81
Mike Connell	1981, 1982, 1983, 1984	1981–82, 1983–84
Wes McLeod	-	*1983

*due to Connell injury

*Excludes friendlies andindoor matches.^Includes playoff games.^[41][42]

Player	Total Apps*	League	Cup^	Tenure	Leagues
Mike Connell	277	252	25	1975, 1977–1984	NASL
Wes McLeod	211	188	23	1977–1984	NASL
Steve Wegerle	210	188	22	1977–1981, 1984, 1988–1990	NASL, ASL, APSL
Perry Van der Beck	190	171	19	1978–1982, 1984, 1989–1993	NASL, ASL, APSL
Winston DuBose	165	147	18	1977–1982, 1988–1991	NASL, ASL, APSL
Refik Kozić	134	125	9	1980–1984	NASL
John Gorman	128	111	17	1979–1982	NASL
Rodney Marsh	110	94	16	1976–1979	NASL
Derek Backman	100	90	10	1988–1993	ASL, APSL
Jan van der Veen	94	84	10	1979–1981, 1983	NASL

In a ceremony held before the final home game of the1989 regular season,Steve Wegerle became the first Tampa Bay Rowdies player to have his number retired by the team.^[43] That night he assisted on all three Rowdies' goals in a 3–0 victory over arch-rival Fort Lauderdale.^[44] He went on to appear in several home matches during the1990 season as well.^[45]

WhileMike Connell's andPerry Van der Beck's numbers have since been retired by thecurrent franchise, Wegerle's #7 continues to be reissued each season.^[46]

No.	Player	Position	Nation	Tenure	Date Retired	Ref
6	Mike Connell	Defender	South Africa	1975–1984	August 10, 2013	[47]
7	Steve Wegerle[note 1]	Forward	South Africa	1977–1981, 1984, 1988–1990	July 22, 1989	[48]
12	Perry Van der Beck	Midfielder	United States	1978–82, 1984, 1991–93	October 1, 2010	[46][49]

Notes

As part of a name-the-team contest, on November 21, 1974, the franchise announced that the nameTampa Bay Rowdies had been selected. Out of nearly 12,500 entries it was Clearwater attorney, Bill Wilhelm's suggestion that won. That suggestion earned Wilhelm a vacation to Acapulco for his efforts, along with a lifetime pass to all home games.^[7][50] The Rowdies' fans were known as "Fannies". Advertisements for the club declared that "Soccer is a kick in the grass" and encouraged their supporters to "Get up, get out, and get Rowdy!" and to "make a fanny of yourself!". The calls were answered by fans who threwconfetti, drank beer, chanted during games, and generally "let the guys know we're behind them."^[51] One memorable fan named Bob Rogers won a "Rowdiest Fan" contest by donning a giant soccer head and throwing himself into the Tampa Stadium goal. The club gave "Soccer Head" complimentary tickets to future games so that he could continue his antics for the crowd, even bringing him along when the Rowdies played inSoccer Bowl '79.^[52]

While anyone who supported the club could call themselves a Fanny, members of the official Rowdies Fan Club particularly claimed the moniker as their own. The fan club held regular meetings and social events and published a newsletter.^[51]

The "Wowdies" were the Rowdies' cheerleaders. The team also had a pep band known as the "Loudies" that sat in the south endzone and attended local pep rallies.^[53][54]

The NASL folded in 1984, but the Rowdies continued to play for several more years. Tampa Stadium continued to be used as their home ground for outdoor games except during the1991 and1992 seasons in the APSL. Those two years were spent at theUSF Soccer Stadium,^[3][55] before returning to Tampa Stadium in 1993 for the team's final season in existence.

With Rodney Marsh staying on as coach (through 1987), the Rowdies operated as an independent team for two years before joining theAmerican Indoor Soccer Association for one season (1986–87). Cornelia Corbett, Dick Corbett's wife and a businesswoman in her own right, became sole owner of the team in 1986. As a footnote, in 2011 theUniversity of South Florida opened the newCorbett Soccer Stadium for theirNCAA Division I men's and women's teams, after the Corbetts had made a $1.5 million donation to the project.^[56] The stadium features several display cases that highlight the history of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Since 2005, theUSF Bulls and the crosstown rivalUniversity of Tampa Spartans men's squads have competed annually for the preseasonRowdies Cup, which celebrates the city's rich soccer history. To date theNCAA Division II Spartans have only captured the trophy once, back in 2012.^[57]

As an independent club, the Rowdies played only one match in 1985. It was against theU.S. Men's team on theFourth of July in front of 30,038 fans.

In the summer of 1986 the Rowdies staged a four-game series at Tampa Stadium called theCoca-Cola Classic International Soccer Series, which culminated with aFourth of July match, and also included a post-game fireworks display and laser light show. Since Tampa Bay had only a handful of players under contract at the time, their roster was composed mostly of guest players fromQueens Park Rangers F.C.^[58][59] The only NASL-era Rowdies on this roster wereRoy Wegerle,Steve Wegerle,Dave Power, and the head coach,Rodney Marsh. Four former Rowdies played in the final game of this series for the opposing NASL All-Stars. These includedMike Connell,Winston DuBose,Wes McLeod andTatu.^[60]

They also played a pair of friendlies against the newly establishedOrlando Lions on February 22 and July 2 atLake Brantley High School, using their regular players. Tampa Bay won the matches by scores of 1–0 and 2–1(SO) respectively.^[61][62]

In 1987 Tampa Bay played twice against theOrlando Lions, on May 16 at theFlorida Citrus Bowl, and then again on May 23 atPepin-Rood Stadium. The Rowdies lost the first encounter, 2–0, with the teams tying, 2–2, in the return leg.^[63][64]

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goal Scorers	Ref.
July 4, 1985	USMNT	Tampa Stadium	1–2	30,038	Hoddle	[65]
February 22, 1986	@Orlando Lions	Lake Brantley High School	0–1	4,200	G. Wegerle	[66]
June 7, 1986	Glentoran F.C.	Tampa Stadium	1–0	6,900	Chivers	[67]
June 14, 1986	Dundee F.C.	Tampa Stadium	2–1(SO, 4–3)	2,787	R Wegerle	[68][69]
June 21, 1986	Canada U-20	Tampa Stadium	0–1	4,010		[70]
July 2, 1986	@Orlando Lions	Lake Brantley High School	1–2(SO, 2–3)		White	[71]
July 4, 1986	NASL All-Stars	Tampa Stadium	3–4(SO, 5–6)	29,755	R Wegerle,James,Loram	[72]
May 16, 1987	@Orlando Lions	Florida Citrus Bowl	2–0	2,060		[63]
May 23, 1987	Orlando Lions	Pepin-Rood Stadium	2–2		Marsh,Astigarraga	[64][73]

The Rowdies played one season of indoor soccer in theAmerican Indoor Soccer Association, once again using the Bayfront Center as their home. After a strong start they finished third in their division and eventually lost in the first round of the playoffs.Steve Wegerle was selected as a starter in the AISA All-Star game and scored the game's first goal.Arnie Mausser,Rubén Astigarraga, andGlenn Ervine also made the Southern Division team. Ervine added a goal in the fourth quarter.Tim Walters was a late All-Star addition, because Astigarraga was unable play in the match.^[74][75]

^{[77][78][79][80]}

In the summer of1988, the Rowdies joined the third incarnation of theAmerican Soccer League. They would stay in this league and its successor (theAPSL) until the team folded after the1993 season. During this six year stretch they achieved moderate success, winning one division title and making the playoffs four times. In1992 they finished as runners-up to Colorado in the regular season, in theProfessional Cup final, and in the APSL final as well.^[81]

• Rodney Marsh: 1984–1987
• Wim Suurbier: 1986–87
• Ken Fogarty: 1989–1992
• Steve Wegerle: 1991–1992
• Ricky Hill: 1992
• Ken Fogarty: 1993

• Dave Power: 1986–1989
• Derek Backman: 1990
• David Byrne: 1991
• Ricky Hill: 1992
• Terry Rowe: 1993

Due in large part to the Rowdies' historical success on and off the pitch, in 1994MLS selected theTampa Bay Mutiny as one of its original ten teams. The Mutiny won the first everSupporters' Shield and qualified for the playoffs in four of their six seasons. Several former Rowdies, includingPerry Van der Beck,Farrukh Quraishi,Roy Wegerle andSteve Trittschuh among others, were involved with the Mutiny as players, coaches, or front office staff. They also played for three seasons on the Rowdies' home pitch, Tampa Stadium. While the Mutiny have no connection to either Rowdies franchise, the team often paid tribute to the former Rowdies by wearing jerseys of their colors, and even wearing the logo of both the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Rowdies on the same shirt.^[86]

MLS initially operated the team with the hope of selling to a private local owner.^[87] That became difficult afterMalcolm Glazer bought theTampa Bay Buccaneers of theNational Football League in 1995 and demanded that the community build a new stadium.Raymond James Stadium was completed in 1998 and Tampa Stadium was demolished soon thereafter, forcing the Mutiny to move to the new facility.

The Bucs' lease agreement in their new home allowed them to keep most non-ticket revenues from all events at the facility, including Mutiny matches, severely damaging the financial viability of the soccer club.^[88][89] As financial losses mounted (up to $2 million a year), MLS desperately courted Glazer to buy the Mutiny. Glazer declined, so the league opted to fold the Mutiny, along with other Florida-based MLS team of that era, theMiami Fusion, in early 2002.^[90][91]

In 2008, it was announced that a new incarnation of the Tampa Bay Rowdies would play in a new second divisionNASL. They wore striped green and gold kits similar to the old Rowdies, and a star reflecting the 1975 championship. After several changes to the league, Tampa Bay finally kicked off in the summer of 2010, but they took the pitch as"FC Tampa Bay" due to a licensing dispute over the Rowdies name and trademarks.^[92][93] Beginning in 2012, the team reached an agreement to officially use the Rowdies name along with logos and other intellectual property of the original team, and wonSoccer Bowl 2012.

To date, the new Rowdies have honored both Mike Connell's and Perry Van der Beck's significant contribution to soccer, both on and off the field in the community at large, by retiring their jerseys. The Rowdies won the2012 NASL Championship. As of 2017 they are currently members of the second division,United Soccer League, and have announced their intention to gain entry intoMLS's next wave of expansion.

TheSouth Florida Bulls annually face their crosstown rivals, theTampa Spartans, in anNCAA men's preseason soccer match which celebrates theTampa Bay Area's rich soccer history. In addition to holding theRowdies Cup trophy for the next 12 months, the winning side also get to hoist the actualSoccer Bowl trophy that was won originally by the Rowdies in1975. The trophy is currently housed at Corbett Soccer Stadium on theUSF campus. Formerly called the Mayor's Cup from 1979 until 2005, as of the 2019 edition, USF holds a 24–10–3 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1972.^{[94][95][96][97]}

Indoor soccer by the Rowdies had officially ended when the team played in theAmerican Indoor Soccer Association for one season (1986–87). For two seasons, another Tampa Bay area team played in the same league, from 1995 to 1997, called theTampa Bay Terror; however, the team did not last more than two seasons, despite having some members of the Rowdies on the roster. It was not until 2016 that a stable indoor soccer team played in the region. Another unrelated indoor soccer team called theFlorida Tropics SC have played in theMajor Arena Soccer League since 2016. The team eventually began outdoor competition, also competing in the developmentalUnited Premier Soccer League. Despite being unrelated to the Rowdies, these two teams succeed the Tampa Bay region in indoor soccer since the original Rowdies had folded.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toTampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993).

• Tribute website
• Rowdies history
• "superfan" Ian Morris' site

• National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001)
• Tampa Bay Rowdies
• Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States
• Soccer clubs in Tampa, Florida
• Soccer clubs in Florida
• Defunct soccer clubs in Florida
• Association football clubs established in 1974
• Association football clubs disestablished in 1993
• American Soccer League (1988–89) teams
• National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) teams
• North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams
• American Professional Soccer League teams
• Sports in St. Petersburg, Florida
• 1974 establishments in Florida
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