The Tampa Bay Rowdies were an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team based in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, that competed in the original

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...

(NASL) from 1975 to 1984. They enjoyed broad 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. The Rowdies played nearly all of their outdoor home games at

Tampa Stadium Tampa Stadium (nicknamed The Big Sombrero and briefly known as Houlihan's Stadium) was a large open-air stadium (maximum capacity about 74,000) located in Tampa, Florida, which opened in 1967 and was significantly expanded in 1974–75. The faci ...

and nearly all of their

indoor games Indoor games and sports are a variety of structured games or competitive physical exercises, typically carried out either at home, in a well-sheltered building, or in a specially constructed sport venue such as a gym, a natatorium, an arena or a roo ...

at the Bayfront Center Arena in nearby

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

. Although

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

played indoors until 1996, the Rowdies were the last surviving NASL franchise that played outdoor soccer on a regular basis.

NASL: 1975–1984

On June 19, 1974

George Strawbridge George Strawbridge (1785 – March 11, 1859) was a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Louisiana (french: Cour suprême de Louisiane) is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ...

and Beau Rogers, IV purchased an expansion franchise in

for the sum of $25,000 and by July 24 they named

Eddie Firmani Edwin Ronald "Eddie" Firmani (; born 7 August 1933) is a former professional football player and manager. A former forward, he spent most of his career in Italy and England. Born in South Africa, he represented the Italy national team internat ...

their coach. In October 1974,

Alex Pringle Alex Pringle (born 8 November 1948) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender. Active in Scotland and the United States, Pringle made over 100 appearances in a 10-year career. Career Born in Edinburgh, Pringle play ...

becomes the first player to sign with the team. On November 21, 1974, the ''Tampa Bay Professional Soccer Club'' announced that they would henceforth be known as the ''Tampa Bay Rowdies''. The Rowdies played ten seasons at

and won their only Soccer Bowl championship in their 1975 inaugural season, defeating the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...

2–0 on August 24. The Rowdies also finished as runners-up in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

and 1979. The team showcased international stars such as midfielder, and team captain

Rodney Marsh Rodney William Marsh (born 11 October 1944) is an English former footballer and football coach; he later worked as a broadcaster. A forward, he won nine caps for England between 1971 and 1973, scoring one international goal. Brought up in the ...

(England), 1979 league scoring leader Óscar Fabbiani (Chile), swift and forward

Steve Wegerle Steve Wegerle (born 15 May 1953) is a former professional soccer player who played as a winger. Wegerle was born in Pretoria. He was voted Player of the Year is South Africa in 1974. He then joined Coventry City in 1975, but made no first te ...

(South Africa), rock-solid defenseman Arsene Auguste (Haiti), 1976 NASL goal scoring champion

Derek Smethurst Derek Smethurst (born 24 October 1947, in Durban) is a retired South African soccer forward who played professionally in South Africa, England and the United States. Biography Born into a sporting family, both his father Norman and brother P ...

(South Africa), who was also the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer with 57 tallies in 65 games, as well as forward

Clyde Best Clyde Cyril Best, MBE (born 24 February 1951) is a Bermudian former football player. He was one of the first black players in First Division football in England, scoring 47 goals as a striker for West Ham United between 1968 and 1976. Early ...

(Bermuda). Coached along the way by Firmani, John Boyle,

Gordon Jago Gordon Harold Jago (born 22 October 1932) is an English former football player and manager, and the former director of the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup international youth tournament. Playing career Born in Poplar, London, Jago began his profession ...

, 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 a treble, in 1975–76 Tampa Bay came the closest by winning the three different NASL titles available at the time (

Soccer Bowl '75 Soccer Bowl '75 was the championship final of the 1975 NASL season, played between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Portland Timbers. The match took place on August 24, 1975 at Spartan Stadium, in San Jose, California. It was the first North Ameri ...

, 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 the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers and the

New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to * New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada) * New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...

. Following the 1981 season the

Dallas Tornado The Dallas Tornado was a soccer team based in Dallas, Texas that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1967 to 1981. Of the twelve teams that comprised the U.S. in 1967, the Tornado franchise played the longest–15 seasons. ...

merged with Tampa Bay. At the time, Dallas principals

Lamar Hunt Lamar Hunt (August 2, 1932 – December 13, 2006) was an American businessman most notable for his promotion of American football, soccer, and tennis in the United States. He was the principal founder of the American Football League (AFL) and ...

and Bill McNutt retained a minority stake in the Rowdies. Two years later after the 1983 season, Strawbidge, Hunt and McNutt sold the team outright to local investors Stella Thayer, Bob Blanchard and Dick Corbett.

Year-by-year

Home attendance records

''*playoff game''

NASL Indoor Soccer

In the winter of

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, the NASL ran a two-tiered, 16 team indoor tournament with four regional winners meeting in a "final-four" style championship. The Rowdies defeated the

13–5 in the semi-final, before losing 8–5 to the host

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

in the finals on March 16 at the

Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a por ...

. The Rowdies again reached the final-four in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, 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 over

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

with a 6–4 finals triumph over the Rochester Lancers on March 27 in the

Bayfront Center Bayfront Center was an indoor arena located in St. Petersburg, Florida that hosted many concerts, sporting and other events. Depending on the configuration, it could hold up to 8,600 people. The arena was opened in 1965 and demolished in 2004. It ...

. Over the next few years, the Rowdies (and a handful of other NASL teams) played indoor friendlies and invitationals as preparation for the start of the outdoor season. The NASL did not sanction a full indoor season until 1979–80, when the Rowdies won the championship by defeating the

Memphis Rogues The Memphis Rogues were a professional soccer team in the former North American Soccer League. They operated in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 seasons and played their home games in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. They also played indoor ...

2 games to 1. The 1980–81 campaign marked the first time Tampa Bay had ever missed the playoffs, indoor or outdoor. In the 1981–82 season they lost the finals to the

San Diego Sockers San Diego Sockers may refer to: *San Diego Sockers (1978–1996) The San Diego Sockers were a soccer and indoor soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team played in the indoor and outdoor editions of the North American Soccer League ( ...

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 the Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer. The Rowdies finished second in the round-robin stage and subsequently went on to defeat

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

for the championship in a double overtime thriller at the

Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...

; 5–4. The final NASL indoor season took place in 1983–84 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 Expo Hall is an indoor arena located at the Florida State Fairgrounds in East Lake-Orient Park, Florida. It is used primarily as an exhibition hall during the Florida State Fair, but has also hosted concerts and sporting events. The South Flori ...

in Tampa, and three in the

Lakeland Civic Center The RP Funding Center (formerly the Lakeland Civic Center and the Lakeland Center) is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland, Florida, comprising a convention center, arena and theater. Currently, it is home to the Florida Tropics SC of ...

. 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.

Indoor home attendance records

''*playoff game''

Players, coaches, and honors – NASL era

Honors

NASL Championships (1) *

* runner-up:

, 1979 NASL Indoor Championships (3) *

, 1979–80, 1983br>
* runner-up:

, 1979 NASL Budweiser Indoor Soccer Invitational, 1979, 1981–82 Regular Season Premiership (1) *

(18–6 -154 points) * runner-up:

Division Titles (6) *

Eastern Division *

Eastern Division, Atlantic Conference *

Eastern Division, American Conference * 1979 Eastern Division, American Conference * 1980 Eastern Division, American Conference * 1979–80 Eastern Division Playoffs (indoor) Conference Titles (3) *

American Conference * 1979 American Conference * 1981–82 Atlantic Conference (indoor) Regional Titles (2) *

Indoor Region 3 *

Indoor East Region League Scoring Champion * 1979 Óscar Fabbiani (25 goals, 8 assists, 58 points) League Goal Scoring Champion * 1976

(20 goals) Indoor Grand Prix Assists Leader * 1983

Wes McLeod Wes McLeod (born October 24, 1957) is a retired Canadian soccer player who earned eighteen caps with the Canadian national soccer team. Club career Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, McLeod spent his youth career with Coquitlam Blue ...

(13 assists) Finals MVP * 1975

Stewart Jump Stewart Jump (born 27 January 1952) is an English former footballer in the Football League for Crystal Palace, Fulham and Stoke City. He also had a successful career playing in the United States, and was chosen as the MVP of the 1975 Soccer ...

* 1976

(indoor) * 1979–80 ???? (indoor) Regionals MVP * 1975

Ringo Cantillo Julio "Ringo" Cantillo is a former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He played five seasons in the American Soccer League where he was the league MVP as a rookie. He won MVP honors a total of three times in the ASL. Cantil ...

(indoor) * 1976 Stewart Scullion (indoor) Coach of the Year * 1976

Rookie of the Year * 1982

Pedro DeBrito Pedro Guilherme DeBrito (May 25, 1959 – July 5, 2014) was a soccer player who played as a midfielder. His career took him through multiple U.S. leagues including the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer L ...

* 1983

Gregg Thompson Gregg Thompson (born August 4, 1960) is an American former soccer player. He played as a defender who was the 1983 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He was also voted team MVP (by his teammates) and the most Popular Player (by t ...

* 1984

Roy Wegerle Roy Wegerle (born March 19, 1964) is a former United States men's national soccer team, United States international association football, soccer player who appeared for the national team 41 times between 1992 and 1998. Born and raised in South Afr ...

North American Player of the Year * 1976

Arnie Mausser Arnold "Arnie" Mausser (born February 28, 1954) is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played with eight different NASL teams from 1975 to 1984. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Mausser may be considered one of the fin ...

FIFA World Cup players *

Adrian Alston Adrian Alston (born 6 February 1949) is a former professional soccer player. Born in England, he began his career as a youth player with Preston North End and briefly at non-league Fleetwood before moving to Australia. In Australia, he played f ...

(1974) *

Carlos Babington Carlos Alberto Babington (born 20 September 1949) is an Argentine former football attacking midfielder. He represented the Argentina national team at the 1974 World Cup. Biography Babington (nicknamed "El Inglés" – ''The Englishman'') was ...

(1974) *

Clodoaldo Clodoaldo Tavares de Santana, better known as Clodoaldo (; born 25 September 1949 in Aracaju), is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Clodoaldo usually played as a defensive midfielder for both Santos Futebol ...

(1970) *

Antônio Lima dos Santos Antônio Lima dos Santos, known as Lima (born 18 January 1942) is a Brazilian former professional footballer. Widely known for his versatility, he played mainly as a defensive midfielder, but also acted as a full-back at either sides and as a c ...

(1966) *

Mirandinha Francisco Ernandi Lima da Silva (born 2 July 1959 in Brasilia), better known as Mirandinha, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career He had unsuccessful early spells at Ceará and Fortaleza, befor ...

(1974) * Terry Moore (1986) ''did not play'' * Eduardo Bonvallet (1982) *

Manny Rojas Manuel Antonio "Manny" Rojas Zúñiga (born June 13, 1954) is a retired football midfielder from Chile, who represented his native country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. His professional career took him from his native Chile to Mexico a ...

(1982) *

Arsène Auguste Arsène Auguste (3 February 1951 – 20 March 1993) was a Haitian international footballer who represented Haiti in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He played professional club football with Racing Club Haïtien in Haiti and New Jersey Brewers, Tampa Bay ...

(1974) * Hugo Pérez (1994) *

(1994, 1998) NASL All-time Leaders * Consecutive regular season starts: Mike Connell (179) * Career games by a US-born player:

(224) All-Star First Team Selections * 1975

Farrukh Quraishi Farrukh Quraishi ( fa, فرخ قریشی, born November 13, 1951, in Masjid-I-Sulaiman, Iran) is a retired Iranian-born English footballer. He spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Calgary B ...

* 1976

, Tommy Smith * 1977

* 1978

* 1979 Mike Connell * 1980 Mike Connell * 1981

John Gorman John Gorman may refer to: * John Gorman (director) (1884–1936), American movie director *John Gorman (entertainer) (born 1936), English vocalist and musician *John Gorman (politician) (1923–2014), Northern Ireland politician *John Gorman (footb ...

* 1982

Peter Nogly Peter Nogly (born 14 January 1947) is a former German football player and coach. Club career All his 320 West German top-flight matches he made in the Hamburger SV shirt. He played in the North American Soccer League for the Edmonton Dri ...

All-Star Second Team Selections * 1975 John Boyle,

, Stewart Scullion * 1976

, Stewart Scullion,

* 1977

* 1978

* 1979 Óscar Fabbiani,

* 1980

All-Star Honorable Mentions * 1975

John Sissons John "Jack" Howard Sissons (July 14, 1892 – November 11, 1969) was a Canadian barrister, author, judge and federal politician. Early life Sissons was born in Orillia, Ontario and, at the age of four, contracted polio, which injured his leg ...

* 1979

* 1980

* 1982 Mike Connell * 1983

* 1984

Indoor All-Stars * 1975

Doug Wark Doug Wark (born December 24, 1951) is a former Scottish-American soccer forward who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League and three in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1975. ...

(All-Tournament Team) * 1976

(All-Tournament Team) * 1976 Stewart Scullion (All-Tournament Team) * 1976

(All-Eastern Regional Team) * 1976

(All-Eastern Regional Team) * 1976 Stewart Scullion (All-Eastern Regional Team) * 1980–81

(All-East Team) * 1981–82 Tatu (Atlantic) * 1981–82 Mike Connell (Atlantic) * 1981–82

Jürgen Stars Jürgen Stars (born 24 June 1948) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Bundesliga and the North American Soccer League. Career Stars began his professional career in 1967 in his hometown, with 1. FC P ...

(Atlantic) * 1981–82

(2nd team) * 1983–84

Frantz Mathieu Frantz Mathieu (born 23 December 1952) is a Haitian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the United States, notably with Chicago Sting. At international level, he made 15 appearances for the Ha ...

(reserve) * 1983–84 Mike Connell (reserve) U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame members * 1992

* 1995 Al Miller * 2003

* 2008 Hugo Pérez * 2015

Glenn Myernick Glenn "Mooch" Myernick (December 29, 1954 in Trenton, New Jersey – October 9, 2006 in Thornton, Colorado) was an American soccer player and coach. He won the 1976 Hermann Trophy as that year’s outstanding collegiate player. He then spent eig ...

Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame members * 2004

Bob Bolitho Robert "Bob" Bolitho (born July 20, 1952, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a former Canadian national team, North American Soccer League and Canadian Soccer League player. He is of Cornish descent. Club career Bolitho played as a te ...

* 2005

* 2005 Terry Moore * 2008

Jack Brand Jack Brand (born 4 April 1953) is a former professional soccer goalkeeper. He holds the record for most shutouts in a season in the North American Soccer League with 15 in 1980. He was born in Braunschweig, West Germany.Tatu * 2013

Other National Halls of Fame * 2000

(

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

)

Head coaches

''*Excludes friendlies.'' ''^Cup includes playoff games and mini-games.''http://www.nasljerseys.com

Team captains

''*due to Connell injury''

Most appearances in club history

''*Excludes friendlies and

indoor Indoor(s) may refer to: *the interior of a building *Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality *Built envi ...

matches.'' ''^Includes playoff games.''

Retired numbers

In a ceremony held before the final home game of the 1989 regular season,

became the first Tampa Bay Rowdies player to have his number retired by the team. That night he assisted on all three Rowdies' goals in a 3–0 victory over arch-rival Fort Lauderdale. He went on to appear in several home matches during the 1990 season as well. While Mike Connell's and Perry Van der Beck's numbers have since been retired by the current franchise, Wegerle's #7 continues to be reissued each season. ;Notes

Club culture

As part of a name-the-team contest, on November 21, 1974, the franchise announced that the name ''Tampa 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. 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 threw

confetti Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar, or metallic material which are usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''co ...

, drank beer, chanted during games, and generally "let the guys know we're behind them." 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 in

Soccer Bowl '79 Soccer Bowl '79 was the championship final of the 1979 NASL season. The National Conference champion Vancouver Whitecaps played the American Conference champion Tampa Bay Rowdies. The match was played on September 8, 1979, at Giants Stadium, in Eas ...

. 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. 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.

Post-NASL: 1985–1993

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 the

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

and

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

seasons in the APSL. Those two years were spent at the

USF Soccer Stadium The University of South Florida athletic facilities are the stadiums and arenas the South Florida Bulls use for their home games and training. The University of South Florida currently sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and has 11 facilities in the ...

, before returning to Tampa Stadium in 1993 for the team's final season in existence.

Independent: 1985–1987

With Rodney Marsh staying on as coach (through 1987), the Rowdies operated as an independent team for two years before joining the

American Indoor Soccer Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

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 the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

opened the new

Corbett Soccer Stadium The University of South Florida athletic facilities are the stadiums and arenas the South Florida Bulls use for their home games and training. The University of South Florida currently sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and has 11 facilities in the ...

for their

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

men's and women's teams, after the Corbetts had made a $1.5 million donation to the project. The stadium features several display cases that highlight the history of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Since 2005, the

USF Bulls The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, w ...

and the crosstown rival University of Tampa Spartans men's squads have competed annually for the preseason Rowdies Cup, which celebrates the city's rich soccer history. To date the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

Spartans have only captured the trophy once, back in 2012.

1985 Outdoor

As an independent club, the Rowdies played only one match in 1985. It was against the U.S. Men's team on the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

in front of 30,038 fans.

1986 Outdoor

In the summer of 1986 the Rowdies staged a four-game series at Tampa Stadium called the ''Coca-Cola Classic International Soccer Series'', which culminated with a

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 from

Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...

The only NASL-era Rowdies on this roster were

, Dave Power, and the head coach,

. Four former Rowdies played in the final game of this series for the opposing NASL All-Stars. These included Mike Connell,

Winston DuBose Winston DuBose is an American former soccer goalkeeper who spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League, four in the American Professional Soccer League and one in the American Indoor Soccer Association. He also earned fourteen cap ...

and Tatu. They also played a pair of friendlies against the newly established

Orlando Lions The Orlando Lions were an American soccer team from Orlando, Florida which existed from 1985 to 1996. Over the years, the Lions competed at both the amateur and professional levels including some seasons as an independent team. The Lions is a ni ...

on February 22 and July 2 at

Lake Brantley High School Lake Brantley High School (LBHS) is located in Altamonte Springs, Florida, a suburban community approximately 13 miles (20 km) north of Orlando. It is a public high school serving grade levels 9–12 in Seminole County, FL, operated by Se ...

, using their regular players. Tampa Bay won the matches by scores of 1–0 and 2–1'' (SO)'' respectively.

1987 Outdoor

In 1987 Tampa Bay played twice against the

, on May 16 at the

Florida Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, an ...

, and then again on May 23 at

Pepin-Rood Stadium Plant Field was the first major athletic venue in Tampa, Florida. It was built in 1899 by Henry B. Plant on the grounds of his Tampa Bay Hotel to host various events and activities for guests, and it consisted of a large field ringed by an oval ...

. The Rowdies lost the first encounter, 2–0, with the teams tying, 2–2, in the return leg.

1985–87 Outdoor results

AISA: 1986–1987

The Rowdies played one season of indoor soccer in the

, 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.

was selected as a starter in the AISA All-Star game and scored the game's first goal.

, Rubén Astigarraga, and Glenn 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.

Year-by-year

1986–1987 roster

*1 –

35 Apps 0 Goals *2 –

*3 – David Dodge *4 – Dave Power *5 –

Steve Savage Stephen Read Savage (born June 6, 1948) is an American middle-distance runner. He competed in the men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () an ...

*5 –

Wim Suurbier Wilhelmus Lourens Johannes Suurbier () (16 January 1945 – 12 July 2020) was a Dutch professional footballer and among others assistant coach of the Albania national team. He played as a right back and was part of the Netherlands national te ...

(player/asst. coach) *6 – Peter Roe *6 –

Mike Balson Michael John Charles Balson (9 September 1947 – 30 May 2019) was an English retired professional association football defender who played professionally in England, South Africa and the United States. His career brought him to the United St ...

*7 –

35 Apps 26 Goals *8 –

(player/head coach) *9 –

Jay White Jamie White (born 9 October 1992), better known by the ring name Jay White (ジェイ・ホワイト ''Jei Howaito''), is a New Zealand professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is current IWGP World Heavyweight C ...

*10 – Rubén Astigarraga *10 –

Derek Sanderson Derek Michael Sanderson (born June 16, 1946), nicknamed "Turk", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and two-time Stanley Cup champion who helped transform the culture of the professional athlete in the 1970s era. The two-time Sta ...

*11 – Duncan MacEwan *12 – Tony Frankovich *12 –

*13 – Tim Walters *14 –

Geoff Wegerle Geoff Wegerle (born 9 June 1954) is a South African former football (soccer) forward who played professionally in Europe, South Africa and the North American Soccer League. Wegerle scored 20 goals when his club Arcadia Shepherds won the Sout ...

*15 –

Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ellis Lindsay. The ...

*16 – Karim Murabet *17 –

Paul Roe Paul Roe (born 21 November 1959 - 5 October 2019) was a Canadian soccer player who spent five years in the North American Soccer League and one in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played in Canada's National Soccer League, the American ...

*18 –

Nathan Sacks Nathan Sacks ( he, נתן זקס) is a former South African professional football (soccer) player who spent one season in the North American Soccer League. Professional In 1981, Sacks signed with the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer ...

*19 – Nick Mangione *20 – Soloman Hilton *21 – Tim Borer *22 – Mike Fall *23 – Glenn Ervine * Rui Farias

ASL/APSL: 1988–1993

In the summer of

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, the Rowdies joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League. They would stay in this league and its successor (the APSL) until the team folded after the

1993 season File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

. During this six year stretch they achieved moderate success, winning one division title and making the playoffs four times. In

they finished as runners-up to Colorado in the regular season, in the

Professional Cup The Professional Cup was an international soccer tournament that took place in 1992 and involved eight, professional clubs from three different leagues in North America; the American Professional Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League, and the ...

final, and in the APSL final as well.

Year-by-year

Players, coaches, and honors – post-NASL era

Honors – post-NASL

Championships *

: ASPL (runner-up) * 1992:

(runner-up) Division Titles * 1989:

ASL American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...

Southern Division Leading Scorer * 1992:

Jean Harbor Jean Harbor (born 19 September 1965 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian American soccer forward who played for numerous teams in Nigeria and the US He earned fifteen caps with the US national team after becoming a US citizen in 1992. Yout ...

(13 g, 4 a) Top Goalkeeper * 1988:

(0.75 gaa) Assists Leader * 1992:

Kevin Sloan Kevin Sloan is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He has also coached professionally and is the former head coach of t ...

(6 a) Coach of the Year * 1992:

Ricky Hill Ricky Hill (born 5 March 1959) is an English former footballer, spending most of his playing career at Luton Town FC for 14 years, while representing England at Senior, U21 and U18 International levels. Hill was the fourth Black player to play ...

* 1993:

Ken Fogarty Ken Fogarty (born in Manchester, England) is a (naturalised) American soccer coach. Fogarty was Head Coach and Technical Director of the Cayman Islands national team from 1993 to 1994 and from 1996 to 1998. Professional career Fogarty began ...

FIFA World Cup players *

(1974) *

(1974, 1978) * Steve Trittschuh (1990) *

Peter Vermes Peter Joseph Vermes (; born November 21, 1966) is an American professional soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. As of 2022, Vermes is currently the longest-tenured head c ...

(1990) First Team All Star * 1988:

* 1989:

, Steve Trittschuh,

* 1990:

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

* 1992:

Bill Andracki Bill Andracki is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who had an extensive professional career playing both indoor and outdoor soccer. Youth In 1988 and 1989, Andracki attended Mercer County Community College, playing on the men's soccer team. ...

, Steve Trittschuh,

* 1993: Steve Trittschuh Second Team All Star * 1986–87:

* 1991:

Marcelo Carrera Marcelo Carrera (born 1 October 1962) is an Argentine retired footballer who played both indoor and outdoor soccer in the United States for the nearly a dozen teams. Player Carrera began his professional career when he signed with Once Unidos at ...

* 1993:

Paul Dougherty Paul Dougherty (born 12 May 1966) is an English former professional soccer player and soccer coach who began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He then moved to the United States where he became a journeyman player, bouncing ...

, Pierre Morice Honorable Mention * 1986–87:

AISA All-Star Game selections * 1986–87:

(starter) * 1986–87:

(reserve) * 1986–87: Glenn Ervine (reserve) * 1986–87: Rubén Astigarraga (injured) * 1986–87: Tim Walters (reserve) U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame members * 2013

Other National Halls of Fame * 2016

Mark Lawrenson Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June 1957) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool, among others, during the 1970s and 1980s. After a short career as a manager, he then became a radio, television and internet pu ...

(

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

)

Coaches – post-NASL

: 1984–1987 *

: 1986–87 *

: 1989–1992 *

: 1991–1992 *

: 1992 *

: 1993

Team captains – post-NASL

* Dave Power: 1986–1989 * Derek Backman: 1990 *

: 1991 *

: 1992 *

Terry Rowe Norman Terence Sinclair Rowe (born 8 June 1964) is an English retired professional footballer. He spent three seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, eight in the Major Indoor Soccer League, four in the Continental Indoor Soccer Lea ...

: 1993

Legacy

Tampa Bay Mutiny: 1996–2001

Due in large part to the Rowdies' historical success on and off the pitch, in 1994

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

selected the

Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium. The ...

as one of its original ten teams. The Mutiny won the first ever Supporters' Shield and qualified for the playoffs in four of their six seasons. Several former Rowdies, including Perry Van der Beck,

and Steve 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. MLS initially operated the team with the hope of selling to a private local owner. That became difficult after

Malcolm Glazer Malcolm Irving Glazer (August 15, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American businessman and sports team owner. He was the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, ...

bought the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

in 1995 and demanded that the community build a new stadium.

Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The se ...

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. 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, the

Miami Fusion The Miami Fusion was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best seas ...

, in early 2002.

New Rowdies: 2010–present

In 2008, it was announced that a new incarnation of the Tampa Bay Rowdies would play in a new second division NASL. 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. 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 won

Soccer Bowl 2012 Soccer Bowl 2012 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the 2012 season. Also known as the NASL Championship Series 2012, the event was contested in a two-game aggregate match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and, ...

. 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 the 2012 NASL Championship. As of 2017 they are currently members of the second division,

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...

, and have announced their intention to gain entry into

's next wave of expansion.

Rowdies Cup

The

South Florida Bulls The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, ...

annually face their crosstown rivals, the

Tampa Spartans The Tampa Spartans are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tampa, located in Tampa, Florida, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Spartans compete as members of the Sunshine State Conference for all sports besides beach ...

, in an

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

men's preseason soccer match which celebrates the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United St ...

's rich soccer history. In addition to holding the Rowdies Cup trophy for the next 12 months, the winning side also get to hoist the actual Soccer Bowl trophy that was won originally by the Rowdies in

. The trophy is currently housed at Corbett Soccer Stadium on the USF 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.

Tampa Bay Terror & Florida Tropics SC

Indoor soccer by the Rowdies had officially ended when the team played in the

for one season ( 1986–87). For two seasons, another Tampa Bay area team played in the same league, from 1995-1997, called the

Tampa Bay Terror The Tampa Bay Terror is the name of an indoor soccer team based in the Tampa Bay, Florida area that competed in the defunct National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The team existed for two seasons before folding: 1995–1996 and 1996–1997. ...

; 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 the

Florida Tropics SC Florida Tropics SC is a professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida. They are owned by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, led by Dr. Panos Iakovidis, and former USL commissioner and Rochester Rhinos owner Chris Economides. The org ...

have played in the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...

since 2016. The team eventually began outdoor competition, also competing in the developmental

United Premier Soccer League The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...

. Despite being unrelated to the Rowdies, these two teams succeed the Tampa Bay region in indoor soccer since the original Rowdies had folded.

References

External links

"official" Tampa Bay Rowdies site

Rowdies history

"superfan" Ian Morris' site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975-1993) 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 American Indoor Soccer Association teams North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams American Professional Soccer League teams Sports in St. Petersburg, Florida 1974 establishments in Florida 1993 disestablishments in Florida