The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. They formerly played in USSF Division 2 (in 2010) and the North American Soccer League (NASL) (from 2011 to 2016), which were also second-tier leagues. The Rowdies play their home games at Al Lang Stadium on St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront.
The current club is a phoenix club of the original Tampa Bay Rowdies, who were active from 1975 until 1993, most notably in the original North American Soccer League. It shares its name, logo, and some of its club culture with the original club. 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.[1] 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.[2]
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 had 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 Rowdies were also named co-league champions in 2020 after winning the USL Regular Season title and Eastern Conference Championship, but the title game was canceled due to COVID-19. They were Eastern Conference Champions again in 2021, but lost in the title game.
In October 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays, the area's Major League Baseball franchise, announced plans to purchase the Rowdies and assume control of Al Lang Stadium.[3]
^""Tampa Bay's pro soccer team reclaims Rowdies name" – St. Pete Times, Dec. 15, 2011". Tampa Bay Times. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
^"The Rowdies Return". Rowdiessoccer.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
^Page, Rodney (October 1, 2018). "Tampa Bay Rays to purchase Rowdies soccer club". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
The TampaBayRowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch...
franchises in the TampaBay Area. The region was seen as a potentially fertile market for soccer due to the success of the TampaBayRowdies in the old North...
nearby in 1998, and Tampa Stadium was demolished in early 1999. Besides the Bucs, Tampa Stadium was home to the TampaBayRowdies of the original North...
for over 60 years. Since 2011, it has been the home pitch of the TampaBayRowdies of the USL Championship soccer league. Al Lang Stadium was built in...
a tradition started by Tampa's first major sports team, the original TampaBayRowdies, when they were founded in 1975. Tampa currently has three franchises...
affiliation, TBU rebranded as the TampaBay United Rowdies, adopting the Rowdies' green and gold hooped jerseys and wearing the Rowdies logo on their jerseys on...
Championship club TampaBayRowdies. The club is part of the Rowdies Youth Network, which consists of the U23 team in League Two, Rowdies Women (run in partnership...
contract with the North American Soccer League's TampaBayRowdies. Head coach Stuart Campbell led the Rowdies to a ninth-place finish in the combined 2016...
managerial career as a Player/Coach with the TampaBayRowdies in 1992 and in that season saw the Rowdies appear in both the League Championship final...
The 1977 season was the original TampaBayRowdies third season of existence, and their third season in the North American Soccer League, the top division...
The 1976 season was the original TampaBayRowdies second season of existence, and their second season in the North American Soccer League, the top division...
American Soccer League (NASL) by the TampaBayRowdies and Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The Rowdies drew good crowds at Tampa Stadium, and won the Soccer Bowl...
Rowdies may refer to: Hooligans, a term commonly applied to fans of sports teams who engage in unruly and destructive behaviour TampaBayRowdies, a minor...
TampaBayRowdies, this is the 28th season of a franchise in the TampaBay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct TampaBay Mutiny...
The 1975 TampaBayRowdies season was the first season of the club's existence. During the outdoor campaign occasionally a random Rowdies player could...
and former player who is the head coach of USL Championship club TampaBayRowdies. Neilson, who played as a right-back, started his senior career with...
United Soccer League. Van der Beck began his playing career with the TampaBayRowdies of the original North American Soccer League and ended it with the...
original Rowdies franchise and the TampaBay Mutiny, this was the 28th season of professional soccer in the TampaBay area. The TampaBayRowdies' new manager...
TampaBayRowdies, this was the 26th season of a franchise in the TampaBay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct TampaBay Mutiny...
January 2012. "TampaBayRowdies". rowdiessoccer.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016. "TampaBayRowdies fire president/GM...
following the October 2nd match between Monterey Bay FC and the TampaBayRowdies. Following an appeal by the Rowdies, Wyke's suspension was overturned by the...
Tampa Bay Rowdies, it was the 25th season of a franchise in the TampaBay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct TampaBay Mutiny...
original Rowdies franchise and the TampaBay Mutiny, this was the 26th season of a professional soccer team fielded in the TampaBay region. The Rowdies entered...
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