1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season

Tampa Bay Rowdies
1977 indoor season
President United States George W. Strawbridge, Jr.
Manager Italy Eddie Firmani
Stadium Bayfront Center
Top goalscorer League:
All:
South Africa Derek Smethurst (5 goals)
Highest home attendance 6,354
(March 9 vs. Zenit)
Lowest home attendance 5,016
(Feb. 27 vs. Strikers)
Average home league attendance 5,685
← 1976 1978 →

The 1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season was the third indoor season of the club's existence.

Overview

Despite much lobbying from Rowdies owner, George W. Strawbridge, Jr., the North American Soccer League voted not to sanction an indoor season or tournament in 1977.[1][2] As such, Tampa Bay played only two indoor matches that year.[3] The first one versus the Fort Lauderdale Strikers was played on February 27.[4][5] This marked the first meeting of what would soon become one of the most enduring rivalries in North American soccer, the Florida Derby. The Rowdies' other match was an international friendly against Zenit Leningrad on March 9.[6] At the time Zenit was the reigning champion of the Soviet indoor league.[7] Likewise, the Rowdies were the defending NASL indoor champs. Both matches were played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Longterm cultural significance

Not only was this brief indoor season the flash-point for one of the longest running soccer derbies in North America as previously mentioned, but it was significant for another reason. When Ed Tepper approached Earl Foreman about starting a fully professional indoor-only league, he used a videotape of the 1977 Rowdies–Zenit Leningrad match[8] to show not only the game's potential, but also the crowd's enthusiastic responses to the end-to-end action. By October 1977 the pair announced the formation of the Major Indoor Soccer League.[9][10] That league would grow to become the sport's standard bearer for many years, even gaining a regular slot in the ESPN line up, before finally folding in 1992. Today, though most popular in North America, indoor soccer is played throughout the world, with its own FIFA-like governing body. The World Minifootball Federation, based in the Czech Republic, is the international federation dedicated to promoting the sport.

Club

No. Position Player Nation
1 Goalkeeper Hammond, PaulPaul Hammond      England
1 Goalkeeper Mausser, ArnieArnie Mausser      United States
1 Goalkeeper DuBose, WinstonWinston DuBose      United States
2 Defender Quraishi, FarrukhFarrukh Quraishi      England
3 Defender Pringle (capt.), AlexAlex Pringle (capt.)      Scotland
4 Defender Auguste, ArsèneArsène Auguste      Haiti
5 Defender Agostinis, RenoReno Agostinis      Canada
6 Defender Connell, MikeMike Connell      South Africa
7 Midfielder Wegerle, SteveSteve Wegerle      South Africa
8 Midfielder McLeod, WesWes McLeod      Canada
9 Forward Alston, AdrianAdrian Alston      Australia
10 Forward Marsh, RodneyRodney Marsh      England
11 Forward Glover, LenLen Glover      England
12 Forward Smethurst, DerekDerek Smethurst      South Africa
14 Forward Fink, JoeyJoey Fink      United States
15 Midfielder Linday, MarkMark Linday      England
16 Defender Wit, DennisDennis Wit      United States
17 Forward Eagan, KevinKevin Eagan      United States
19 Defender St. Lot, FrantzFrantz St. Lot      Haiti

Competitions

Match reports

Statistics

G = Goals (worth 2 points), A = Assists (worth 1 point), Pts = Points

Player G A Pts
Derek Smethurst5212
Steve Wegerle339
Rodney Marsh408
Adrian Alston124
Farrukh Quraishi124
Len Glover102
Mark Lindsay102
Dennis Wit011
Alex Pringle011
Mike Connell011

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chick, Bob (March 29, 1976). "Indoor Kicks May Go Awry". Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  2. ↑ Martz, Ron (March 12, 1977). "Indoor soccer season approved". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Rowdies Vs. Strikers In Exhibition Tonight". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 27, 1977. p. 3-D. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ Meyer, John (February 28, 1977). "Rowdies: Bombs Away!". Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ Blankenship, Ken (February 28, 1977). "Smethurst-led Rowdies clip Strikers 9–8". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  6. ↑ Blankenship, Ken (March 9, 1977). "Rowdies, Zenit roar into Bayfront". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ Meyer, John (March 10, 1977). "Unfit To Beat The Russians". Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuaIdLaeP40
  9. ↑ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1978.html#indoor
  10. ↑ "NASL Indoor Loop Boasts Eight Teams". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 11, 1977. p. 3-D. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
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