Rowdies and the Fourth of July: A Tampa Bay Tradition

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have developed a unique connection with the Fourth of July holiday through the decades. From packed crowds at Tampa Stadium in the Original Era to raucous nights at Al Lang Stadium in recent years, the club has capitalized on the Independence Holiday to create lasting memories for supporters in Tampa Bay. 

For many, baseball owns the Fourth of July as America’s pastime. However, with no professional baseball in town back in the 1970s, the Rowdies were the only show around during the summer. The club first took advantage of the opening in 1978, when they knocked off the visiting Rochester Lancers 1-0. The Rowdies outshot Rochester 37 to 7 in the match but required an overtime penalty conversion from club legend Rodney Marsh to secure the result. 

From that point on, Rowdies soccer on the Fourth of July – often accompanied by postmatch fireworks and their largest crowds of the year – became a tradition in Tampa Bay sports. In 1979, the Rowdies established a club record for attendance at the time when 45,888 fans came out to see the Independence Day rematch with Rochester in which the Rowdies emerged as 4-0 victors. 

The Rowdies made it a point to schedule a home match on the holiday going forward. The Green and Gold took the field at Tampa Stadium on the Fourth of July in all but one year from 1979-1990. When the North American Soccer League folded at the end of the 1984 season, the Rowdies continued operating as an independent club and kept the tradition going with a series of exhibitions. The first exhibition saw them host the U.S. Men’s National Team for a friendly on July 4, 1985. Over 30,000 fans were on hand as the Rowdies narrowly fell 2-1 to the national team, showing the strong support the club had within the community even after the collapse of the NASL. 

“I was very fortunate and very honored back in the mid-80s to represent my country,” recalls iconic Rowdies Midfielder Perry Van der Beck. “It’s very fortunate that we had a July 4^th game against the Rowdies at Tampa Stadium. It was a very good crowd. The Rowdies always drew really well on July 4^th. I ended up playing 45 minutes for the U.S. and 45 minutes for the Rowdies.” 

One year later, the club staged another memorable Independence Day matchup. On July 4, 1986, the Rowdies hosted the NASL All-Stars as the finale of the International Soccer Series. In addition to the usual fireworks that evening, the postmatch festivities included a laser show for the crowd of 30,000. The match itself lived up to the occasion as the Rowdies battled the All-Stars to a draw before ultimately falling 4-3 in a dramatic shootout. 

The Fourth of July tradition disappeared for nearly two decades when the original incarnation of the Rowdies ceased operations following the 1993 season. When the Rowdies suited up again for the launch of club’s modern era in 2010, they wasted no time in reviving Rowdies soccer on the Fourth of July. In their first year back, the Rowdies hosted Miami FC, who would take the name of Tampa Bay’s classic NASL rival, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the following season. The two sides met on five consecutive Fourth of July holidays from 2010-2015, with the Rowdies picking up four wins and one draw in that stretch. 

Rowdies soccer became a true summer tradition again with the club’s move to Al Lang Stadium in 2011. With a prime location along the St. Petersburg downtown waterfront, the stadium provided fans with the opportunity to pair an exciting night of soccer with postmatch fireworks displays over Tampa Bay. 

This year, the tradition is set to return when the Rowdies host Lexington SC at Al Lang Stadium next Saturday, marking the first Fourth of July matchup for the Rowdies on home turf since 2018. To celebrate, the Rowdies will hand out thundersticks to fans as they enter gates and players will de decked out in the club’s patriotic Stars & Hoops Kit from CHARLY. Additionally, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, $3 water and soda, and $3 Michelob Ultra cans at the match while supplies last. The early 6 p.m. kickoff will also ensure the match wraps up in time for all fans in attendance to catch the City of St. Petersburg’s fireworks show at the pier.

Rowdies Fourth of July Record

Year	Opponent	Result	Location
1978	Rochester Lancers	1-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
1979	Rochester Lancers	4-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
1980	California Surf	3-1, Loss	Tampa Stadium
1981	San Diego Sockers	2-1, Loss	Tampa Stadium
1982	Jacksonville Tea Men	2-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
1983	Golden Bay Earthquakes	1-0, Loss	Tampa Stadium
1984	Golden Bay Earthquakes	2-1, Win	Tampa Stadium
1985	U.S. Men’s National Team	2-1, Loss	Tampa Stadium
1986	NASL All-Stars	4-3, Loss	Tampa Stadium
1988	Orlando Lions	1-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
1989	Miami Sharks	1-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
1990	Orlando Lions	1-0, Win	Tampa Stadium
2010	Miami FC	1-1, Draw	George M. Steinbrenner Field
2011	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	4-2, Win	Al Lang Stadium
2012	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	3-1, Win	Al Lang Stadium
2013	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	4-0, Win	Al Lang Stadium
2014	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	3-1, Win	Al Lang Stadium
2015	Atlanta Silverbacks	2-1, Win	Al Lang Stadium
2018	Toronto FC II	3-1, Win	Al Lang Stadium