As the 50th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Rowdies first championship victory nears this month, the team is set to celebrate the coach who led the team to that title in their inaugural season by making him the next member of the Rowdies 75/10 Club.
Eddie Firmani, who helped establish the Rowdies as their first-ever head coach in 1975, will be officially inducted into the 75/10 Club during a halftime ceremony at the Rowdies August 16 match versus Phoenix Rising FC at Al Lang Stadium. Firmani’s induction is a part of the festivities planned for the team’s Original Era Night, which will honor the contributions and legacy of the individuals from the first era of the Rowdies history.
Firmani, who celebrated his 92nd birthday on Thursday this week, will be represented by his family at the match as his name is enshrined on the stands of Al Lang Stadium alongside current 75/10 Club members Mike Connell, Perry Van der Beck, and Keith Savage. All three Rowdies legends will also be in attendance for the ceremony to witness the unveiling of Firmani’s name in the stands.
Not only did Firmani lead the Rowdies to their first trophy at the end of the 1975 season, he also followed that up by guiding them to their first indoor and regular season titles the following year. Firmani undoubtedly laid the foundation that allowed the Rowdies to become a household name that lives on a half century later.
“It means a lot to receive this honor,” said Firmani. “We had a great team and I am deeply honored to join the ranks of the Rowdie greats who have already been inducted in the 75/10 Club. I’m grateful to the Rowdies for this honor, and I’m especially thankful for the fans. Those were truly some magical times, playing at the Old Sombrero. The fans quickly adopted us and became our 12th player. My players fed on their enthusiasm.”
Established in 2022, the 75/10 Club was created to recognize and celebrate individuals whose contributions have made the Rowdies an indelible name in the Tampa Bay community and in global soccer. The club’s name comes from the first year of play for both eras of the Rowdies— the original era team that kicked off in 1975 and lived on until 1993, and now the modern era which began play in 2010.
Along with the induction ceremony, the Rowdies will also mark Original Era Night at Al Lang with a pre-game autograph sessions featuring members from the 1975 championship team. A limited number of 1975 championship pennants will be available for fans to have signed while supplies last at the autograph session. Fans will also have the chance to have their photo taken with the original 1975 championship trophy. Fans can also enjoy drink specials such as $5 domestic beers, $7.50 craft beers, $10 cocktails, and $15 doubles from when gates open early at 7 p.m until the 75th minute of the match.
Additionally, the 1975 championship team will receive special recognition during halftime of the match, which is set to kickoff at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The Rowdies will also be wearing special throwback jerseys created in collaboration with the team’s exclusive apparel provider, CHARLY. The throwback jerseys will be revealed next week in the leadup to the match. The throwback jerseys will only be available for purchase at The Bay Republic team store at Al Lang Stadium on the day of the match. Jerseys will first be available to buy when the team store opens at 10 a.m. the morning of the match.
Fans can purchase tickets for the match now by visiting rowdiessoccer.com/tickets or by calling the Rowdies sales office at 727-222-2000.
