Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 24, 2018

Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays now officially own soccer’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Rays announced Wednesday. The Rays finalized the sale for an undisclosed amount after the 2018 United Soccer League season concluded. Rays leadership said the transition from previous owner Bill Edwards will begin immediately. Edwards announced at the beginning of the month he was selling the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 2, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rowdies will continue playing soccer in the United Soccer League for at least five more seasons, the team announced Tuesday. Owner Bill Edwards is selling the team to the Tampa Bay Rays and made the five year guarantee a stipulation of that sale. Edwards did not disclose his selling price or additional […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 1, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly purchasing the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer franchise and may also buy Al Lang Stadium. “Mr. [Bill] Edwards deserves much appreciation for remaking the Tampa Bay Rowdies and investing in Al Lang Stadium and our community,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. “Similarly, the Tampa Bay Rays’ […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 25, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rowdies picked up their first win of the preseason, topping the Philadelphia Union 2-1 in the final match of the 2018 Rowdies Suncoast Invitational on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium. The Rowdies benefitted from first-half goals scored by Jochen Graf and Michael Nanchoff in a thoroughly convincing win over Major League […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 3, 2018

Elite international soccer makes it way to Al Lang Stadium Jan. 20 and a couple of the world’s well-known clubs from Colombia and Poland will face off. The 2016 Copa Libertadores champion, Club Atlético Nacional of Medellin, Colombia, will match up against Poland’s legendary Legia Warsaw at the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ home venue. The match […]

Joe HendersonNovember 16, 2017

According to Sports Illustrated, St. Petersburg is not among the finalists for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. The magazine said sources were saying that the league will add two franchises from among three cities: Sacramento, Nashville and Cincinnati. In a separate story on Yahoo, St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay ranked only seventh from a list of […]

Peter SchorschApril 4, 2017

During a recent interview with the Tampa Bay Times editorial board, Rick Baker said there were no plans for direct mail or other campaign spending to win a May 2 referendum to negotiate a 25-year lease with the city to expand Al Lang Stadium. That’s because Baker, the former St. Petersburg mayor and president of the Edwards Group […]

Joe HendersonMarch 1, 2017

If all issues before the St. Petersburg City Council were as easy as the once members will consider Thursday morning, anyone could do the job. The Council has a vote scheduled to set a referendum on a plan to privately renovate Al Lang Stadium. That’s so a bid by Tampa Bay Rowdies’ owner Bill Edwards […]

Peter SchorschDecember 12, 2016

Bill Edwards’ effort to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Petersburg may have received a major boost from MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Last week, the Miami Herald reported that Garber put a time limit on the prospective MLS stadium in Miami set up by superstar soccer player David Beckham. “There is a deadline […]

Joe HendersonDecember 7, 2016

I like Bill Edwards’ bold plan to privately finance an $80 million renovation of Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg. I like his swagger in going hard to land a spot in Major League Soccer for his Tampa Bay Rowdies to play in that stadium. I would even go so far to say that […]

Tag: Al Lang Stadium

Tampa Bay Rays finalize Rowdies purchase; changes in store

Tampa Bay Rowdies to play at Al Lang for at least 5 years after Rays buy the team

Tampa Bay Rays to purchase Rowdies, Al Lang Stadium

Tampa Bay Rowdies defeat Philadelphia Union in Suncoast Invitational finale

Florida Cup 2018 comes to Al Lang Stadium

Joe Henderson: Kick in pants to St. Pete’s MLS hope?

Poll shows Rowdies soccer stadium referendum cruising to victory

Easy call: St. Pete Cty Council to set Al Lang referendum

MLS Commissioner’s deadline on Miami stadium could be good news for Bill Edwards, Rowdies

The time is right: Embrace Bill Edwards’ bold vision for Rowdies, Al Lang Stadium