1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies season
1975 season | ||||
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President |
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Manager |
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Stadium | Tampa Stadium | |||
NASL |
Division: 1st Playoffs: Champions | |||
U.S. Open Cup | Did not enter | |||
Top goalscorer |
League: All: | |||
Highest home attendance |
22,710 (Aug. 17 vs. Miami) | |||
Lowest home attendance |
5,281 (May 28 vs. Denver) | |||
Average home league attendance | 12,064 | |||
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The 1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the first season of the club's existence.
Kit
During the outdoor campaign occasionally a random Rowdies player could be seen wearing the collarless jersey[1] used by all players during the 1975 indoor season earlier in the year, but by season's end the full-collar style that would become so familiar in all of Tampa Bay's later NASL campaigns eventually took over.[2] The striping sequence on the sleeves was also different. Tampa Bay would not wear a cuff-style collar again until the 1986–87 American Indoor Soccer Association season.[3]
Club
No. | Position | Player | Nation |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Goalkeeper | Paul Hammond | |
1 | Goalkeeper | Mike Hewitt | |
1 | Goalkeeper | Bob Stetler | |
2 | Defender | Farrukh Quraishi | |
3 | Defender | Alex Pringle | |
4 | Midfielder | John Boyle (capt.) | |
5 | Defender | Malcolm Linton | |
6 | Defender | Mike Connell | |
7 | Midfielder | Bernard Hartze | |
8 | Midfielder | Randy Garber | |
9 | Forward | Clyde Best | |
10 | Forward | Stewart Scullion | |
11 | Forward | Doug Wark | |
12 | Forward | Derek Smethurst | |
13 | Defender | Stewart Jump | |
14 | Forward | John Sissons | |
15 | Midfielder | Mark Lindsay | |
16 | Defender | John Bluem | |
17 | Forward | Eddie Austin | |
18 | Defender | Arsène Auguste | |
18 | Midfielder | Eddie Firmani |
Honors
The Rowdies received eight individual honors following the 1975 NASL season.
- Stewart Jump, Man of the Match, Soccer Bowl '75
- Farrukh Quraishi, NASL All-Star, First Team
- Stewart Jump, NASL All-Star, Second Team
- John Boyle, NASL All-Star, Second Team
- Stewart Scullion, NASL All-Star, Second Team
- John Sissons, NASL All-Star, Honorable Mention
- Clyde Best, NASL All-Star, Honorable Mention
- Derek Smethurst, NASL All-Star, Honorable Mention
Review
The 1975 North American Soccer League season was the Tampa Bay Rowdies first outdoors. The expansion Rowdies had only recently completed a successful debut in the 1975 indoor tournament, by finishing as runners-up. With Eddie Firmani as coach and John Boyle as team captain, they opened outdoor play by splitting a pair of preseason friendlies versus the San Antonio Thunder.
Tampa Bay's first regular season match was played at Tampa Stadium against the Rochester Lancers before 12,133 paying customers (and another 3,000-plus, who were there for free). Their first ever goal was scored by Derek Smethurst in the opening half. The first goal conceded by the Rowdies occurred at the 27:59 mark when Tommy Ord put one past Tampa Bay goalie Mike Hewitt. The game remained tied 1–1 at the end of 90 minutes. At 3:45 of golden goal overtime, second-half substitute, Alex Pringle, recorded the teams' first ever game-winning goal. The game also saw Firmani (age 41) insert himself into the lineup with about one minute remaining in regulation. This was because several players had been delayed in Europe, causing the Tampa Bay roster to be a bit thin for the match.[4]
The Rowdies success carried on as they went on to record winning streaks of six and seven games during the regular season. Tampa Bay finished the year tied with the Portland Timbers for the best record in the league with a mark of 16–6. The winning ways continued into the playoffs as they did not concede a single goal in any round. They defeated Toronto Metros-Croatia, 1–0, in the quarterfinals. That was followed by a 3–0 dismantling of 1974 league runners-up, and Florida Derby rival, Miami Toros in the semifinal, which sent them into the Soccer Bowl.
The Soccer Bowl '75 championship match featured the two teams with the best records in the NASL, the Rowdies and Portland. Coincidentally both squads were also expansion teams. Behind a stingy defense and a pair of second half goals by Arsène Auguste and Clyde Best, Tampa Bay came away the victors, 2–0. Defender Stewart Jump was named man of the match. This would be the Rowdies only outdoor NASL championship.
Competitions
Friendlies
April 11, 1975 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–1 | San Antonio Thunder | Tarpon Springs, Florida |
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7:30 P.M. | Boyle Smethurst |
Report p. 3-C | Marotte |
Stadium: Tarpon Springs High School |
April 13, 1975 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–3 | San Antonio Thunder | Winter Park, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
1:30 P.M. | Forteis |
Report p. 3-C | Wolf Hylkema Didi |
Stadium: Sandspur Field Attendance: 2,000 |
May 19, 1975 3 | Hartwick/Oneonta All-Stars | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Oneonta, New York |
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Napolitano |
Report | Wark Smethurst |
Stadium: Oneonta State Field Attendance: 1,000 (est) |
NASL regular season
Standings
Pos | Eastern Division | GP | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 22 | 16 | 6 | 46 | 27 | +19 | 135 | NASL Playoffs |
2 | Miami Toros | 22 | 14 | 8 | 47 | 30 | +17 | 123 | |
3 | Washington Diplomats | 22 | 12 | 10 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 112 | |
4 | Philadelphia Atoms | 22 | 10 | 12 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 90 | |
5 | Baltimore Comets | 22 | 9 | 13 | 34 | 52 | −18 | 87 | |
Overall League Placing
Pos | Club | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portland Timbers | 22 | 16 | 6 | 43 | 27 | +16 | 138 |
2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 22 | 16 | 6 | 46 | 27 | +19 | 135 |
3 | Seattle Sounders | 22 | 15 | 7 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 129 |
4 | Miami Toros | 22 | 14 | 8 | 47 | 30 | +17 | 123 |
5 | Boston Minutemen | 22 | 13 | 9 | 41 | 29 | +12 | 116 |
Match reports
April 26, 1975 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–1(OT) | Rochester Lancers | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Smethurst Pringle |
Report | Ord |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 12,133 |
May 3, 1975 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–0 | New York Cosmos | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scullion |
Report | Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 8,378 |
May 9, 1975 3 | Washington Diplomats | 3–0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Washington, D.C. |
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Ingram Horton Horton |
Report | Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Stadium Attendance: 10,340 |
May 14, 1975 4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–1 | Boston Minutemen | Tampa, Florida |
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Smethurst Best Best |
Report | Wooler |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 6,117 Referee: Don DeSalvador |
May 17, 1975 5 | Connecticut Bicentennials | 1–3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | New Haven, Connecticut |
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Travljanin |
Report | Smethurst Boyle Best |
Stadium: Yale Bowl Attendance: 3,410 |
May 21, 1975 6 | Baltimore Comets | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Baltimore, Maryland |
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Henderson |
Report | Boyle Smethurst |
Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 3,648 |
May 28, 1975 7 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–2 | Denver Dynamos | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scullion Ntsoelengoe[6] Scullion |
Report | Dawes Flater |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 5,281 Referee: Larry King |
May 31, 1975 8 | San Antonio Thunder | 0–4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | San Antonio, Texas |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | Smethurst Best Garber Hartze |
Stadium: Alamo Stadium Attendance: 4,619 Referee: Robert Evans |
June 6, 1975 9 | Miami Toros | 0–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Miami, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | Smethurst |
Stadium: Miami Orange Bowl Attendance: 14,259 |
June 11, 1975 10 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–2 | Miami Toros | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | David Jordan |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 18,654 Referee: Gino D'Ippolito |
June 13, 1975 11 | Philadelphia Atoms | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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McLaughlin |
Report on p. 1-C | Best Scullion |
Stadium: Veterans Stadium Attendance: 5,819 |
June 20, 1975 12 | Dallas Tornado | 0–0 (4–2 p) |
Tampa Bay Rowdies | Irving, Texas |
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Report | Stadium: Texas Stadium Attendance: 4,179 |
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Penalties | ||||
Ley Gore Moore Chadwick |
June 21, 1975 13 | St. Louis Stars | 1–1 (3–5 p) |
Tampa Bay Rowdies | St. Louis, Missouri |
---|---|---|---|---|
Geimer |
Report | Smethurst |
Stadium: Francis Field Attendance: 7,731 |
|
Penalties | ||||
Burnett Hawley Matteson Trost |
June 28, 1975 14 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 6–1 | Baltimore Comets | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sissons Scullion Sissons Smethurst Sissons Scullion |
Report | Henderson |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 8,610 |
July 12, 1975 15 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 4–0 | Baltimore Comets | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sissons Smethurst Smethurst Lindsay |
Report | Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 13,400 |
July 19, 1975 16 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–1 | Philadelphia Atoms | Tampa, Florida |
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Smethurst Smethurst |
Report | Bahr |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 10,103 |
July 23, 1975 17 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 5–1 | Miami Toros | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Best Sissons Connell Smethurst Smethurst |
Report | David |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 11,415 |
July 26, 1975 18 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–1 | Washington Diplomats | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scullion Smethurst Boyle |
Report | Barry |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 11,153 |
July 29, 1975 19 | Philadelphia Atoms | 0–1(OT) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | Smethurst |
Stadium: Veterans Stadium Attendance: 4,517 |
August 2, 1975 20 | Washington Diplomats | 3–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Washington, D.C. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Horton Ingram Horton |
Report | Smethurst |
Stadium: RFK Stadium Attendance: 2,415 |
August 6, 1975 21 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–3 | Chicago Sting | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | Hill Hill Allen |
Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 12,761 |
August 9, 1975 22 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 3–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Toronto, Ontario |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vieri Ferreira Polak |
Report | Smethurst |
Stadium: Varsity Stadium Attendance: 8,248 |
NASL Playoffs
Bracket
Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Soccer Bowl '75 | ||||||||||||
W1 | Portland Timbers | 2 | ||||||||||||
W2 | Seattle Sounders | 1 | ||||||||||||
W1 | Portland Timbers | 1 | ||||||||||||
C1 | St. Louis Stars | 0 | ||||||||||||
C1 | St. Louis Stars | 1(5) | ||||||||||||
W3 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 1(4) | ||||||||||||
W1 | Portland Timbers | 0 | ||||||||||||
E1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 | ||||||||||||
E2 | Miami Toros | 2 | ||||||||||||
N1 | Boston Minutemen | 1 | ||||||||||||
E2 | Miami Toros | 0 | ||||||||||||
E1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | ||||||||||||
N2 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 0 | ||||||||||||
E1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | ||||||||||||
Match reports
August 13, 1975 Quarterfinals | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–0 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | Tampa, Florida |
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Best |
Report | Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 16,111 |
August 16, 1975 Semifinals | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–0 | Miami Toros | Tampa, Florida |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scullion Smethurst Boyle |
Report | Stadium: Tampa Stadium Attendance: 22,710 |
August 24, 1975 Soccer Bowl '75 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–0 | Portland Timbers | San Jose, California |
---|---|---|---|---|
Auguste Best |
Report | Stadium: Spartan Stadium Attendance: 17,009 |
References
- ↑ http://www.nasljerseys.com/images/Rowdies/Rowdies%2075%20Home%20Qarashi,%20Eddie%20Engerth,%20Dips.jpg
- ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_axffduAi2BA/SXeH69KY77I/AAAAAAAAB2A/G-nKzp_t5sI/s1600-h/Derek+Smethurst,+Doug+Wark+vs+Cosmos+1975.JPG
- ↑ http://www.nasljerseys.com/images/2015/Rowdies%2086-87%20Road%20Team.jpg
- ↑ Austin, Jim (April 28, 1975). "Fans Rally For Rowdies". Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Boyle Selected Rowdie of Week". St. Petersburg Times. May 20, 1975. p. 7-C. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
- ↑ Austin, Jim (May 29, 1975). "Tampa Rains On Denver". Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved 2016-04-27.