Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay Mutiny
Full nameTampa Bay Mutiny
Nickname(s)Mutiny
FoundedNovember 16, 1994 (1994-11-16)
DissolvedJanuary 8, 2002 (2002-01-08)
StadiumRaymond James Stadium
Capacity65,857
LeagueMajor League Soccer

The Mutiny were established in 1994 and were owned and operated by MLS throughout their existence. They were successful in their first years of play, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in 1996 remained the MLS single-season record until 2018. However, the team drew low revenues and attendance and could not find a local ownership group to take over operations from the league. In 2002, MLS folded the Mutiny as well as its other Florida-based team, the Miami Fusion.

History

In 1994, newly established Major League Soccer announced it would place one of its charter franchises in the Tampa Bay Area.[1] The region was seen as a potentially fertile market for soccer due to the success of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the old North American Soccer League in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] The Mutiny took the field in 1996 when the MLS began play.

The Mutiny were owned and operated by MLS along with two other teams, the Dallas Burn and the San Jose Clash, with the league hoping eventually sell the franchises to private local owners.[3] The team managed strong signings in 1995, including Carlos Valderrama, Roy Lassiter, and Martín Vásquez.[4] They were successful in their first two years, particularly in 1996, when they won the first Supporters' Shield with the best regular-season finish behind Most Valuable Player Carlos Valderrama and Golden Boot winner Roy Lassiter.[5]

The city of Tampa demolished Tampa Stadium in 1998, and the Mutiny moved to new Raymond James Stadium for the 1999 season with a much less favorable lease.[6] The club was hampered by declining attendance and low revenues which were exacerbated by a lease agreement that which transferred most match day revenue to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, resulting in an inability to secure a local ownership group.[7] By 2001, they drew an average attendance of under 11,000 per game, among the league's lowest.[8] Faced with financial losses up to $2 million a year, MLS courted Malcolm Glazer and his family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team, to purchase the Mutiny. The Glazers considered the deal but ultimately declined, leaving the league with no prospective owners willing to take over the team. MLS folded the Mutiny, as well as its other Florida-based team, the Miami Fusion, in 2002.[9][2] The Glazers would purchase Manchester United in 2005.

Honors

Team
  • MLS Supporters' Shield:

1996

  • Semi-finals Appearances:

1996

1996

2000[10][11]

Players

Coach and Admin
  • MLS Coach of the Year Award:

1996 Thomas Rongen

  • MLS Executive of the Year Award:

1999 Nick Sakiewicz[12]

  • MLS Operations Executive of the Year Award: (2)

1996 Eddie Austin
2001 Eddie Austin

Players

Head coaches

Team records

Home stadiums

Year-by-year
Year Reg. Season Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Avg. Attendance
(Regular Season)		 Avg. Attendance
(Playoffs)
1996 1st, East (20–12)* Won Conference Semi-finals (Columbus 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (D.C. United 0–2)		 Quarter-finals 11,679 11,174
1997 2nd, East (17–15) Lost Conference Semi-finals (Columbus 0–2) Quarter-finals 11,333 8,272
1998 5th, East (12–20) did not qualify Quarter-finals 10,312 –
1999 3rd, East (14–18) Lost Conference Semi-finals (Columbus 0–2) Quarter-finals 13,106 14,392
2000 2nd, Central (16–12–4) Lost Quarter-Finals (Los Angeles 0–2) Round of 16 9,452 5,583
2001 4th, Central (4–21–2) did not qualify Round of 32 10,479 –
Total 83 Wins – 98 Losses – 6 Draws Playoff Record (2 wins – 9 losses) Overall Record 85–107–6 (.475)

* Won MLS Supporters' Shield

See also

References
  1. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. p. 15. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  2. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. p. 130. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  3. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. pp. 16, 130. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  4. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. pp. 18, 24. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  5. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. p. 38. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  6. ""Mutiny Renews Lease" – St. Pete Times". sptimes.com.
  7. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. pp. 129–130. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  8. Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. p. 129. ISBN 1597975095. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  9. ""MLS fold Mutiny" – St. Pete Times". sptimes.com.
  10. "Mutiny set for three games in Puerto Rico". St. Petersburg Times. February 22, 2000. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  11. "Copa Puerto Rico (San Juan) 2000". www.rsssf.com.
  12. "1999 MLS "Executive of the Year" Nick Sakiewicz Takes Over The MetroStars - by La Cancha World Cup 2002 & Super Soccer Mall". www.lacancha.com.
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