Tampa Bay Rowdies agree to stadium deal with Al Lang | News

Saint Petersburg, Florida -- The Tampa Bay Rowdies will be staying at Al Lang Stadium. The club announced Wednesday they signed a 4-year agreement keeping them at the stadium starting with the 2013 season.

The Rowdies report they have seen a steady increase in season ticket sales and paid attendance since moving to the stadium in 2011, with the 2012 boasting the highest number of paid single game ticket sales to date along with an increase of season tickets by 65 percent. The team says 42 percent of current season ticket holders hail from Hillsborough County and 53 percent from Pinellas County.

“The Rowdies are an important part of the Tampa Bay community and are proud to be an integral part of St. Pete’s growing downtown landscape,” said Rowdies Owner & President Andrew Nestor in a release to the media. “St. Pete has embraced the club and we will continue to build on the amazing stadium atmosphere at Al Lang.”

The Rowdies say more improvements will be made to create a better fan experience in 2013. The most evident change, they say, will be a new field configuration with the pitch running North to South. The Field Level Club will replace the East-side Beer Garden and will become a new club fan area for all games featuring exclusive in-game VIP hospitality, and the stadium will feature field-side seats right next to the player benches. Sidelines will also be closer to the first row of seats creating better sight lines and enhancing the fan experience. 

Fans can continue to watch The Rowdies thanks to a win in Fort Lauderdale against the Strikers on Sept. 1 that clinched them a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. The Rowdies last regular season home game will be on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m., as they face the Carolina RailHawks.

For ticket information, visit http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/index.php?id=66.