Due to poor field conditions, the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer game was cancelled Saturday night. The state of the field leaves the city of St. Petersburg concerned with the future of Al Lang Stadium.
According to Bay News 9, on Sept.18, the deal that would have given Rowdies owner Bill Edwards control of the stadium fell through, leaving the professional soccer team with no choice but to deal with the issues of a 67-year-old stadium.
The field has been modified to accommodate the soccer team during their season, but it can still easily be turned back into a baseball field. This creates several problems for the Rowdies.
When it rains, the field holds water in certain spots. And although soccer can be played in the rain, the conditions create safety hazards for players. Plus the dips in the field are an eyesore.
The seating # wrapped around one corner of the field # is limited at home games. Removable Rowdie team-colored bleachers were added on one side of the field to expand seating for fans, but still remains subpar to what a professional team would normally have.
According to The St. Petersburg Tribune, the current deal that allows the Rowdies to rent the stadium, the team is limited as to what it can do about the “mold in the locker rooms” or leaking ceilings. The Rowdies don’t even receive proceeds from concession purchases.
Edwards offered to invest $1.5 million into stadium repairs under the condition that the field be used only for soccer, removing all baseball activities from its location, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Edwards also had an interest in bidding on the Walter Fuller Complex, but agreed to drop it if the deal with the city went through, allowing for baseball activities to have somewhere to go, according to the St. Petersburg Tribune.
A lawsuit Edwards filed against the St. Petersburg Baseball Commission stated that the commission is not providing a professional sports facility, as agreed in their contract.
If Edwards gains control of the stadium, St. Petersburg would be the sure home of two professional teams.
But the stadium is not just the home to the Rowdies. The USFSP baseball club plans to play a full schedule at Al Lang starting in the spring.
The ongoing saga of the stadium leaves the baseball club wondering if they will have to move to the Walter Fuller Complex on short notice. The club will lose their on-campus ease-of-access and could see a drastic loss in an already scarce attendance from fellow students.
The roughly 20-minute drive from Al Lang Stadium to the Walter Fuller Complex would be an inconvenience to students and the baseball club, who are already within walking distance from campus.
Edwards’ deal for Al Lang Stadium is on hold, but not out of the question.
