Will MLS take another chance on Tampa Bay? (w/video)

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http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/will-mls-take-another-chance-on-tampa-bay-wvideo/2321991

Will MLS take another chance on Tampa Bay? (w/video)

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https://thefloridasqueeze.com/2017/04/27/yes-vote-on-tuesday-referendum-helps-but-still-doesnt-ensure-mls-in-st-pete/

“YES” vote on Tuesday referendum helps but still doesn’t ensure MLS in St Pete

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https://www.facebook.com/events/1488522134522128/

MAY 2

Al Lang Stadium Referendum Watch Party - Tues. May 2

Public · Hosted by Tampa Bay Rowdies

Tuesday at 6:30 PM - 8 PM

Al Lang Stadium

230 1st St SE, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701

Join us on Tuesday, May 2, for a free Referendum Watch Party at Al Lang!

Bring your family and friends, as our #MLS2STPETE campaign continues.

Let us know how many guests you'll be bringing by emailing RSVP@rowdiessoccer.com

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http://www.mor-tv.com/article/tampa-bay-rowdies/9162611

Watch Tampa Bay Rowdies on This TV

Watch Rowdies Soccer on This TV Tampa Bay!

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http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2017/01/04/fc-cincy-vs-silent-assassins-mls/96125434/

Is it FC Cincy vs. 'silent assassins' for MLS?

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https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/04/28/miami-mls-expansion-david-beckham-latest-overtown-investor

Lots of talk, little action on both MLS, Beckham sides amid Miami expansion quest

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http://www.cltampa.com/arts-entertainment/sports/article/20859853/rowdes-defeat-richmond-kickers-10-in-usl

Rowdies riding bicycles all the way to victory

Deshorn Brown wants to do his bicycles.

Colin O'Hara

Apr 30, 2017 3 PM

Maybe you opened the Sunday edition of the Tampa Bay Times and saw the full Orlando City spread wrapping the sports section. Or maybe you’re literate and that’s why you’re reading Creative Loafing instead. Either way, it’s easy to see which publication is focusing its energy on supporting the Rowdies’ bid for Major League Soccer.

Since you may not read it elsewhere, allow us to make your soccer day: The Rowdies struck gold on Saturday night on the seat of a bicycle kick from Deshorn Brown.

Brown got the unexpected start over Georgie Hristov Saturday for “tactical reasons”, according to coach Stuart Campbell.

“It was just tactical,” Campbell said. “I couldn’t possibly just drop Georgie, he’s been fantastic all season. I knew they had a couple big center backs. I felt, especially at the start of the game, we needed someone who could match the physicality.”

Evidentially, Brown was up for the task.

“[Richmond’s defenders] are big strong guys,” Brown said. “Everywhere I go, I’m matched up with big defenders. I’m kind of used to it.”

Brown displayed a magnificent splendor on the pitch with goal that ultimately gave Tampa Bay the 1-0 win of the Richmond Kickers. Brown’s overhead kick is something he’s been working on, which he has apparently perfected.

“I like doing bicycles” Brown said. “I made up my mind to go for it and got the goal.”

It was as simple as that. He likes doing bicycles.

Brown wasn’t the only unexpected and successful start of the evening. Due to illness, star defender and rock of my life, Luke Boden, sat out, forcing midfielder Marcel Schafer to undertake the challenge of playing defense. Schafer didn’t flinch in the face of a change in roles and dominated the left side.

“Luke has done great for us,” Campbell said. “Unfortunately, he went down with an illness in the middle of the week and we were hoping he would be fit for the weekend, and we found out [Friday] he obviously wasn’t right. [The change] wasn’t’ something we panned.

Planned or unplanned, somethings just work out for the best. The Rowdies held Richmond to zero shots on target and out-passed their opponents 572 to 296.

It was a classic Tampa Bay domination win; Rowdies held over 66 percent of the possession while passing more than enough to make Richmond’s head spin, but were unable to break through the defense other than Brown’s lone wundergol.

“I wanted us to start the second half as if it were 0-0 and I wanted us to go out and get the next goal,” Campbell said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do that. We had a couple of half-chances … but defensively, we were sound.”

Sound is an understatement. “Man Mountain” (Campbell’s words, not mine) Damion Lowe has possibly claimed his right as fastest member of the team, and fellow center back Neill Collins continued his Neill Collins-ness while Darnell King helped keep the team’s fourth clean sheet of the season.

Getting back to winning ways after a three-match winless streak is hugely important to the success of the Rowdies, but more important than the win is what’s coming up on May 2.

The city of St. Pete will hold a referendum for public vote on May 2 that will decide whether the club can take control of Al Lang Stadium and renovate it to meet the standards of MLS. This renovation will raise the capacity of the stadium to the required 18,000 seats and will be done 100 percent with private funding, leaving no tax money needed for the project.

Those 18,000 seats will need to be filled. The announced attendance was just shy of 5,000 Saturday night, leaving it the second-lowest-attended home game thus far. Though still averaging above the league average and sitting as the eighth-highest attended club in the league, critics have recently voiced valid concerns on whether the team can be sustainable in MLS. It’s time to prove them wrong.

It's no secret how I'm voting Tuesday. Only question is, if you care enough to read this, do you care enough to vote?

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http://www.sounderatheart.com/2017/4/29/15479836/this-stadium-is-no-tolkien-fantasy-its-real

This stadium is no Tolkien fantasy, it’s real

An amateur stadium in Henningsvær, part of the Lofoten Islands off the north of Norway, probably belongs in your next fantasy novel.

Yes, this is real. Yes, it is amazing. No, it is not for professionals. It’s “just” a funky location for the residents of nearby islands to play their most popular sport. But it’s something out of Tolkien, if Middle Earth played sports.

The Mirror called it the “world’s most awesome stadium.”

It makes the Fred Brown dream of a floating Sonics Arena seem quaint. It also has me fantasizing about so many more communities in our area that can find a way to fit a soccer field in between the waters and mountains of our beloved land.

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http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/786594?referrer_id=2333971#.WQPrAxXPaSk.facebook

USL Top Five – Supporters’ Tifos

USL supporters’ creativity has hit some major heights over the years

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https://www.facebook.com/events/263465960784962/

MAY 5

Cinco De Mayo 80's Flashback Festival

Public · Hosted by Stormy Bay Entertainment and Candela Pura TV
    
Friday, May 5 at 9 PM - 3 AM

May 5 at 9 PM to May 6 at 3 AM

Round Up Tampa
   
10051 W Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, Florida 33615

The Roundup Tampa is hosting the largest Cinco De Mayo party in Tampa bay... Playing the best of the 70's, 80's, 90's, Freestyle and a touch of Latin music all night..

$3 Corona / Corona Light Bottles, $4 Margaritas / Nacho Bar..Limbo Contest with Prizes..and many other drink and shots all night..

Join DJ uncle Luke, Matt the Bratt, Bald Guy Britt and DJ Speedy Jr spinning the tunes with our Special Guest DJ Dave "Flash" Morgan from Q105 FM!

Cover is $5 all night long!

Text 813-508-3544 for more info!

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4456740/Joe-Cole-isn-t-holiday-Rodney-Marsh.html

Joe Cole isn't out here for a holiday... he's electrified the pace in Tampa, insists former player Rodney Marsh

Rodney Marsh spent two seasons with the Rowdies between 1984 and 1986
Marsh has described Cole's work-rate and performances as 'outstanding' 
Joe Cole joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies in May 2016 after a spell at Coventry
Marsh recalls a time when he was asked if he was the 'White Pele' at Tampa

By Rodney Marsh For The Daily Mail

Published: 17:31 EDT, 28 April 2017 | Updated: 19:42 EDT, 28 April 2017

Joe Cole has electrified the place here in Tampa — I cannot begin to tell you the impact he has had.

It's been pretty dead here in a football sense for a few years, but everyone is talking about Joe — he's all over the newspapers and the television.

He is not here for a holiday either.

His work-rate and performances have been outstanding. He has so much skill, the crowd love him.

It's like the second coming of Rodney Marsh . . . with a crew-cut!

When I came here in 1976, I gave a press conference at the airport when they asked me what it was like to be 'the white Pele'. I responded by telling them they should ask Pele: 'What's it like to be the black Rodney Marsh?' It caused a bit of a storm.

Everyone was coming to the US then. Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Eusebio, George Best. George was 28, I was 31. I had hair like Robert Plant, blond and 20 inches long and I used to rub lemon in it every morning. The owner told me: 'We are the Rowdies, we have a rowdy reputation and we want you to be rowdy!' I did my best to oblige.

The first day I arrived, two of my new team-mates were in prison and another in the hospital after a fight.

But we finished top of the league, hammering the New York Cosmos 5-1 at our place in front of 42,000 fans. We lost the return 5-4 in New York. In that game, Pele scythed me down (I'm sure it was a reaction to my comment).

The English referee saw the tackle and when I challenged him, he said: 'Look around you, do you really think I am going to send off Pele?' Pele and the Cosmos finished second to the Rowdies that season.

Now Joe is playing in the equivalent of the second tier here but he is certainly putting bums on seats and is provoking memories of the past.

I love watching him play — long may his impact continue.

Rodney Marsh is co-host of Grumpy Pundits on SiriusXM radio. He played for Fulham, QPR, Manchester City and Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring 218 goals in 505 games.

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https://worldsoccertalk.com/2017/04/27/beckham-mls-group-adds-dodgers-part-owner-reports/

Beckham MLS group adds Dodgers part-owner: reports

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https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/04/28/mls-expansion-tampa-miami-beckham-investor-st-louis-sacramento-nashville-san-diego

MLS expansion latest: Tampa Bay's vote; Beckham's new investor; a pulse for St. Louis?

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http://www.constructiondive.com/news/beckham-led-group-gets-investor-boost-for-300m-miami-mls-deal/441530/

Beckham-led group gets investor boost for $300M Miami MLS deal

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/beckham-mls-group-adds-dodgers-part-owner-reports/articleshow/58411122.cms

Beckham MLS group adds Dodgers part-owner: Reports

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/soccer/fl-sp-david-beckham-mls-investor-20170427-story.html

David Beckham adds new investor to Miami MLS group

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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2017/04/26/34967232/portland-timbers-announce-50m-proposal-to-expand-providence

Portland Timbers announce $50M proposal to expand Providence Park

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https://sports.yahoo.com/news/beckham-mls-group-adds-dodgers-part-owner-reports-201958992--sow.html

Beckham MLS group adds Dodgers part-owner: reports

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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/beckhams-miami-mls-project-secures-billionaire-investor

Beckham’s Miami MLS project secures billionaire investor

Todd Boehly, an American investment banker, to join Englishman's ownership group.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/timbers-unveil-plans-for-additional-4000-seats/2017/04/26/c46b7b4a-2af6-11e7-9081-f5405f56d3e4_story.html

Timbers unveil plans for additional 4,000 seats

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http://www.inquisitr.com/opinion/4178271/do-you-hate-soccer-you-wont-ok-you-might-still-but-its-worth-a-try-after-reading-this/

Do You Hate Soccer? You Won't After Reading This [Opinion]

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3113489/portland-timbers-plan-to-expand-providence-park-by-4000-seats

Portland Timbers plan to expand Providence Park by 4,000 seats

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http://www.espnfc.com/new-england-revolution/story/3114404/talks-over-new-england-revolution-stadium-in-south-boston-halted

Talks over New England Revolution stadium in South Boston halted

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http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/jones-mls-rowdies-sounds-good-but-not-sold-on-it-happening/2321995

Jones: MLS Rowdies sounds good, but not sold on it happening

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https://mlsmultiplex.com/2017/04/28/mls-expansion-phoenix-bid-loses-mls-experienced-head-coach/

MLS Expansion: The wild ride that is the Phoenix MLS bid

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http://www.constructiondive.com/news/beckham-led-group-gets-investor-boost-for-300m-miami-mls-deal/441530/

Beckham-led group gets investor boost for $300M Miami MLS deal

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http://pulse.ng/sports/football/david-beckham-retired-footballers-mls-group-adds-dodgers-part-owner-reports-id6594343.html

Retired footballer's MLS group adds Dodgers part-owner: reports

David Beckham has added Todd Boehly, a part-owner of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, to his investment group seeking a Major League Soccer club in Miami, newspapers reported Thursday.

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https://ussoccerplayers.com/2017/04/portland-plays-the-new-mls-stadium-game-major-league-soccer.html

Portland plays the new MLS stadium game

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/beckham-mls-group-adds-dodgers-part-owner-reports/articleshow/58411122.cms

Beckham MLS group adds Dodgers part-owner: Reports

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http://www.espnfc.us/new-england-revolution/story/3114404/talks-over-new-england-revolution-stadium-in-south-boston-halted

Talks over New England Revolution stadium in South Boston halted

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http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-ratings-increases-nba-playoff-weekend-sunday-night-baseball-major-league-soccer.html

ESPN Ratings: Increases for NBA Playoff Weekend, Sunday Night Baseball, Major League Soccer

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http://www.tbo.com/sports/soccer/jones-mls-rowdies-sounds-good-but-not-sold-on-it-happening/2321995

Jones: MLS Rowdies sounds good, but not sold on it happening

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/looking-ahead-to-kriseman-vs-baker/2322144

Looking ahead to Kriseman vs. Baker

ST. PETERSBURG — Bill Edwards Group president Rick Baker spoke to the Tampa Bay Tiger Bay Club luncheon last week, promoting Tuesday's election asking voters to let city leaders negotiate a long-term lease for an expanded waterfront stadium if the Tampa Bay Rowdies become a Major League Soccer franchise.

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http://www.richmond.com/sports/richmond-kickers/kickers-recap-against-tampa-bay-rowdies/article_be6ac7d7-bce0-5a00-86fa-71f227c16650.html

Kickers recap against Tampa Bay Rowdies

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https://theprideoflondon.com/2017/04/30/joe-cole-recalls-john-terry/

Joe Cole recalls John Terry’s leadership at Chelsea: “Like an older brother”

Joe Cole is enjoying his resurgent football career with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The ex-Chelsea man talked about the impact John Terry had during their time as Blues.

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http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/stateroundup/looking-ahead-to-kriseman-vs-baker/2322144

Looking ahead to Kriseman vs. Baker

PETERSBURG — Bill Edwards Group president Rick Baker spoke to the Tampa Bay Tiger Bay Club luncheon last week, promoting Tuesday's election asking voters to let city leaders negotiate a long-term lease for an expanded waterfront stadium if the Tampa Bay Rowdies become a Major League Soccer franchise.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4456628/Joe-Cole-experiencing-new-lease-life-Tampa.html

Joe Cole on following in the footsteps of Rodney Marsh in Florida: 'I thought I was finished but I feel alive in Tampa'

Joe Cole joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies in May 2016 after a spell at Coventry
Rodney Marsh spent two years with the Rowdies between 1984 and 1986
Cole struggled with the attention he received when he was back in England

By Sam Cunningham for the Daily Mail

Published: 17:30 EDT, 28 April 2017 | Updated: 20:00 EDT, 28 April 2017

There used to be a joke around Tampa Bay that St Petersburg was where old people went to die. 'God's waiting room,' they called the city.

But for Joe Cole, now a football veteran, joining Tampa Bay Rowdies has given him his life — and playing career — back again.

In an interview at his plush apartment in downtown St Pete — as the locals call it — Cole reveals how he almost retired from playing in 2015 when his body failed him, explains why he has become Tampa Bay's resident expert on Brexit and what former club Chelsea will miss most when his friend John Terry leaves in the summer.

Yet while he talks enthusiastically about the game, an aspect he most relishes about moving away from England is that he can walk down the street and not get asked about football.

Rowdies employees say the thing they like about Cole is that although he is a big star, he is known as 'Joe who gets coffee every morning', at the local coffee shop on 2nd Avenue, and 'Joe who watches the game at the bar' — favouring The Moon Under Water, a British pub beneath his apartment building.

It is here that he spends time watching more Premier League football than he ever did back in England, sitting under the Scotland and St George's flags hanging from the ceiling and the Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool scarves around the bar, a small part of home, 4,500 miles away.

'I walk down the road every day, I'll say "Hello" to the guys in the coffee shop. They'll ask how we got on at the weekend — that's it. Then it'll be like, "Lovely day", or "What's going on with Theresa May and the election?" — that'll be the new one now.'

Cole, now 35, returned to England last Christmas and found the attention difficult. 'It was really getting to me because I'd not had it for seven months. I realise the anonymity I get here is precious.'

Yet none of this would be an issue if Cole had retired at Aston Villa. 'I was considering packing it in, because my body was letting me down,' he admits.
'At Villa a doctor said I needed surgery on my hip but I couldn't afford the time. I was training on one leg for six months. I should've just got it sorted. It didn't work and I was disenchanted.

'I went all around the world looking for people: Belgium, Germany, America, all the best people and no one could sort me out. Ever since I did my knee at Chelsea (in 2009) it was an uphill struggle.

'I tried all the weirdest, wackiest treatments: chiropractors, osteopaths, reflexologists, acupuncturists, physios, kinetic energy people, I've had nutters putting magnets on me. I stopped short of seeing a faith healer. I went to see a guy in London and it was last-chance saloon.'

Cole was taught to listen to his body and to stop putting pressure on it. He adds: 'Then I moved to Coventry and played without injury and I got my love back for the game, then Tampa Bay came along. I'm just as proud of anything I achieve now as what I achieved in my prime. I wish I found this way (of managing my body) six years ago, just after I did my knee. I'm convinced I'd still be playing in the Premier League.'

Unlike Cole, his former England and Chelsea team-mate Terry largely avoided injury and only now, at 36, has he decided to leave Stamford Bridge. Cole used to go out drinking in Essex with Terry and Michael Carrick when they were younger players.

Cole was in the massage room at Chelsea's training ground with Terry when the defender received the call from Steve McClaren in 2006 to say he was being made England captain.

'When I signed for Chelsea, he was the first person to see me as I walked through the door,' Cole says. 'Although he's only a few months older, he put his arm around me and it was like, "I'll look after you" like the new kid at school, like an older brother.

'Chelsea will miss that. They are a well-run club but forget everything he does on the pitch, it's the unseen things as a captain. I remember I was having a bit of a rough time there. He recognised it and got one of the video analysts to make a compilation of all my best bits. It was a little touch but it really lifted me.

'For him to even notice that... in football you're so focused on yourself and your own game, to have an eye on everyone else in the club is remarkable. You can't quantify that. He was a younger man then, as well, and to have that empathy — that's one of a million things the club will miss.

'They'll have to spend a lot of money to replace him. He'd love it out here. He'd be perfect for any club out here. Anyone would take him.'

The Florida way of life might be more relaxed for Cole but the sporting demands are still intense. When we meet for this interview, he has just been away for six days playing games in Louisville and Cincinnati.

His one-year-old son Max is already in bed, but Ruby, seven, and Harry, four, have waited up to see dad. As the discussion continues, they both climb on a knee and Ruby calls him the best daddy ever. 'Why you being nice to me? You're never nice to me!' Cole jokes, and they dissolve into giggles.

'It's nice to be playing football and still wanted — that's what I do it for,' Cole says, the words muffled by his children's cheeks squashing his face. 'I'd love still to be playing in the Premier League but my body unfortunately slowed down a lot quicker than other people's.

'I started young, similar to Wayne Rooney, I blew out my knee at 28. I'd love still to be playing for England. I watched the Champions League games the other week and felt that buzz.'

Here, Cole is part of something bigger than just football: he is a key player in a shift of sporting culture. Football once flourished in the area, when Rodney Marsh arrived in 1976 with his long golden locks — complementing the club's gold and green colours — and they won the North American Soccer League in his first season.

The original Rowdies averaged 30,000 attendances at their peak and Marsh became one of the Bay's most loved athletes. They folded in 1994, but the Rowdies returned in 2008 and real estate billionaire Bill Edwards became majority owner in 2013. Cole is Edwards's Marsh.

'There were a couple of times when I needed to get home for a family emergency and Bill let me use his jet,' Cole says. 'Imagine how much that costs him. My grandad was a big QPR fan so he grew up telling me stories about Rodney Marsh. He wanted me to play like him. Tampa Bay Rowdies were always in my mind.'

Now, they are challenging towards the top of the United Soccer League's Eastern Conference and a bid to join the MLS has been lodged at the league's New York HQ. The recognition Cole brings is a major part of that.

At the club, he is helping coach younger players and has input into decisions with manager Stuart Campbell. Cole wants a crack at management after he retires, although he has not decided when that will be. He has helped coach England Under 18s and is completing his A licence. The ultimate aim will be to manage the national team he is passionate about, having been part of the under—achieving 'golden generation'.

'John Stones, Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Eric Dier — they're better than us, better players, a better group, they just need a bit of time and belief and they can do it.

'Ross Barkley or Dele Alli could win you the next World Cup, but they've got to be allowed to make mistakes.

'The "golden generation" came from the fact we were all so young doing so much in the Premier League. Most of these guys have taken slightly longer to get in the teams but they'll be more seasoned than us come tournament time.'

'God's waiting room' has brought Joe Cole back to life.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://saintpetersblog.com/rowdies-defeat-richmond-deshorn-brown-moment-brilliance/

Rowdies defeat Richmond on Deshorn Brown ‘moment of brilliance’

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http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/rowdies-hope-for-return-to-winning-form-vs-richmond/2322063

Rowdies hope for return to winning form vs. Richmond

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http://www.kentucky.com/sports/other-sports/article147474274.html

Pro soccer in Lexington? Louisville City’s league wants to make it happen

United Soccer League, the organization that brought professional soccer to Louisville, is actively gauging whether there is enough interest in Lexington to establish a lower-division franchise that would begin play here in 2019.

Steven Short, vice president of USL Division 3, visited Lexington on Tuesday and Wednesday talking up his organization’s plans to establish a third-tier league with Lexington as one of its founding franchises.

“It was very positive,” Short said of his tour of Lexington. “I heard in several meetings that Lexington is right for professional soccer. Youth soccer is continuing to grow in the region. Obviously, there are some strong clubs in the area, some strong supporter groups. I even learned that several individuals have season tickets to USL teams in Louisville and Cincinnati.”

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http://www.constructiondive.com/news/beckham-led-group-gets-investor-boost-for-300m-miami-mls-deal/441530/

Beckham-led group gets investor boost for $300M Miami MLS deal

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https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/04/28/miami-mls-expansion-david-beckham-latest-overtown-investor

Lots of talk, little action on both MLS, Beckham sides amid Miami expansion quest

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/rick-kriseman-to-update-tampa-council-on-cross-bay-ferry/2321766

Rick Kriseman to update Tampa council on Cross-Bay Ferry

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http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2017/04/27/rick-kriseman-says-bon-voyage-to-ferry-with-pitch.html

Rick Kriseman says bon voyage to ferry with pitch to bring it back

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http://saintpetersblog.com/rick-kriseman-cross-bay-ferry-get-mixed-reviews-tampa-city-council/

Rick Kriseman, Cross-Bay Ferry get mixed reviews from Tampa City Council

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http://miami.curbed.com/2017/4/27/15452382/david-beckham-mls-miami-todd-boehly

David Beckham finalizes MLS Miami funding by adding billionaire Todd Boehly, per report

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https://www.ibj.com/blogs/4-the-score/post/63557-indy-elevens-effort-to-score-mls-franchise-takes-hit

Indy Eleven's effort to score MLS franchise takes hit

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http://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/roy-bragg/article/A-new-soccer-club-to-address-soccer-s-problems-11110596.php

A new soccer club to address soccer’s problems

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http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/786984

Rowdies Relish Return to Winning Ways

Tampa Bay back tied for first in East after victory against Kickers

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/tampa-bay-rowdies-vote-breaks-mold-of-past-waterfront-spats-in-st/2322228

Tampa Bay Rowdies' vote breaks mold of past waterfront spats in St. Petersburg

Charlie Frago, Times Staff Writer

Monday, May 1, 2017 4:25am
   
ST. PETERSBURG — There's an election about to take place in the city.

No, not the mayoral election. Although one could be excused for mistaking former Mayor Rick Baker's tour of neighborhood associations and political groups as a campaign to challenge incumbent Mayor Rick Kriseman in November.

Baker was actually stumping for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Voters will decide Tuesday whether the city should negotiate a 25-year lease with Rowdies owner Bill Edwards. He and his investors, in turn, would then spend up to $80 million to expand and upgrade Al Lang Stadium, more than doubling capacity to 18,000 seats.

It's all being done in the hope that Major League Soccer will award St. Petersburg — and the Tampa Bay region — an expansion franchise in the next few years. The lease would be contingent on MLS awarding the franchise, and it would have to be approved by City Council.

But unlike the contentious fights over the city's precious waterfront in years past, Edwards' proposal hasn't produced the kind of organized and vocal opposition that disrupted past plans: The failed 2003 effort to turn Albert Whitted Airport into parkland; the Tampa Bay Rays' defunct 2007 plans to build a stadium on the Al Lang site; and the Pier's replacement, the $50 million Lens, which was rejected by voters in 2013.

So why, then, is the Rowdies' referendum seemingly unopposed? Baker said it's because they laid the proper groundwork.

"I think it's because we frankly spent the year before we announced talking to the folks about the plan so we tried to identify what the issues were," he said after giving a now-familiar pitch to the Suncoast Tiger Bay club luncheon on Wednesday.

The Rowdies assured Saturday Morning Market organizers that they could still hold their popular weekly event in Al Lang's parking lot. They also promised to build stadium restrooms that will be accessible to market-goers. They met with opponents of the Rays' Al Lang plans and waterfront activists, Baker said, and gathered feedback about the added seating.

In early March, when the City Council unanimously approved holding Tuesday's referendum, downtown residents turned out in force. Most of them supported the idea, a stark change from previous efforts to transform the waterfront.

Downtown Neighborhood Association president Gina Driscoll said residents felt included in process: "It makes all the difference in the world when someone gives you a seat at the table from the beginning and your opinion matters."

The Rowdies' plan to build no higher than the neighboring Mahaffey Theater and avoid negatively impacting nearby streets and sidewalks were selling points, she said. As was the promise to keep the Saturday Morning Market in the Al Lang parking lot.

Some downtown residents, though, continue to voice fears of a parking crunch, excessive noise and glaring lights at night.

Edwards' promise to spend his own money on the stadium was also a big plus, Driscoll said. The Rowdies' owner is also paying the $271,000 bill for the referendum.

City Council member Steve Kornell echoed the reason why the Rowdies' plans haven't generated the kind of pushback the Rays received in 2007: The Rowdies are paying for everything, and said they won't expand the Al Lang footprint.

"It's a good deal and it doesn't expand the footprint on the waterfront," Kornell said. "Al Lang was already there and . . . it's a good way to use it. I haven't heard any negatives."

But some still have concerns. At the Tiger Bay gathering last week, community activist Vince Cocks asked Baker about an ongoing federal lawsuit which alleges that Edwards looted millions from his defunct mortgage company. Baker repeated Edwards' stance that the lawsuit has no merit.

"Where's there's smoke, buddy, there's fire," Cocks said. "This is not a frivolous case."

Council of Neighborhood Associations president Marlene Murray said she is concerned that the referendum hasn't been properly vetted.

"My biggest concern, I just felt that not enough information was given," Murray said. "Everything was rah-rah, everything was great. There are more questions to be asked."

The details of the use agreement won't be known until negotiations begin after the vote, Murray said, meaning that the City Council has to be the watchdog for any major changes.

And, she asked, how long does the right to expand Al Lang for MLS last? It won't expire after MLS awards two teams during the upcoming round of expansion, said Assistant City Attorney Jeannine Williams. But the city has to research when those rights would expire.

A dozen cities, including San Diego; Sacramento, Calif.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Charlotte, N.C., are competing for the two MLS expansion teams being awarded this year and the two to be awarded in the future. If St. Petersburg is selected, Edwards and his partners would be responsible for paying the $150 million expansion fee to MLS.