We “mustache” you a question: Have you seen the new crest and kits unveiled by the Tampa Bay Rowdies?
The Rowdies, who play in the USL Championship, introduced the new look Friday. The crest maintains the traditional “Rowdies” wordmark that the club has used since 1975, while adding a bust of a mustachioed gentleman, which is a nod to the early English players who established the rules of modern football in the 19th century, as well as a tribute to the club’s original mascot, Ralph Rowdie.
“To me, my favorite element is the Tampa Bay Rowdies logo within this crest,” said Rowdies president Lee Cohen on the team’s website. “We’ve revitalized something that can be fun for an original 1975 Rowdies fan, a 2010 Rowdies fan, or a 2021 Rowdies fan. The Rowdies logo is still part of our iconic brand. It’s just now within a crest that embodies the Tampa Bay region, our brand, our supporters and the history of the club.”
The crest was a collaboration between the graphics departments of the Rowdies and MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, which owns the USL club.
The team’s primary “Legacy” jersey retains the green-and-yellow hoops that have also been closely associated with the club throughout its history, although they are thinner in this version than in previous versions. The Rowdies wordmark appears on the chest, rather than the full new crest. The jersey is paired with green shorts and green-and-yellow hooped socks.
The new crest does appear in full on the chest of the Rowdies’ new secondary “7510” kit. The shirt, shorts and socks are all white, and the shirt features a collar – the first time, the team’s website notes, that the Rowdies have worn a collared kit since 2013.
The club’s third kit is the “Volt” kit. It’s head-to-toe neon yellow with black accents, including the wordmark on the chest. The Rowdies first wore this kit in 2019 and had good success with it on the road, so it was brought back.
The Rowdies first played in the North American Soccer League in 1975, and survived in various leagues until 1993. A new incarnation of the club took to the pitch in 2010 in the USSF Division 2, although they played under the name “FC Tampa Bay” until December 2011 while licensing issues around the Rowdies name were ironed out. They played in the revived NASL from 2011 to 2016 before joining the USL in 2017.
The two stars above the crest represent the team’s NASL championships in 1975 and 2012.
Feature photo courtesy @MakersofSport / Twitter
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