TBR Mailbag Vol. 8
01/01/2010 11:53 AM - TBR Staff
 The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
Welcome to the first mailbag of 2010! We hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year and we are all looking forward to great things to come this year. With that in mind we have taken some of the latest questions to Rowdies Owner and President Andrew Nestor to discuss the Liverpool combine and player signings.
Q: I was wondering do the Rowdies have a partnership with Liverpool and how will that affect the combine as far as players go? Also will Rowdies hold exhibition games with Liverpool?
AN: The Rowdies do not have an official partnership with Liverpool FC, but we have a great relationship with their staff and the organization. They are a world class football club on and off the field and we are grateful for Liverpool opening their doors to the Rowdies and hosting our player trials. Liverpool FC assisted us in continuing to treat potential players and run our organization at a high professional level. Our soccer staff certainly has a strong network in the UK and Europe, meaning there’s a large pool of players from the UK that we are looking at. Beyond the Liverpool combine, we are actively scouting players in Central and South America, US / Canada, and Africa as well. We feel that TBR’s soccer network will be an essential key to us fielding a winning team straight away.
TBR is in talks with two UK-based clubs for exhibition games in Tampa. We would love to host Liverpool or play in Liverpool, but that will take some time to develop.
Q: How was the quality of the players at the combine? Are you pursuing signing any of them?
AN: The quality of play was very high. The matches were played at a fast pace and the trialists exhibited a determined, sharp style of play. The players adjusted well to the Rowdies’ formation and style of play developed by Paul Dalglish. All play in on the ground, attacking and fast, with a disciplined back four. The combine included players from Glasgow Rangers, Blackburn and other professional clubs throughout Europe. Nationalities of players included Canadian, American, British, Scottish, French, and Macedonian to name a few. After just one day of playing together, our trialists played Wrexham to a 0-0 tie and had numerous scoring chances including a shot off the goal post. Liverpool FC’s academy staff was on hand watching the players, and were pleased to see the standard of play we expect in America. Our head coach Paul Dalglish, technical director Perry Van Der Beck and myself were excited with the pool of talent we have identified.
We are close to terms with two players from the Liverpool combine and should have them signed to the club shortly. We are interested and actively pursuing a few more of the players from the combine. The trialists we are interested in not only showed quality skill on the field, but also heart, determination and professionalism off the field.
Q: Has the team been exploring free agents and loans outside of the combines? Are you close to signing players?
AN: We have agreed to terms with one player that we will announce soon along with our stadium announcement. As mentioned above, we are close to terms with two other players that should be done shortly. All are professional free agents, including one who is an international. We have numerous offers pending on several quality players, both first team and squad players. In January, we will be scouting the MLS combine and also host another TBR combine in Tampa. By the end of January we should have the nucleus of our first team and squad players signed and ready to begin preseason.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 7
12/07/2009 12:46 PM - TBR Staff
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
After the exciting announcements about our head coach and the NASL, the TBR Mailbag is back! Thanks to everyone who wrote in with questions and we encourage everyone to also start sending in questions for Paul Dalglish as we continue shaping the team and preparing for our international player combine at The Academy at Liverpool FC .
Q: Why are things kept so secretive with the our club?
A: We understand the start up stage of a club can be frustrating, particularly the lack of public information. Our organization would love to tell the public everything we are working on, but that would be harmful to the club in some cases and make it hard to successfully complete important deals and achieve our goals. We are working tirelessly to build a sustainable, first class organization keeping the long term in mind at all times. I hope that fans will afford us their trust that we will reach our main goal: to build a soccer club Tampa Bay can be proud of.
Q: What is the latest on the stadium?
A: We had internally set a date in November to announce our playing venue. The past few months have brought about numerous challenges and shifted our priorities elsewhere. However, these other tasks and challenges have developed positively to create the foundation we need for long-term viability. The Rowdies have built a well-rounded soccer staff. We believe we have the right coach in place, Paul Dalglish, to work alongside our technical director, Perry Van Der Beck, and ownership group in building a winning team on the field. It was recently made public that the Rowdies will be competing in the NASL alongside some of the strongest soccer clubs in North America. We will make more announcements soon concerning the Rowdies’ player development initiatives and player signings.
The one downside to these changes is that NASL has not yet released the 2010 schedule, which is being worked on now. We would prefer to announce our stadium in conjunction with the completion of our schedule so that fans will know right away when and where all our games will be held.
Q: When will the schedule for next season be released, and when will the season run?
A: The NASL is currently in the process of scheduling the 2010 season. The league is working on a standardized and balanced schedule so that fans know exactly when games are played for all teams. Also, so that the number of games played is equal for all teams on a weekly basis throughout the course of the season.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 6
10/26/2009 7:41 PM - TBR Staff
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
Welcome to the latest installment of the TBR Mailbag. With our first player combine taking place Tuesday in Tampa, we've dedicated this edition to team development.
Q: I heard you are holding your first combine in Tampa, are fans invited to come out and watch?
A: Yes, we are excited to give fans their first opportunity to check out perspective Rowdies on the pitch. The combine will be taking place at Ed Radice Sports Complex in Tampa. We will be holding training sessions in the mornings then hosting two scrimmages each evening on October 27th and 28th, and two final scrimmages on the morning of the 29th. We suggest fans come out for the scrimmages for a chance to see players in action. You can find all the information on the combine here.
We will also be twittering from the combine. If you use twitter, make sure to follow us here.
Q: Who is doing the scouting for the Rowdies?
A: Perry Van Der Beck, our Technical Director, is in charge of player scouting for our organization. Perry works closely with our President and will work directly with our coaching staff, as well as externally with agents throughout the world and other teams’ personnel to find the best possible available players.
At our first combine, Perry will be assisted by former players associated with our team to evaluate players skills.
Helping out will be:
Scott Bowers - Scott is a local player who played collegiately at Clemson University and in the MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes
Josh Keller - Josh played collegiately at UCLA and played in the MLS with the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Neill Roberts - Neill is a former NASL player who played for the Toronto Blizzard and the Rowdies. Neill also played in the MISL for the Chicago Sting
Derek Backman - Derek played professionally for both the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Ron Futcher - Ron is a former NASL player for the Minnesota Kicks and Tulsa Roughnecks
Q: How can I be invited to try-out?
A: We are looking for players who have played at a high professional or college level. As a new team it is important for us to find players of this caliber to prepare as quickly as possible for the upcoming season and build a winning club. If you do not have an agent but have played at a high level and think you have the skills to compete in the league, send your bio and CV to tryouts@tbrowdies.com and our scouts will review your qualifications and contact you if we are interested in having you at a future combine.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 5
10/09/2009 12:18 PM - TBR Staff
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in with questions for this edition of the mailbag. We took the questions to TBR Owner and President Andrew Nestor for updates on the latest on the stadium, player signings, and exhibition matches.
Q: What is the latest on the stadium issue?
AN: We took our time reviewing several venues in the area to make sure we make the right choice. This is obviously a critical decision that does not need to be rushed. We have had proposals worked out for a few venues, each with its own pros and cons. Our main goal is securing a venue that allows for a professional and fun fan experience and provides our team and staff with proper facilities to develop a winning club and a stable franchise. We believe we have found the best possible home for TBR and look forward to making a public announcement in November.
Q: When will you announce our head coach and when can we expect to learn of our first player signings?
AN: We have been interviewing candidates for the past two months. All of our candidates have extensive professional playing and coaching experience. Some candidates are based in the US and some are currently overseas in the UK working with Premiership or Championship clubs. Our goal is to hire the head coach this month as we gear up for our first player combine in Tampa starting October 26th.
As for players, now that the MLS and USL season are winding down, we will start meaningful discussions with player agents regarding free agents. Our first invite-only player combine will be held at the end of this month in Tampa, followed by a combine in November in London and two additional combines in January in Northern California and Tampa Bay. Our official preseason will begin in February 2010 at which time we will have the majority of our team signed.
Q: Initially you said that matches would be held before the 2010 kickoff. Is this still happening?
AN: Yes. Our preseason will begin in February. We are organizing exhibition matches in Tampa and Orlando. Our team will also travel for some away preseason matches. That schedule will be finalized and released over the winter.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 4
09/18/2009 6:10 PM - TBR Staff
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
Q: Why aren’t you holding an open tryout and how can I get invited to one of the combines?
A: We will be inviting players to our combine by recommendations from our scouts and coaches. They are actively out scouting domestic and international players, both at the professional and collegel level, as well as speaking with agents worldwide. We are looking to build the best possible team of players who all have prior experience playing at a highly competitive level. This is important for a brand new franchise.
It is important to have invite-only combines for these players so that we can properly evaluate their play. If you have an experienced playing background at high amateur / college level or at the pro level, please submit your information at our website.
We realize there are talented players out there who may not have had the same opportunities. For those players, we will have scouts present at an open tryout in Orlando January 6-8th run by InfoSport. Representatives from many teams will be at the combine and information on it can be found HERE.
Q: Who is that in the header? I can see number 7 and that’s Steve Wegerle, but who is the other one, I can’t make out the number?
A: The other former Rowdie player adorning our website with Mr. Wegerle would be his fellow South African Neill Roberts. Neill played for the Rowdies in 1980-81 and again in ’84. Roberts was the league’s 24th all-time leading scorer with 156 points in 143 career games. He was also on the Rowdies indoor team from 1980-82.
Neill is still active in the Tampa soccer community and is currently coaching the U13 boys’ team at H.C. United.
Q: With all the info lately on the league and the TOA (Team Owners’ Association) is there any danger of the Rowdies not coming or the season being postponed?
A: It is the goal of all team owners to not have any delays, and we would certainly not postpone a season. The Rowdies continue to move forward for a 2010 start and the quality of the league will continue to get better. The team owners are working hard to ensure that our league is properly structured and set up for continued future growth, both through franchise expansion and player pool development. As soccer history in North America has taught us, it’s important to not just build strong franchises and local markets, but also have a strong and stable league.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 3
08/31/2009 2:50 PM - TBR Staff
 The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in this week with questions. We encourage everyone to head over to our messageboard HERE to further discuss some of these points and other TBR related news.
Q: I was wondering will the Rowdies do an extensive advertising campaign like billboards, sports radio, etc... and will the Rowdies have big sponsorships like, Publix, IKEA, Beef O’Bradys?
A: The Rowdies will have a presence everywhere in the community and will look to develop an effective mix of placement and creativity. From your favorite store or local pub, to print and traditional media advertising, to (if we have our way) our gorilla friends Pickemup & Suckemup in front of State Vacuum in South Tampa. Perry Van Der Beck, TBR Technical Director, will be on ESPN Radio this week doing spots for an upcoming United Way auction the Rowdies are involved with. As we get closer to kick off for next season, you’ll be seeing more of the Rowdies in print and in broadcast, but for now our focus will be on grassroots initiatives, new media applications, and getting out in the community in person to meet with fans face-to-face and prepare for the return of pro soccer to Tampa Bay.
Sponsorships are a big part of any sports team’s business model and essential for the team to build relationships within the community. The Rowdies will certainly have meaningful corporate partners and have already started that process. For the Rowdies though, sponsorship is about legacy and a substantial mutual partnership with the rebirth of Tampa’s first pro sports franchise. We are looking for fewer but more impactful partnerships so that both the team and the sponsor benefit short and long term from the unique reach and history pro soccer maintains. We will work with large national businesses, but welcome more intimate relationships with local / regional businesses and local charities as well. If anyone representing an organization would like to speak with the Rowdies about corporate sponsorships, please contact us at sponsorships@tbrowdies.com.
Q: Can you please advise us about the litigation and what effect, if any, that will have on the team and the name?
A: We are currently unable to discuss specifics until the suit is resolved. To be clear though, the trademark dispute only involves the wordmark and the right to sell merchandise. We feel confident our group did everything needed to secure those rights. Our organization owns the rights to play games and operate a soccer team as the Tampa Bay Rowdies. We may consider different options, but the case will have no effect on the team’s return and operations in 2010.
Q: What kind of fan base are the Rowdies going to be catering to? Are you going to be going after the soccer family crowd, or the “Rowdie” supporters groups?
A: In short, both. Since day one, we have been involved in community programs working with youth soccer programs, local community groups and schools. We have also made sure to have a presence at soccer pubs and interact with various supporter groups during viewing parties, soccer events and other gathering. We are developing strong partnerships with adult sports leagues. It’s our goal that all sports fans in the area feel a sense of ownership in the team and support the Rowdies.
We’re conscious of the unique diversity that exists in the soccer community and will do our best to embrace that diversity so that all fans of the game and even just passive sports fans feel pride in our team and can enjoy the match day experience. Our stadium experience will revolve around fans being up close to the action and enjoying a high standard of attractive soccer. We’ll also focus on the entertainment value of our games and secondary programming, making the games a social event, not just a sporting event. That can include music programming, fan fest and on-field experiences, seating areas for the soccer die-hards (“Rowdie Zone”), family sections, etc. It’s important to deliver a match day experience fans of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy,making Rowdies games the place to be in Tampa once again.
Q: I am interested in working / interning for the Rowdies. Are there any openings?
A: We are currently working on hiring our coaching staff and will then focus on expanding our front office staff and intern team. All job postings can be seen on the Employment Opportunities page of our website located HERE.
We are currently looking for TBR Streetteam members to help spread the word and to help cover lcaol events. Streetteam positions are volunteer positions with possible pay opportunities. If you are interested in joining the TBR Streetteam please check out the listing on the Employment Opportunities page.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 2
08/14/2009 2:01 PM - TBR Staff
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at mailbag@tbrowdies.com.
We have some great questions this week and wanted to thank everyone who took the time to write us. We will be doing our best to answer all of your questions, highlighting some in the bi-weekly TBR Mailbag feature.
We took this week’s questions to our staff to answer, including going back to team Owner and President Andrew Nestor. We look forward to hearing from more of you, and discussing things further with all of you on the message board.
Q: Mr. Nestor, with you taking over responsibilities of GM for the team, could you tell us more about the GM role and qualifications?
AN: There are several aspects of the General Manager position with the two most important tasks being (1) management of soccer and player development operations, and (2) coach and player contract negotiations.
As discussed in the last mailbag, I will be working with our Technical Director, Perry Van Der Beck, and ownership group to hire our head coach. We will then develop our sporting philosophy dictating the type of players we sign, our training curriculum and our player development initiatives.
I will oversee our coaching staff’s efforts in building out our scouting program and, on an ongoing basis, oversee our coaching staff’s leadership and training of our pro club and academy.
I have personal background and knowledge of player and team training through my playing experience and fitness / sports training experience as well. I have a deep understanding of player development options and regulations, as well as the US and foreign soccer markets. I will lean on our soccer and sports medicine experts for recommendations.
I will be the point of contact for all player agents, soccer clubs, and TBR player development affiliates, negotiating player contracts, player loans, and affiliation partnership structures. Van Der Beck and our coaching staff scout players inside and outside of our organization and make player recommendations. I will negotiate player contracts based on our staff’s recommendations using our “secret sauce” and considering the overall marketplace.
I have a finance / investment banking background that has prepared me for this role, including private equity acquisition lending in the hospitality sector, extensive private offering and valuation structuring, and M&A analysis. Our Chairman, Hinds Howard, who I work with to develop team budgets, has experience including primary analysis of a $1+ billion hedge fund, portfolio management, and investment banking experience.
Q: As a season ticket deposit holder when will we be getting updates on how we can purchase season tickets, and where can we buy Rowdies merchandise?
TBR: Once we publically announce our playing venue, we will release the official seating chart and pricing. TBR will directly contact all season ticket depositors to discuss ticket options. We will host a meet-your-seat day for depositors at the stadium to actually see the field and seating lay out and meet our staff.
Merchandise will be available again soon. Merchandise will be available through the website and brick-and-mortar locations. We are currently developing a new private-label online store with a broad array of high-quality products. We are also working with local retail stores to make sure that you will be able to find merchandise at your favorite local shops.
Q: Would the Rowdies be interested in sponsoring our team/event/organization?
TBR: As an organization we are looking forward to being an active member of the Tampa Bay community. We have already been involved in many events, from YMCA camps, school and PTA events, soccer tournaments, and partnering with area charities. We are always looking to get involved where we can. With that said it is not possible for us to sponsor every event. If you have a team/event/organization you would like the Rowdies to be a part of, please contact Andrew Suggs at partnerships@tbrowdies.com.
Q: Will there be any future watch parties or gatherings where we can meet the owners?
TBR: As things progress, there are plans for many different watch parties and events where there will be the chance to meet fellow soccer supporters, TBR Owners, players, management and staff. Events will be held throughout the Tampa Bay area in various traditional and nontraditional venues. As an organization, we look forward to meeting as many fans as possible. We will host several different events this fall as we gear up toward next season, including meet-your-seat night at the stadium for season ticket holders, nights to meet and interact with players and coaches, a jersey premiere party, US National team viewing parties, regular Rowdies Pub Nights, soccer beach days and more. Stay tuned for more details.
TBR Mailbag Vol. 1
07/29/2009 7:00 AM - TBR Staff
Our staff has enjoyed meeting many of you at our season ticket depositor event, Rowdies Day at USF Soccer Stadium, our youth camps and clinics at the YMCA, United Way and Boys & Girls Club, and the other community events we have participated in.
Our organization has been working tirelessly behind the scenes laying the groundwork and infrastructure of the team, preparing ourselves to be a model franchise for years to come and deliver the absolute best possible fan experience.
Through speaking with you at these events and via the emails we have received, we know that many of you are anxious for more information on the team’s development. As a fan, we understand it can become frustrating hearing rumors and waiting on official confirmation and announcements. Unfortunately, with any business, we are not always able to release information until certain times or until deals are completely finalized. However, we remain on our planned course for the rebirth of professional soccer in Tampa Bay and we certainly want to keep you as informed as possible.
With all this in mind, we have taken several of your questions to team Owner and President Andrew Nestor in our first official TBR Mailbag session. We hope this will give you some insight into the process of starting a franchise and the work we’ve been doing behind the scenes. We invite you to write in with questions to mailbag@tbrowdies.com. Our staff will be answering questions on a bi-weekly basis.
Q: What's the deal with the stadium? I haven't heard much since the town meeting.
Andrew Nestor: After the Board of County Commissioner’s land use hearing, we told the public that we would be playing in an existing venue for our first season. Since our hearing, we have been privately working on a short-term stadium solution and long-term home for a new stadium.
We are very close to announcing where we’ll be playing in 2010. We’ve been weighing the options of several venues to make sure we deliver the absolute best fan experience for Rowdies games and ensure a stable future for the team. What I can tell you now is that it will be a stadium with a professional environment … there will not be anything amateur about it. We have some great options and are looking forward to making an announcement that will excite our fan base.
As for our planned new soccer stadium, we are doing diligence on an ideal, centrally located site. Developing a stadium is obviously a long and sensitive process and so far requires confidentiality to ensure that all aspects of the project can be properly worked out. We have no desire to build a stadium in a remote, non-central location. Our plan has always been to build a small venue, appropriate for soccer, which can be an asset and focal point of the Tampa Bay community.
I hope that our fan base can recognize the amount of effort and resources that we’ve poured into this process. We have been working on a stadium for about a year and a half working with a world class architectural firm based in Washington D.C. The plans and vision we have for the stadium has not changed and we believe our project will be a great development to help capture the essence of Tampa Bay culture and be a catalyst for economic and social development.
Q: When are you going to be signing players and a coach?
AN: We have been working on building our team for a year and half now, starting before we publicly announced the team. Our first hire was Perry Van Der Beck. Perry, former Rowdies star and MLS head coach, is the team’s Technical Director. His direct involvement with our pro team is scouting and player evaluation. Perry will also work on our player development / academy programs and community outreach programs.
I will serve as the team’s general manager. The role of the general manager is to work with Perry and our head coach on developing the team’s core sporting philosophy that will dictate the type of players we sign and our training curriculum for player development. Perry, our head coach and scouting staff will then recruit appropriate players for our club. My job is to take our soccer staff’s evaluation of players (quality, age, team role, etc.) and negotiate player contracts.
To date, we’ve attended several player combines. We are also working on development of a reserve team that will be located in another part of the country. This team will serve as both a feeder system for prospects and a reserve club for players that need rehab or talent development before joining our USL-1 club.
The past couple of months have been spent meeting with agents from around the world and researching players and contract specifics. When developing a team and negotiating contracts, it’s extremely important to study the marketplace and develop benchmarks for player valuation. It’s also important to recognize our team’s exact needs and find the right roster balance of veteran’s, stars, and prospects.
We are currently building a “wish list” of veteran players that we’d want as cornerstones for our new club. There is also a great pool of young, established players that will help us win. We feel confident with our connections, the right staff, and proper team building, we can be a winning club.
We have a short list of potential head coaches and we are currently having discussions with those candidates. Our head coach candidates have significant playing and coaching experience including managing for national teams and English Premier League academies and playing for top clubs around the world.
As for signing players, we can’t really sign good players until the fall as the majority of the players we will sign are currently playing for professional clubs and still in season under contract. For players that are not currently under contract, we will scout those players at future combines held in December and January leading up to the MLS Super Draft.
Q: My friend has a tryout with the Rowdies and I'd like to tryout as well. Are there any open combines coming up?
AN: We have decided to host four select, invite-only combines. I’m proud that we’ve given ourselves ample time to develop our program in a manner that we believe can set us apart from the rest. We are currently receiving player profiles / resumes from players and agents. We are also actively scouting prospects. After evaluating submittals, we will invite players to our combines. No one has been officially invited to tryout yet.
We plan on hosting two combines in Tampa, one is California, and one in the UK. We’d want nothing more than to discover great local talent, so players with solid credentials should certainly submit their info via our website tbrowdies.com.
Q: When are you going to premiere the new jerseys?
AN: We are still working on our Kit / Apparel partnership. This is complicated by the potential for a league-wide sponsor. Once that is settled, we will finalize the design decisions specifically for our club.
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