Wednesday 19 January 2011
FC Tampa Bay announced today that Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg will be their home for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. FCTB kicks off the 2011 regular season on April 9th at Al Lang against future MLS team Montreal Impact.
Al Lang, with a capacity of more than 7,000, is situated on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront between the newly-renovated Dali Museum and St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The stadium previously was home to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays for spring training from 1998-2008, along with several Florida State League minor league teams during the regular season.
Over the years, several other Major League Baseball teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, have used the stadium as their headquarters for spring training. The stadium will be converted from baseball to soccer, including removal of the baseball infield, and the field layout will provide excellent sightlines and close proximity for fans.
«St. Petersburg is proud to welcome FC Tampa Bay to its new home here at Al Lang Stadium,» said Mayor Bill Foster. «Attracting new sporting events to the city, and particularly to Al Lang is one of my primary goals. I wish to thank the leadership of FC Tampa Bay for selecting our city, and thank the members of the St. Petersburg Sports Alliance for their work in this endeavor.»
“Al Lang Stadium is an ideal home for us. FC Tampa Bay will be the stadium’s primary tenant and the stadium will be properly fitted for professional soccer,” said FC Tampa Bay President and Owner Andrew Nestor. “We look forward to playing at Al Lang and partnering with the City of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Baseball Commission to create an exceptional gameday experience for our fans and partners.”
FCTB will start its full team training camp and preseason on March 1, 2011. The team will play four to five preseason games throughout the Tampa Bay area. Season ticket packages and group tickets will go on sale in February and single-game tickets will go on sale in March. Season tickets can be reserved today with a $100 deposit by calling (813) 287-1539 or emailing tickets@fctampabay.com.
