The rivalry began in May of 1977. Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale were still introducing many Americans to the sport, and quickly spurred a rivalry that would span nearly five decades.
The match was billed as the Florida Derby and drew upwards of 40,000 fans on several occasions. Few teams in American soccer can claim such history.
The latest and 114th meeting between the two clubs was played on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium and ended in a 2-1 victory for the Rowdies. It was their 62nd all-time win against the Strikers.
And no one man knows the Florida Derby as well as Keith Savage. He’s participated in the derby 14 times, scoring five goals. A Florida native, he's the son of Bruce Savage, a member of the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in the 1980s, and recently reached a career milestone, making his 100th appearance as a member of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Savage joined the Rowdies in 2011 and exceeded league norms by recording 102 appearances as a member of the team as of Saturday. Savage reached the landmark of 100 matches while playing on the road, but Ralph’s Mob was there to greet him on Saturday and commemorate his achievement.
“What a gift, what a special night,” Savage said after the match. “Before the game … I was trying to concentrate. I knew it would give me a little extra, and I was excited to play.”
Savage’s commitment to the team, a rarity in today’s sports, was honored by the fans before the match. A 24-by-30-foot banner was raised by Ralph’s Mob depicting Savage, jersey ripped, holding the head of the Ft. Lauderdale Striker’s mascot with the words “Issue 100” across the bottom. The tifo – or display by the fans – was the Mob’s largest yet.
“About 12 people worked on it, with easily over 100 man hours between sewing, design and painting,” Mob drummer George Retkes said. According to Mob vice president Stephen Cundiff, the pulley system used to hoist the mammoth banner was made by shooting t-shirts tied to ropes out of t-shirt cannons over the stadium.
Savage returned to play only four weeks ago after being sidelined by injury for a year. He scored his first goal since returning Saturday and will now join the prestigious 100-club of the Rowdies. He is joined by current teammate Frankie Sanfilippo and former Rowdie, Takuya Yamada.
In typical Keith Savage fashion, he entered the post-game conference with a grin on his face and began his interview the same as always.
“You guys know, first I’ve got to give God all the glory.”
He’s also glad the spotlight on him won’t last too long.
“Now I’m thankful the spotlight will be moved on to Georgie [Hristov] and I hope another special night and big win will come to him,” Savage said. Forward Georgie Hristov is next in line to make 100 appearances as a Rowdie.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2016.