ST. PETERSBURG (970 WFLA) -- A win for the Rowdies, not on the grass, but at the polls.
The turnout was light, but supporters of bringing Major League Soccer ran up the score, delivering overwhelming support at the polls for the city to lease Al Lang Stadium to the Rowdies.
Those who did vote went 87-13 percent to allow the city to negotiate a long term lease for Al Lang Stadium with the Rowdies.. Team owner Bill Edwards says he plans to pay for a stadium upgrade himself.
The Rowdies hope to move to Major League Soccer, the top tier soccer league in the U-S. MLS says it's taking at most, four expansion teams over the next few years. About a dozen teams have applied to join.
The city says overall turnout for the referendum came in around 17 percent, with about 90 percent of that number voting by mail.