ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you’ve ever been to Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete for a Rowdies games, you’ve probably heard a very loud group cheering on the home team.
- Ralph’s Mob is the supporters group of the Tampa Bay Rowdies
- The group is selling pride scarves to raise money for Metro-Inclusive Health
- Hope to help the community and bring more fans out to home games
They’re Ralph’s Mob. They love their Rowdies.
They also love their community. And they’re showing it through a soccer scarf. They designed it to raise money and awareness for Pride Month, while also promoting acceptance and equality.
“We have a campaign this year to raise money for goals scored at home and then also selling these scarves,” said Treasurer and CFO of Ralph’s Mob Mike Pendleton. “All the profits will be going locally to Metro-Inclusive Health.”
The goal is to sell 100 scarves, and Ralph’s Mob is nearly there. With every purchase and every pledge, the Pride scarves are being seen all over Al Lang.
“This is for the love of the community, the love of the team,” said Ralph’s Mob President and CEO Jesse Novoa. “It’s for the love of the players.”
“We know Pride is such a big part of Tampa Bay, a big part of St. Pete, and we just wanted to do what we could,” said Pendleton.
Ralph’s Mob is now in its 10th season. And with every passing year, the group gets bigger and louder.
More importantly to its organizers, it’s a group with fans from almost every type of background.
“We welcome everybody. So we try to reflect that in our group,” said Novoa. “It is all-inclusive; we don’t exclude anybody of race, religion, gender, preference, anything!”
Ralph’s Mob knows the Rowdies are a young and fun team in a young and fun city.
They’re hoping this small gesture, done with great love, will lead to big results – including more fans in the stands for home games.
“You kind of are part of it. You are part of the experience, you are part of the atmosphere, and it’s just something you really can’t get in any of the other sports,” said Pendleton.
Carl Zee, a member of Ralph’s Mob says the group feels more like a family.
“We all argue with each other, we all talk sports with each other. It’s a great group,” said Zee.
And Ralph’s Mob wants you to know when you’re at a Rowdies game, you’re welcomed into their crazy family with open arms.
“Hopefully we can build the tent a little bit bigger and everybody can know that they are welcome to come out to see the Rowdies with us in the stadium,” said Pendleton.