“Soccer is a kick in the grass”

“Soccer is a kick in the grass” is a jocular line that has been printed on bumper stickers. The saying was a slogan of the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League (NASL), and was announced with the team name in the St. Petersburg (FL) Times on November 22, 1974.
 
“Soccer is a kick in the grass” is sometimes thought to be a generic saying, but the Rowdies filed for a trademark in November 1974. The old NASL Rowdies folded in 1993, but the new NASL Rowdies (from 2010) still use the slogan.
 
     
Wikipedia: Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, United States. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. The Rowdies are a member of the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, and play their home games at Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.
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When plans for a new professional soccer team in the area were announced in 2008, the club planned to be called the “Tampa Bay Rowdies”, the same name used from 1975 to 1993 by Tampa’s franchise in the old North American Soccer League
     
Google News Archive
22 November 1974, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Rowdies…Tampa soccer team named” by Ron Martz, pg. 7-C, col. 1:
The motto for the team will be “Soccer is a kick in the grass,” and the colors will be green and yellow.
 
Google Books
Soccer U.S.A.
By Chuck Cascio
Washington, DC: R.B. Luce
1975
Pg. 127:
Tampa also came up with a most engaging slogan: “Soccer is a Kick in the Grass!”
 
Google Books
The Education of an American Soccer Player
By Shep Messing with David Hirshey
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead
1978    
Pg. 8:
They wore soccer shirts emblazoned with a favorite player’s name and number, T- shirts carrying such slogans as “Soccer is a kick in the grass” and “Soccer players do it for 90 minutes.”
 
Google Books
Sports Roots:
How Nicknames, Namesakes, Trophies, Competitions, and Expressions in the World of Sports Came to Be
By Harvey Frommer
New York, NY: Atheneum
1979
Pg. 4:
The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League proclaim: “Soccer is a kick in the grass.”
 
Google News Archive
7 June 1981, Gainesville (FL) Sun, “Bumper Stickers Sub for Communication” by Arline Greer, pg. 6E, col. 3:
The car owners’ favorite sport decorates his bumper with sayings like “Soccer is a kick in the grass”; ...
 
Google Books
Cases in Canadian Marketing
By Nicolas G. Papadopoulos
Toronto, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Limited
1988
Pg. 189:
The Tampa Bay Rowdies created the almost continuously utilized promotional message, “Soccer is a kick in the grass,” especially for the use on bumper stickers.
     
Soccer Is A Kick In The Grass
Soccer is a Kick in the Grass - North America’s longest running soccer radio show!
With the success of the 1994 World Cup in the USA, former Rochester Lancers owner Charlie Schiano began the first ever soccer talk show in North America, “Soccer is a Kick in the Grass”, the name of the show inspired by the theme song of the Tampa Bay Rowdies from the NASL. Charlie was joined in that 1st season by the former play-by-play voice of the Lancers, Wayne Fuller, and future Rochester Rhinos’ play-by-play man Joe Giuliano.
 
Google Books
Soccer in a Football World
By Dave Wangerin
London: WSC Books, Ltd.
2006
Pg. 171:
The Rowdies installed a Wurlitzer organ in their stadium and commissioned a team song to accompany their ubiquitous slogan, ‘Soccer is a kick in the grass’.
 
Twitter
Jenny Kristine
‏@jennygadget
Growing up my dad had a poster that said “soccer is a kick in the grass.”  I think I was in college before I was finally all “OH!”
7:22 PM - 17 Oct 2015
 
Twitter
Minnesota Kicks ‏@ace_ntsoelengoe May 17
@davelang125 The Rowdies did have a pretty good logo.
 
Dave.Lang
‏@davelang125
@ace_ntsoelengoe green-yellow were at least different colors for a sports team and their saying “Soccer is a kick in the grass” was cool.
5:44 PM - 17 May 2016
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark SOCCER IS A KICK IN THE GRASS
Goods and Services (EXPIRED) IC 041. US 107. G & S: ORGANIZING, PROMOTING, AND CONDUCTING SOCCER GAMES. FIRST USE: 19741104. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19741104
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 73038211
Filing Date November 26, 1974
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Registration Number 1029601
Registration Date January 6, 1976
Owner (REGISTRANT) TAMPA BAY INTERNATIONAL SOCCER CLUB, INC. CORPORATION FLORIDA 13613 TWIN LAKE LANE TAMPA FLORIDA 33624
(LAST LISTED OWNER) Tampa Bay Soccer Club, Inc. UNKNOWN Tampa FLORIDA
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Disclaimer THE WORD “SOCCER” IS DISCLAIMED EXCEPT AS PART OF THE MARK IN ITS ENTIRETY.
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR).
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD