Michel Kuipers

Michel Kuipers (born 26 June 1974) is a Dutch retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Prior to football he served with the Dutch Marine Corps. He became a football agent after finishing his playing career.

Michel Kuipers
Personal information
Full name Michel Kuipers[1]
Date of birth (1974-06-26) 26 June 1974[1]
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
– Blauw-Wit Amsterdam
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
000?–1999 SDW ? (?)
1999–2000 Bristol Rovers 1 (0)
2000 → Chester City (loan) 0 (0)
2000–2010 Brighton & Hove Albion 247 (0)
2003 → Hull City (loan) 3 (0)
2005 → Boston United (loan) 4 (0)
2006 → Boston United (loan) 11 (0)
2010–2013 Crawley Town 41 (0)
2013 Barnet 0 (0)
Total 307 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Born in Amsterdam, Kuipers started his footballing career with Sterk Door Wilskracht (SDW), before moving to England in 1999 to join Bristol Rovers, where he spent 16 months.[2][1]

In June 2000 he joined Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer, and quickly established himself as number one and became a firm fans' favourite because of his quick reactions, shot-stopping abilities and outgoing style. Kuipers suffered several career-threatening injuries during his time at Withdean, being injured in a car crash in 2003,[3] and a severe shoulder injury in 2005.[4]

Kuipers twice left the club on loan during his time at Brighton. He joined Hull City on loan during the 2003–04 season (before his return to Albion and subsequent car crash) and joined Boston United on loan during the 2005–06 season, to regain match fitness after recovering from his shoulder injury. In 2008, he played a big part in Brighton's upset victory against Manchester City in the League Cup, saving Michael Ball's effort in the penalty shoot-out.[5] The following month he saved another decisive penalty in a shoot-out; this time from Leyton Orient's Luke Ashworth in the Football League Trophy.[6]

In the 2007/08 season he was ever present in the goal playing all 46 league matches.[7] This good form led to a new two-year contract that expired in June 2010.[8] On 19 May 2010, he signed for fellow Sussex club Crawley Town.[9] Kuipers' career with Crawley did not start well, being sent off twice during the first month of the season against Grimsby Town[10] and Forest Green Rovers.[11] He started in Crawley's match against Manchester United F.C.[12] On 25 January 2013, his contract at Crawley was terminated by mutual consent.[13]

On 28 March 2013, Kuipers signed a short-term deal with Barnet until the end of the season.[14] He featured on the bench for all the remaining games that season as cover for first choice keeper Graham Stack. He was released at the end of the season.[15]

References
  1. Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 355. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. (in Dutch) Amsterdamse marinier zag in Engeland zijn droom uitkomen, nrc.nl, 19 augustus 2010
  3. "Kuipers injured in car crash". The Argus. 20 November 2003. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  4. "Sussex help out Albion". Sussex County Cricket Club. 16 February 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  5. Szczepanik, Nick (25 September 2008). "Michel Kuipers the hero as Brighton rock Manchester City". The Times. London. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  6. "Albion 2, Orient 2: Seagulls' relief after penalty win". theargus.co.uk. 8 October 2008.
  7. "First Team". Brighton & Hove Alvion F.C. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  8. "Kuipers signs new Seagulls deal". BBC Sport. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  9. "Boss lands his Number 1 Target". Crawley Town F.C. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  10. "Crawley Town 0–1 Grimsby". BBC Sport. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  11. "Crawley Town 1–0 Forest Green Rovers". BBC Sport. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  12. "Man Utd 1–0 Crawley". BBC Sport. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  13. Goalkeeper Michel Kuipers departs Crawley Town
  14. "BARNET SIGN MICHEL KUIPERS". Barnet F.C. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  15. 2013/14 Retained List Archived 12 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine


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