Monthly Archives: July 2011

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John Crawley

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Today, we have had a photographer in from a national newspaper to photograph John Crawley upon his signing with Stirling Albion FC.  John is a sports consultant with FirstPoint USA having been through the programme himself.  He was placed on a soccer scholarship both in New York and Las Vegas. 
  
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Chris Nellaney interview

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Are you going out to the USA on an athletic scholarship?  Or….are you considering it?
Check out this interview with Chris Nellaney, from our Clearing Department as he reflects on his experiences both in the USA as a former FirstPointUSA client, and as a member of staff.

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Paul Goodwin resigns from Stirling Albion

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Managing Director of FirstPointUSA, Paul Goodwin, who was at the forefront of the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust’s campaign to buy the club has resigned as a director with immediate effect.

 

He said: 
“I am really proud of what I have helped achieve for Stirling Albion. Not just the campaign to become the first senior fan owned club in Scotland which gained support from football fans across the world, the community and sponsors; but lots more since The Trust took control of the club’s day to day operations. Last year we produced a significant profit and created many innovative campaigns that put the club in the spotlight resulting in a massive increase in commercial revenue and a higher profile worldwide, something that is extremely difficult to do in the current climate. We also came to an arrangement regarding the long term future lease of the club and its outstanding debts with Stirling Council. This will now allow me to concentrate on my role as Managing Director of FirstpointUSA which will be a great new challenge.
“One of the principles of fan-owned clubs is that Supporters Trusts have the ability to make changes to their club based on its members’ views. The Stirling Albion Supporters Trust now has different view on the future direction of the club to me so it is only right and proper that I move on and the Trust members continue to take the club forward. Having seen the club achieve so much in a short period of time I strongly believe that I am leaving a club with a strong platform to build on, both within the local community and on the commercial front. Those taking the club’s future forward have a great opportunity to take what has been achieved to date and to build on it. I wish everyone at Stirling Albion well.”
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Craig Sutherland

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Former FirstPoint USA client, Craig Sutherland has signed to Championship club, Blackpool after turning down Reading.

Craig, from Edinburgh, was placed on a soccer scholarship four years ago to Midwestern State University (NCAA Division II, Texas) through FirstPoint USA.

Check out this article about Craig from the Blackpool FC website

Blackpool’s latest signing Craig Sutherland admits his move to Blackpool is a dream come true after making his debut in the 2-0 victory over Hibernian.
Remarkably, after spending the last four years studying in America and playing college football, Sutherland sent off hundreds of DVD’s to clubs in England and Scotland in hope of forging a career in the professional game.
Fate appears to have swung in his favour after Ian Holloway’s wife Kim watched the clips of the striker in action and asked the Blackpool boss to take a closer look and the rest as they say is history.
“Four weeks ago I was wondering what I was going to be doing with my life after finishing college – I finished studying at Midwestern State University in Texas and playing college football there and then sent off hundreds of DVD’s.
“My dad then got a phone call from Ollie out of the blue and at first I didn’t believe him, I thought it was one of my friends pretending to be him.
“He then rang me and I was asking him questions to try and catch him out but after that I came to Blackpool, spoke to him and I didn’t hesitate to sign,” he said.
The Seasiders beat off the attentions of a host of clubs in England and Scotland to secure his signature, a quite incredible scenario for a player who prior to his move had never played for a professional club.
Photograph sourced from www.blackpoolfc.co.uk

While some would perhaps be nervous at the prospect of joining a dressing room containing several high-profile names, Sutherland appears to have taken it all in his stride with an impressive and lively cameo display, capped off with an assist for Billy Clarke’s late goal.

And to complete the fairytale, his first outing in tangerine came against the club he supported as a young boy and the very same side he was due to train with next week.
“Surprisingly I wasn’t really nervous at all, I’ve played in front of a couple of thousand in America but I guess when this place fills up it might start to kick in a little bit.
“It’s crazy the way it’s all turned around, I supported Hibs as a boy and it’s gone from me going to train with them next week to me making my debut for Blackpool against them tonight,” he added.
We would love to congratulate Craig on signing with Blackpool, and wish him every success in the future!
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Showcase!

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2011 Soccer Showcase


The Countdown is on….




Time is ticking…and the countdown is on until this years’ FirstpointUSA showcase games to be held from 14th-16th December at the Soccer dome in London.

This is a very exciting event for everyone connected with FirstpointUSA as this is the first time we will be inviting all our soccer clients from all over the world to play at one of the best indoor sporting arenas in Europe. This is a huge opportunity for all our talented players to showcase their talents in front of college coaches from schools all over the United States.
Please stay tuned to the blog for more information and updates about the event. 

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Man of the Match – London Client Game Friday 23rd July 2011

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Thank you to all those who participated in our Client Games for Men’s Soccer on Friday, at North Herts Arena in London. 
We are pleased to announce our coaches choice of Man of the Match from each side:
Craig Hughes, FPUSA Client Services representative, has chosen:
Sam Butterworth, White 3
Looked calmed and composed in possession. Solid defensively and looked comfortable on both left and right side.
Jack Moore, White, 1
Some great saves from point blank range. Everything you’d look for in a goalkeeper, good distribution, commanding and very vocal.
Sports Consultant, Simone Enrici has chosen:
JJ Lofthouse Smith, Red, 3
JJ played a variety of positions including left back, centre half and holding midfielder (Makelele role).
Kept the game simple, made some crucial tackles, showed leadership throughout the day. Very good overall performance.
Kyaius Grant, Red 3
Great engine up and down the left hand side. Although his side did not get the result, Kayuis showed terrific work ethic, always gives 100%. 

Well done to our Men of the Match, and also to everyone who participated.  Once again, the standard was very high!

You can join in the twitter conversation pool about this client game with the hashtag #LonClient1
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Dave McPherson

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Visiting the office today is Dave McPherson, pictured here with FirstPointUSA founder and chief executive, Andrew Kean.
McPherson began his football career at Gartcosh United before starting his professional career with boyhood favourites Rangers in 1980, breaking into the first team while still a teenager. His impressive form ensured he achieved Under 21 recognition, as well as a place in the Rangers 1st team, by 1983. 
Photo: Stuart Franklin 1993
McPherson then played for Hearts from 1987, helping Hearts achieve regular high league finishes while enhancing his own reputation. Within two years he became both a Scotland international and club captain. However, despite several close calls, the Jambos were unable to break their trophy famine, and when debts began to rise, McPherson, by then the club’s most valuable asset, was sold back to Rangers in 1992, for £1.3m.
McPherson’s second spell at Rangers was much more successful than the first, as he helped Walter Smith’s dominant side achieve the treble in 1992-93, then a double in the 1993-94 season. 
Financial troubles at Hearts dictated McPherson’s next move, as he returned to the Edinburgh club in part exchange for Alan McLaren, Rangers also paying Hearts £1.25m. By now approaching the veteran stage, McPherson played an important role in nurturing Hearts’ next generation of defenders such as Paul Ritchie and Gary Locke. He also helped the club to victory in the 1998 Scottish Cup, their first silverware in 36 years.
After leaving Tynecastle in the summer of 1999, McPherson wound down his playing career in Australia with Carlton S.C. in Melbourne.
McPherson was first selected to play for Scotland against Cyprus on 26 April 1989, a match Scotland won 2-1 at Hampden Park. Despite remaining a relative novice at international level, he was selected in the Scotland squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, appearing in all three group games as Scotland just missed qualification. McPherson’s solid performances resulted in him then becoming a fixture in the national side, missing only qualifying 1 game as Scotland reached the 1992 Euro Championships. He started all three group matches in Sweden.
resource – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_McPherson_%28footballer%29
http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=42100
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Congratulations to John Crawley and Sam Filler

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STIRLING ALBION SIGN TWO PLAYERS FROM ITS ‘SO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH?’ TRIAL
21 July 2011:  Two players who took part in Stirling Albion’s ‘So You Think You’re Good Enough’ football trial have been signed by the club.
Goalkeeper Sam Filler and defender John Crawley impressed the club’s management team of Jocky Scott and John Blackley throughout an extended trial period that included five weeks of intense training and five matches, including one against Rangers.
Jocky Scott said: “I’m delighted.  Both Sam and John have earned their contracts and I’m pleased to have them in the squad for the coming season.  They are not here to make up the numbers and they know that I expect them to be competing for a starting position every week.
“My thanks go out to everyone that took part in this trial.  From the first day right through to the final cut against Cliftonville last Saturday everyone who took part showed a commitment to succeed that was admirable.  I wish everyone good luck in the future.”
 
John Crawley, 27, is from Glasgow and spent four years in the US on a FirstPoint USA football scholarship while studying at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.  He was once on the books of Motherwell as youngster.
Sam Filler, 20, is originally from Leeds but is currently a student at Stirling University, where he played last season. Prior to that Sam was on the books at Middlesborough and Bradford City.

Stirling Albion, the only senior, fan owned football club in Scotland, launched its ‘So You Think You’re Good Enough’ initiative in an effort to uncover new talent for its squad for season 2011-12.
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