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Mirror "Redknapp has beaten Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign QPR's 16-year-old keeper Liam O'Brien. " Mirror
Yanks Abroad/Chad Winger - FORMER FIRE KEEPER PICKENS JOINS HOOPS
Chad Winger - Friday, February 8, 2008
Championship team Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of free agent goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Pickens, 25, who refused overtures from Chicago Fire after his deal expired on December 31st, also trialed with Norwich City and Preston North End before settling with the Londoners.
"Pickens has joined us until the end of the season," a spokesperson for QPR Press Officer Ian Taylor confirmed to YA. "He performed well in a brief showing for us, and he will now be with us until June."
"Both parties will evaluate a potential extension after the season."
Pickens, who will attempt to unseat incumbent keeper Lee Camp at Loftus Road, appeared in 45 matches for Chicago, 13 of which were shutouts. Yanks Abroad
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids announced today that JUERGEN SOMMER has been named the team’s Director of Soccer and GARY SMITH has been added to the club as an Assistant Coach.
In his newly-created position, Sommer will work closely with the coaching staff and General Manager Charlie Wright on scouting, the Rapids youth academy, and operational aspects of the club in accordance with MLS rules and guidelines. The Rapids will also see the benefits of Sommer’s addition, as he will work directly with the first team goalkeepers...
“Juergen’s and Gary’s backgrounds as coaches and players will prove to be valuable assets to our team and our business,” said Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush.
“With the contributions they will make to our on-pitch performance as part of our technical staff, we are a better club with their additions. As importantly, both are quality individuals who are committed to helping us reach our stated goal of becoming a premier team.”
A former NCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, Sommer has spent the last two years working as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, Indiana University. He also has recently served as the goalkeeper coach for the U.S. Men's National Team. Sommer earned 10 international caps with the U.S. National Team from 1990 to 1998. Following his playing career at Indiana, Sommer signed with Luton Town of the English First Division in 1991. He led Luton Town to the FA Cup semifinals in 1993 and was named the English goalkeeper of the year that season.
In 1995, he became the first American goalkeeper to play in the English Premier League when he suited up for Queens Park Rangers. Sommer returned to the U.S. and played in the MLS from 1998-2002 with the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution. He played 54 games in his MLS career, making 249 saves. Sommer was named to the All-Star team his final year in MLS. While with the Revolution, he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Harvard University. Sommer was the 1990 NCAA adidas Goalkeeper of the Year and led the 1988 IU team to an NCAA Championship.
Smith comes to the Rapids with ten years of experience as a professional player and full-time coach in the English FA. A UEFA “A” badge holder, he recently served as the reserve team coach for English Premier League’s Watford Football Club. Smith’s background also includes coaching with Wycombe Wanderers Football Club and Wimbledon Football Club, both located in London, England, throughout the past decade. Colorado Rapids
Essex Gazette - Ademola Bankole is not a happy man.
His team Nigeria have just endured their worst African Nations Cup display for 25 years, after disappointingly losing at the quarter-final stage to ten-man Ghana.
For goalkeeper Bankole, who is working at Colchester United as a temporary goalkeeper coach, to see the country he represented bow out of the tournament so meekly was something of a let down. "When we're attacking, we're a little bit laid back," reasoned Bankole, after watching the two-time winners bow out of the competition.
While he is naturally disappointed with the Super Eagles' showing, the 38-year-old believes the influx of African talent in English football will increase over the coming years.....
While he remains a keen follower of Nigeria's footballing fortunes, Bankole is now an established figure in English football.
He has been a goalkeeper in England for some 13 years, taking in the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Crewe Alexandra and Grimsby Town, where he was nicknamed George' by the then Mariners boss, Alan Buckley. Bankole also represented Bradford City on loan during their Premier League days, where he was a team-mate of current U's keeper, Aidan Davison.
The pair struck up a good friendship while at Valley Parade, so much so that Bankole was the first person Davison thought of when he was searching for someone to cover him at goalkeeper coach at Layer Road, following his shoulder operation last month.
"I'm a good friend of Aidan's," said Bankole, who also works for the Football Association coaching Level One goalkeepers.
"I know him from when we were playing for Bradford City when they were in the Premier League.
"I went to Bradford as cover for three months.
"We've stayed friends since then and we've played against one another a few times too, so we've always stayed in touch." Gazette
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Four QPR Goalies in the News - O'Brien, Pickens, Juergen Sommer and Bankole
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2008
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February
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- Ex-QPR's Stefan Moore Joins Walsall
- QPR vs Stoke...Stoke Signing....No Curtis to Hull....
- Ireland Not Playing at Loftus Road...Sinclair Join...
- Ex-QPR's Liam O'Brien Explains Why He Joined Ports...
- Clarke Carlisle's on How Alcohol Rehab Clinic Chan...
- Walton, Curtis and Clement at Hull...Portishead Fo...
- Ex-QPR Danny Murphy Returns to Ireland...AFC Wimbl...
- De Canio's QPR Plans
- Perspectives of Ainsworth, Vine and Delaney
- Former QPR, Nick Ward Extends Australian Stay
- QPR's Point at Barnsley - Additional Match Reports
- Flavior Briatore Speaks About QPR (and Other Thin...
- QPR Draw at Barnsley - Reports and Comments
- Recent QPR Loanee, Bob Malcolm Joins Motherwell.
- De Canio Settling in...Ephraim Happy to Be Here
- Deaths Announced of Two Former QPR Players - RIP
- Nick Ward Set to Sign
- Buzsaky on Joining QPR, QPR Promotion Prospects an...
- Ex-QPRs - Steffan Moore Trial...Gallen Reaches Wem...
- Fanzine Awards Voting Ends Tomorrow
- Seven Year Flashback: Ian Holloway Appointed QPR M...
- Barnsley vs QPR Preview
- QPR's Liam O'Brien Signs for Portsmouth - Official...
- QPR Hire Goalkeeping Coach
- QPR Six Months Ago and a Year Ago
- Updated QPR Odds: Relegation, Promotion and Champions
- Ex-QPR Snippets: Steffan Moore...Frank Clarke....P...
- QPR's Home Draw Against Sheffield United - Reports...
- Briatore and Ecclestone on QPR
- Andrew Howell: Two Years Ago Made the Squad Play S...
- Sheffield United vs QPR - Previews
- Snippets: Chris Kamara on QPR's Promotion Chances....
- Three Ex-QPR Birthdays: Ian Dawes, Andy Gray and J...
- QPR vs Sheffield United: United's Last Visit to Lo...
- The Allen Family - Three Generations
- Marking A Decade Since the Death of Robbie James
- QPR Fanzine Awards Nominations
- Andy Sinton Profiled and Rembers His QPR Experience
- Snippets - Mittal's QPR Involvement
- QPR's De Canio on Additional Player Loans
- Steffan Moore Returns to England...Nick Ward Set t...
- Ainsworth Still Wanted as a QPR Player and on Bein...
- Agyemang on His Scoring Streak - Best Since Rodney...
- Ex-QPR Richard Pacquette Speaks About Liverpool an...
- Ex-QPR Danny Cullip On Gillingham ...Son of QPR to...
- Loftus Road Rumoured Site for Ireland Game...Peter...
- QPR Snippets and Flashback One Year "Kinnear for G...
- Italians who have Managed in Britain
- Meanwhile, Back in Portugal...
- Flashback: 35 Years Ago Today, Stan Bowles' First ...
- QPR Stats - Agtemang among Leading Scorers...Used ...
- "Flashback" - Seven Years Since Gerry Francis Resi...
- Photos of QPR in Portugal and Gareth Ainsworth is ...
- QPR's Pre-1967 Goal Machine, Brian Bedford Profile...
- Snippets: couple of Ex-QPR Birthdays..Yet Another ...
- Snippets: A Brace of Goals for Ex-QPR Steffan Moore
- QPR's Squad Off to Portugal
- QPR's Spending on Agents Fees - Latest Report
- Snippets: Team Off to Portugal...Changing Face of ...
- League's Football Agents Report Due?...QPR's Owner...
- Snippets: Ainsworth on Burnley and Bolder...Stand-...
- Chelsea's Ben Sahar Talks about His QPR Experience
- QPR's Crash at Home to Burnley - Reports and Comments
- Tonight's Teams - QPR vs Burnley
- Connolly and Vine Happy to Have Joined QPR
- QPR-Burnley Preview II: When Played Burnley Last, ...
- Flashback: One Year ago, Lee Camp Joined on Loan.....
- Previewing Burnley's Trip to QPR - No Clarke Carlisle
- QPR's Pat Agyemang Again Makes Championship Team o...
- Football League's "Goals Report" - QPR Supporters'...
- QPR's Odds of Winning Promotion
- QPR's Southampton Win: Further Match Reports
- Snippets: Nardiello on QPR...Ex-QPR John O'Rourke ...
- QPR's Financial Situation Under its New Owners: Be...
- QPR and Pakistan's Zesh Rehman Cited in Article "W...
- Fulham's David Healy to QPR?
- QPR's Victory Over Southampton - Match Reports
- QPR Win at Southampton...Now Six Points From Playo...
- Teams: Southampton vs QPR - QPR's American goalie,...
- " Pickens Heads to England to Live Out A Dream"......
- Four QPR Goalies in the News - O'Brien, Pickens, J...
- Ex-QPR and Arsenal Defender Dominic Shimmin Joins ...
- Perspective of a Football (QPR) Message Board Reader
- Portsmouth Win Chase...Sign QPR Goalie, Liam O'Brien
- Patrick Agyemang's QPR Experience
- "De Canio's Future Safe" - Although Had Been Club ...
- Ex-Blackpool's Tony Green Recalls QPR's 1967/1968 ...
- Yet Another QPR Exit: Adam Bolder Joins Sheffield ...
- Southampton vs QPR Preview
- A Tale of Two Goalies
- Chicago Fire's American Goalie, Matt Pickens Signs...
- Another QPR Departure: Sampsa Timoska
- Ex-QPR's Richard Pacquette Makes His Dominica Inte...
- Liam O'Brien Reportedly Joins Portsmouth
- Snippets: On Switching to QPR....QPR Fanzine's Cli...
- Nostalgia: On This Day, QPR Reach Wembley...Also M...
- Flashback: QPR's China "Encounter" One Year Ago
- Plymouth Chairman on Akos Buzsaky Sale to QPR and ...
- Timoska on His Way...Mancienne on Playing But Not ...
- QPR and "The World's Richest People - The Soccer B...
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