Michel Kuipers
{{short description|Dutch retired footballer (born 1974)}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Michel Kuipers
| image = Kuipers, Michel.jpg
| image_size = 300
| caption =
| fullname = Michel Kuipers{{cite book
| last = Hugman
| first = Barry J.
| title = The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005
| publisher = Queen Anne Press
| year = 2005
| page = 355
| isbn = 1-85291-665-6 }}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|6|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2|abbr=on}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
|youthclubs1 = Blauw-Wit Amsterdam
| years1 = {{0|000}}?–1999 | clubs1 = SDW |caps1 = ? |goals1 = ?
| years2 = 1999–2000 | clubs2 = Bristol Rovers |caps2 = 1 |goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2000 | clubs3 = → Chester City (loan) |caps3 = 0 |goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2000–2010 | clubs4 = Brighton & Hove Albion |caps4 = 247 |goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2003 | clubs5 = → Hull City (loan) |caps5 = 3 |goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2005 | clubs6 = → Boston United (loan) |caps6 = 4 |goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2006 | clubs7 = → Boston United (loan) |caps7 = 11 |goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2010–2013 | clubs8 = Crawley Town |caps8 = 41 |goals8 = 0
| years9 = 2013 | clubs9 = Barnet |caps9 = 0 |goals9 = 0
| totalcaps = 307 | totalgoals = 0
| club-update =
}}
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.
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.{{in lang|nl}} [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2010/08/19/amsterdamse-marinier-zag-in-engeland-zijn-droom-uitkomen-11933139-a130731 Amsterdamse marinier zag in Engeland zijn droom uitkomen], nrc.nl, 19 augustus 2010
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,{{Cite news
|title = Kuipers injured in car crash.
|url = http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2003/11/20/121507.html
|newspaper = The Argus
|date = 20 November 2003
|accessdate = 14 September 2008
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929105641/http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2003/11/20/121507.html
|archivedate = 29 September 2007
}} and a severe shoulder injury in 2005.{{Cite news
| title = Sussex help out Albion
| url = http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-events/news-archive/Sussex+help+out+Albion/
| publisher = Sussex County Cricket Club
| date = 16 February 2007
| accessdate = 14 September 2008
}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
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.{{cite news | title = Michel Kuipers the hero as Brighton rock Manchester City | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article4821745.ece | date = 25 September 2008 | newspaper=The Times | location=London | first=Nick | last=Szczepanik | accessdate=12 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/3736125.albion-2-orient-2-seagulls-relief-after-penalty-win/ |publisher=theargus.co.uk |title=Albion 2, Orient 2: Seagulls' relief after penalty win |date=8 October 2008 }}
In the 2007/08 season he was ever present in the goal playing all 46 league matches.{{cite web |url=http://www.seagulls.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10433~10076,00.html |title=First Team |publisher=Brighton & Hove Alvion F.C. |accessdate=5 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228105538/http://www.seagulls.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10433~10076,00.html |archive-date=28 February 2009 |url-status=dead }} This good form led to a new two-year contract that expired in June 2010.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/teams/b/brighton/7432702.stm |title=Kuipers signs new Seagulls deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 June 2008 |accessdate=5 March 2010}} On 19 May 2010, he signed for fellow Sussex club Crawley Town.{{cite web|url=http://www.crawleytownfc.com/newsdetails.php?ID=1559 |title=Boss lands his Number 1 Target |publisher=Crawley Town F.C. |date=19 May 2010 |accessdate=19 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708201655/http://www.crawleytownfc.com/newsdetails.php?ID=1559 |archivedate=8 July 2011 }} Kuipers' career with Crawley did not start well, being sent off twice during the first month of the season against Grimsby Town{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8897789.stm
|title=Crawley Town 0–1 Grimsby
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=14 August 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2012}} and Forest Green Rovers.{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8950877.stm
|title=Crawley Town 1–0 Forest Green Rovers
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=30 August 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2012}} He started in Crawley's match against Manchester United F.C.{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/9401072.stm
|title=Man Utd 1–0 Crawley
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=19 February 2011 |accessdate=6 August 2012}} On 25 January 2013, his contract at Crawley was terminated by mutual consent.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21202319 Goalkeeper Michel Kuipers departs Crawley Town]
On 28 March 2013, Kuipers signed a short-term deal with Barnet until the end of the season.{{cite news
|url=http://www.barnetfc.com/news/article/michael-kuipers-joins-on-loan-739827.aspx
|title=BARNET SIGN MICHEL KUIPERS
|publisher=Barnet F.C.
|date=28 March 2013 |accessdate=28 March 2013}} 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.[http://www.barnetfc.com/news/article/201314-retained-list-830760.aspx 2013/14 Retained List] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212103206/http://www.barnetfc.com/news/article/201314-retained-list-830760.aspx |date=12 December 2013 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110708202152/http://crawleytownfc.com/playerdetails.php?ID=156 Michael Kuipers profile] at the Crawley Town website
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuipers, Michel}}
Category:Footballers from Amsterdam
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Bristol Rovers F.C. players
Category:Chester City F.C. players
Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Category:Hull City A.F.C. players
Category:Boston United F.C. players
Category:Crawley Town F.C. players