Partners
From Across the Pond
English Club, TKO Premier Soccer Club Forge Relationship
BY WES MORGAN, Kalamazoo Gazette
KALAMAZOO, MI - April 24, 2008 -- Like the windswept
matches between Kalamazoo's TKO Premier Soccer Club
and its
English
guest this
week, all was friendly.
And all involved in the historic marriage between
one of England's most storied clubs and Kalamazoo hope
it's only the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship.
Stu Riddle, head coach of the Kalamazoo Outrage --
a first-year team under the TKO flag that's set to
begin play in the United Soccer Leagues' Premier Development
League next month -- helped set up the affiliation
with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club of Yorkshire.
"I needed to find a way to make our team (Outrage)
more attractive than any other (PDL) team,'' Riddle
said Thursday at the Kalamazoo Soccer Complex. "No
one else had an overseas affiliation at all.
"It would be a big deal if a (Major League Soccer)
team had hooked up with a team like this from England.
The fact that a PDL team was able to do this, a club
a number of divisions below MLS, is absolutely tremendous.''
Sheffield Wednesday, which got its name from the local
cricket club that played on that day of the week and
soon was overshadowed by its football offshoot by the
early 1900s, has played at the highest level in England
with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in
the country's Premier League. However, it has struggled
to overcome it's relegation to lower tiers in recent
years.
The goal for both TKO and Sheffield Wednesday is to
scout and provide the other with talent.
And like the matches played over the last several
days, the foreign aid appears to be one-sided for now.
"We have access to a lot of high-quality young players
and it might be a benefit for them in their stage of
development to come over here and play for Stu with
the Outrage,'' said Sean McAuley, Sheffield Wednesday's
academy director, who made the trip with 21 players
under the age of 16.
But for the youth teams, it was more about swapping
cultural experiences this week.
"The most important thing is that the players have
really enjoyed each other,'' McAuley said. "The players
from both clubs have really gotten on and enjoyed themselves.''
So much so that a few, including 13-year old Matthew
Kingston, aren't ready to make the trip back across
the pond Friday.
"I'm
missing my parents,'' Kingston said. "But I'd rather
stay for about another week.''
Like most of the visiting players, Kingston is staying
with a host family in Kalamazoo. He said the anxiety
of staying with strangers in a foreign country quickly
eased after the introductions.
"We've gotten on straight away,'' said Kingston,
who's staying with TKO player A.J. Lehmann and his
family.
Kingston and his mates have enjoyed trips to the Air
Zoo, Lake Michigan and local schools before evening
matches and instruction.
He's noticed a difference in the two styles of play
as well.
"They
do a lot more (substitutions),'' he said about his
American counterparts. "At one position they have
a lot of talents for defending and tackling.''
Portage's Conner McConnell, a 13-year-old whose family
hosted two Sheffield Wednesday players, isn't ready
for the experience to end.
"I
wish they were staying longer,'' he said. "You learn
a lot about the way they play and respect the
game. They're calling home to ask their parents the
score of the Barcelona-Manchester United game. They
appreciate the sport more than people do here.''
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INDIANA
UNIVERSITY STAR ALEXANDER SIGNS FOR OUTRAGE
Kalamazoo, MI – March
31, 2008 --The Kalamazoo
Outrage PDL side are glad to announce some of the biggest
news in their short history today with the acquisition,
pending USL/PDL approval, of Portage native and Indiana
University standout Eric Alexander.
Alexander-20 will be a junior with the famed Hoosiers
in the fall. Eric was a standout at Portage Central
High School helping them to the regional finals in
his junior and senior seasons. In 2006, he garnered
several awards including being named the NSCAA/Adidas
Boys High School National Player of the Year and
Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year
as well as Michigan's Mr. Soccer. Outrage PDL head
coach Stu Riddle was understandably thrilled with
the signing of such a talented player, "its
wonderful news for everyone involved with the club
and also the community of Kalamazoo. To have a player
with the resume of Eric playing in his hometown will
hopefully bring people out in droves to watch".
In 2006 Riddle had the chance to work with Alexander
while coaching former PDL side Kalamazoo Kingdom
and is excited at the prospect of teaming up with
him again, "I said at the time Eric is the best
young talent I’ve ever worked with and 2 years
on I expect him now to be one of the best talents
I’ve ever worked with".
Speaking from Bloomington IN. where the Hoosiers
are in the middle of their spring season Alexander
said he can’t wait to pull on an Outrage shirt, "I'm
really excited about playing with the Kalamazoo Outrage.
We have a lot of very good players and it's going
to be very competitive. I think we have a great shot
at having a good run in the play offs with all of
the talent we will have in our squad"
Alexander, playing in the midfield, has enjoyed a
flourishing career to date with the Hoosiers as a
2 year starter and his growing reputation in college
soccer has seen some people to predict him as a future
Hermann Trophy winner. Riddle also sees a big future
for Alexander "The sky is the limit for Eric.
2 years ago I had Josh Tudela play for me and he's
now playing alongside David Beckham at the LA Galaxy.
With continued dedication Eric can match Josh's achievements
without a doubt". Kalamazoo Outrage president
Doug Hammerberg said the signing of Alexander spoke
volumes for a team that is making headlines for all
the right reasons prior to their debut season "It
is a great opportunity for us to have such an accomplished
player locally, to have him commit to the Outrage
solidifies an already strong roster. It is like the
feeling you get when you put the last piece of the
puzzle in place. We are really looking forward to
seeing Alexander back on the field in Kalamazoo."
Fans in Kalamazoo can get their first glimpse of
both Alexander and the Kalamazoo Outrage on Sunday
May 4th when they host Club Guanajuato, a local Latino
Select side. The match will kick off at 3pm at Mayors
Riverfront Stadium in downtown Kalmazoo and will
be open to the public free of charge.
For
information on the Kalamazoo Outrage and TKO: http://www.tkosoccer.org.
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TKO Premier Soccer Club and the Kalamazoo Outrage
to partner with Sheffield Wednesday FC, an English
club in the Coca Cola Football League Championship.
Kalamazoo,
MI – November 13, 2007 -- English
league football is coming to Kalamazoo. TKO Premier
Soccer Club, along with the PDL and W League Kalamazoo
Outrage has agreed to a partnership with Sheffield
Wednesday FC of Sheffield England. The two clubs plan
to begin working together as the Outrage continues
preparation for their 2008 debut. “Having this
partnership really gives us access to very strong players
from a great club and gives Sheffield Wednesday access
to off season opportunities for some of their younger
players” said TKO President Doug Hammerberg.
Early in 2007, TKO Premier Soccer Club
purchased the franchise rights from the United Soccer
Leagues for
two amateur teams to start play in the spring of 2008
under the name Kalamazoo Outrage. The Outrage will
sponsor a men’s team in the PDL division and
a woman’s team in the W League. Since then, the
club has taken advantage of the momentum. Kalamazoo
Outrage Coach Stu Riddle contacted Sean McAuley, the
Academy Manager of Sheffield Wednesday FC and the groundwork
for a partnership was laid. Although the details have
not yet been finalized, each agrees this is a win win
for both clubs. “Sheffield Wednesday are a club
with a storied history; the opportunity to work with
and learn from their coaching and playing staff is
going to be invaluable. I am equally excited that some
of my Outrage players could end up in Sheffield Wednesday
colors by the end of the PDL season if they show themselves
to be at that level of play” said Riddle.
In an interview for the Yorkshire Post
McAuley stated that, “the American club has
a really good standard of football. Our partnership
with TKO in Michigan will
present players with an opportunity to play for another
club if they are struggling to make the grade with
us. Also, if we have a young player who is injured
in the latter part of the season he may be able to
go and play in the States because their season starts
in May or June, during our close-season. This will
allow players to continue their development and play
up to 18 games in the US, which can only be a positive
thing in bringing them on as young players.”
Other potential areas the clubs have discussed working
together on include promotions, camps, exchange programs
and coach development.
For information on Sheffield Wednesday FC: http://www.swfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Welcome
For information on the Kalamazoo Outrage and TKO: http://www.tkosoccer.org
Contact: pwpwsoccer@aol.com
Phone: 269-343-6945
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