Michel Kuipers - 300 up

[The Large One]

Assuming he plays next week, it will be FDM's 300th first-team appearance of his career (his 281st for the Albion). He is already the Albion's third-most prolific goalkeeper ever after Brian Powney (386) and Eric Gill (296).

Fair play to him.

Clean sheet would be nice. Though I doubt that would be the case on TCB's bed...

 

[Jamie]

been a good keeper, always tries and seen a bit of life out of football and seems to be a rounded fella. Fair play to him, oh and oits never an idea to argue with a former utch marine!

 

[Goring Gull]

about 200 to many in my book

 

[Frutos]

about 200 to many in my book

Plenty have tried to see him off, all have failed for various reasons.

Well deserved milestone when he gets it, he's been a key part of some big things in the recent history of this club (2 championships and the win over Man City, for a start) and will hopefully get a new contract and a richly deserved testimonial next season.

He's a very friendly bloke as well.

 

[SpidersLegs]

about 200 to many in my book

That's crap. He's been a good servent to this club, got us countless points with crucial saves that went along way to getting us a double championship & he has to put up with shit comments like that from you & all the other anti Kuipers wankers. You should all hang your heads in shame!

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Nice sentiment, but to be honest f*** the games for other clubs. Get this thread up again after 19 more games for US and I'll have my cock out.

Milestones count for all league clubs that you play for, so the 300 will include his games for Bristol Rovers too.

When are you coming out of the closet?

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Yeah, I know they do, but I don't really give a shit about a handful of games for tin-pot clubs like Bristol Rovers. It's what he's done here over the years, the LEGEND he has created that will be the fabric of this club for decades to come, that deserve celebrating. And when he pulls on a tight-fitting green or yellow number with an albion badge on it for the 300th time I will stand taller than them all to salute a genius go about his work. But for now, I'm not fussed.

Bristol Rovers aren't a tin pot little club for starters, and how the hell will the Kuipers legend, (playing the majority of his professional games at Division 3 and 4 level) become the fabric of this club in decades to come?

Unless he stays at the club in some sort of coaching capacity he will be occasionally talked about by the then older supporters like you and me in decades to come.

 

[beorhthelm]

who'd have thought at half time at Southend on that sunny day in 2000 he'd still be here (or even still playing professional). looking forward to his testimonial this summer :albion1: maybe they'll get Southend down?

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Bobby Zamora must have played 80% of his games for us in division 3 or 4. Will he not be talked about in decades to come?

Michel has done MORE for this club than Bobby so why would he not be talked about? Unlike the other legends from the glory years of 00-03 his performances have not tailed off and led him to be ridiculed as his days draw to a close. He's still going as strong as ever, and there aren't many players you can say that about after 10 years.

You are having a laugh if you think Kuipers has done more for this club than Zamora, your blinkered view on Michel Kuipers ruins from what I can see quite an articulate and clever poster. Kuipers gets ridiculed by people on here for starters and his performances tailing off are a matter of opinion.

Nicky Forster is still going strong after ten years, and 300 games in ten years is not a great amount really is it? It works out to about 30 games per season.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

For me, Michel was just as instrumental in those championship winning seasons as Zamora - especially when we won division 2 under Taylor. He was IMMENSE that year.

And he's had a couple of bad, bad injuries which have prevented him making more appearances, that's all. Once because he ended up wrapped around a lamp post on Ditchling Beacon and once because a Nottingham Forest player clattered 12 stone of muscle into him at full speed. Hardly fair to have a go at the man for too few appearances, with those in mind is it??

You are changing your tune now, I thought you said Kuipers had done more for this club than Bobby?

How am I having a go at him for having too few appearances? 300 is a great number to get to, but if he had been picked more often and without the injuries I think he may have got to 400 or so. From memory he wasn't rated too much by Coppell who seemed to prefer Roberts.

I'm not going to get into a debate about the positive and negative points about Michel Kuipers with someone who is extremely blinkered about the subject. Also I feel talking about Kuipers negatively on this thread would be unfair, he has been a great servant to the club and I look forward to applauding his 300th appearance as a professional footballer.

 

[Frutos]

who'd have thought at half time at Southend on that sunny day in 2000 he'd still be here (or even still playing professional). looking forward to his testimonial this summer :albion1: maybe they'll get Southend down?

Is it not next Summer (ie - first game at Falmer)?

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

I think he deserves his testimonial to be the 1st game at Falmer, maybe against a top Dutch team.

 

[NMH]

I think he's the best keeper we've ever had.
Grummit, Mosely, and Steele were also great 'Albion legends' in the gloves - but they are in the rose-tinted past, and all make mistakes at one time or another.

The recent reserve keepers also stand as proof of how difficult it is to find a great goalie.

 

[Marc]

I think he's the best keeper we've ever had.
Grummit, Mosely, and Steele were also great 'Albion legends' in the gloves - but they are in the rose-tinted past, and all make mistakes at one time or another.

The recent reserve keepers also stand as proof of how difficult it is to find a great goalie.

was Digweed any good or total shite? I only remember him as a lad and worshipped him due to his FLAIR HAIR!....and quality name!

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

I think he's the best keeper we've ever had.
Grummit, Mosely, and Steele were also great 'Albion legends' in the gloves - but they are in the rose-tinted past, and all make mistakes at one time or another.

The recent reserve keepers also stand as proof of how difficult it is to find a great goalie.

Moseley played at a higher level than Kuipers and so did Digweed. Kuipers is a great keeper, but from my time watching the Albion I can name two better than him; Keeley and Beeney.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Given I only became a fan in 1997, it's safe to say Michel Kuipers is the best goalkeeper I have seen play for this club. I liked Ben Roberts, I thought he was stylish and flair. I also really liked Mark Ormerod, I was only young so I don't pretend to have any grasp of how good he was, but I always liked him. I thought Mark Walton was quite good aswell, and Dave Beasant was good when he was here.

But for me, it's Michel Kuipers. I've met him on more than occaison (a few times I was in the process of ticketing his Audi! ) and he's always been a charming and lovely fellow, so that does make a difference in how you view people, but he has been brilliant for us. I was there for his debut at Southend, which was hilariously disastrous, but which says everything about the bloke because it didn't finish him off. He got back in the side, and he kept himself in it. Mark Cartwright did nothing wrong for us, in fact I think he's probably the most unlucky keeper in our history, thinking about it! But he was the first in a VERY long line of goalies who have tried, and failed, to dislodge Michel for any period of time.