| Michel Kuipers | |
| Nationality: | 
|
| Rovers apps (gls)1: | 1 (0) |
| Date of birth: | 26 June 1974 |
| Place of birth: | Amsterdam |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Date joined: | 1999 |
| Joined from: | SDW Amsterdam |
| Date left: | 27 June 2000 |
| 1 League appearances and goals only. | |
Michel Kuipers is a goalkeeper who played a single game for Rovers on 9 March 1999, when he played the full 90 minutes in a Division Two game against AFC Bournemouth. Rovers lost the game 1-0, and although he was a regular on the subs bench he never made it onto the pitch for a first team fixture again.
Before becoming a professional footballer Michel was a member of the Marines in his native Netherlands.
Career[]
Michel started his playing career at Dutch club ASC-SDW in Amsterdam before crossing the North Sea to join Rovers. After making his single appearance for the Gas he joined Chester City for a loan spell before joining Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2000. He established himself as a regular first choice between the sticks on the south coast, although he was sent out on loan to Hull City in 2003 and twice to Boston United in the 2005-06 season. During 2007-08 he was an ever-present in the league for Brighton.
Kuipers (left) facing AFC Bournemouth in 1999
His spell at Brighton finally came to an end in 2010, after ten year and 247 League appearances, when he was released by the Seagulls and snapped up by Crawley Town. He had an ignominious start to his Crawley career, after being sent off 37 minutes into his debut for handling the ball outside the area and he received his marching orders again just 16 days later for a professional foul on Forest Green Rovers midfielder Mike Fowler. He went on to make 26 league and 6 FA Cup appearances in his first season with the Red Devils.
After playing a further 15 times in the league during his second season with Crawley, he found himself unable to break into the starting lineup during the 2012–13 season, resulting in his contract being terminated by mutual consent during the January 2013 transfer window. He signed a short-term deal with Barnet in March, but he was limited to a sitting on the bench throughout his time with them.
Career stats[]
| Season | Club | League | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| 1998–99 | Bristol Rovers | 1 | 0 |
| 1999–00 | Bristol Rovers | 0 | 0 |
| 1999–00 | →Chester City (loan) | ? | ? |
| 2000–01 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 34 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 39 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 21 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 10 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | →Hull City (loan) | 3 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 30 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | →Boston United (loan) | 4 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | →Boston United (loan) | 11 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 14 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 28 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 20 | 0 |
| 2010–11 | Crawley Town | 26 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Crawley Town | 15 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Crawley Town | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Barnet | 0 | 0 |