Stuart Ripley
Stuart Edward Ripley ( born November 20, 1967 in Middlesbrough ) is a former English footballer. The fast, mostly acting on the right winger was initially for many years - and mostly unterklassig - for his hometown club Middlesbrough FC active before he moved in 1992 to the Blackburn Rovers and there three years later won the English championship. He was of central importance as an edge sensor for the Torjägerduo Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. In his last years as a professional two-time British A-National player was between 1998 and 2002 still at FC Southampton under contract.
Professional career
In the club
Middlesbrough FC (1985-1992)
Ripley learned to play football in his hometown of Middlesbrough FC and came on February 5, 1985 for the first time in a second division match against Oldham Athletic Substitutes by (1:2 ) is used. Before the blond developed there from the 1987/88 season to key players off, his club had loaned the end of the previous season to the third division side Bolton Wanderers, where he had succeeded in his first Meisterschaftstor. Back at " Boro ", which was now relegated himself in the Third Division, he took part in each case over 40 league appearances instrumental in the club within two years, not only in the Second Division returned, but in 1988 the direct walkover in the highest English League brought about.
There Ripley could not hold true in the 1988/89 season with his team, rose to instant way from back before him after three years, but then succeeded, the renewed rise, thus qualifying for the newly formed Premier League. The direct ascent was doing at the expense of Blackburn Rovers, rejoining only on the subsequent play-off round and to which Ripley finally moved in late July 1992.
Blackburn Rovers (1992-1998)
The transfer fee of £ 1.2 million meant for the " Rovers " at this time, a club record that has already been outbid short time later with the signing of Alan Shearer again. The new club, he held immediately the right wing position where previously Jason Wilcox had played and in turn dodged to the left side. This was followed by a steep climb for Ripley and Blackburn Rovers in the English top flight, which led to winning the league title in 1995 over the fourth place in the first year, over the runner-up in 1994. This Ripley missed in the championship season only six Premier League games, with the only surprise was that he, despite his goalscoring no own goal had succeeded. However, the focus was rather on the constant edge runs up to the opponent's goal line and the other dangerous crosses gifts, of which particularly the Torjägerduo Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton benefited. There were also strengths in the participation in the build-up play and in the defensive work that he performed reliably when needed. Especially its ability fell on to claim the ball against attacks and to allow the players rushing forward goalscoring positions. Although he was troubled more frequently in the subsequent 1995/96 season through injury, he completed a further 28 championship games, but remained again without scoring.
Ultimately becomes the problem has been his injuries in the 1996 / 97th Then there was new competition in the person of Greek Georgios Donis and so Ripley's parole chances reduced to five performances beginning of the season in the starting lineup before he was suddenly only a substitute. In this role, the game was in October 1996 against West Ham United ( 1:2 ) for the time being his last game, after which he again only took into account in the final phase in May 1997. After his physical condition had been fully restored back in the summer of 1997, Ripley convinced at the start of the new season 1997/98, again with good performances by which he compared to Donis advantages procured and even promoted him back in the squad the England team. There he played just five minutes were sufficient, however, to put him with a hamstring out of action. Although he later managed to return a short time, he lost in the second half gradually his place. In the important last season game against Newcastle United ( 1-0 ), he was again in the starting lineup, was injured there but already after two minutes again on the thigh. That was the same Ripley's last appearance for Blackburn Rovers before joining in July 1998 for 1.3 million pounds to league rivals FC Southampton.
Southampton FC (1998-2001)
In his first year for the " Saints" Ripley added to the usual right wing position, despite some injury problems well and was particularly evident in the season from October to November 1998 powerful, when he lost to the team in nine consecutive games only once. At the latest in the season 1999/2000 he had then brought the followers of the new club with his former strength at the edge runs to his side before made him towards the end of the round Achilles tendon problems to create massive and caused an unwanted forced break of more than two months.
From now on Ripley was difficult back in the team and was in the 2000 / 01 for the Southampton FC only once in a league game in the starting eleven. In November 2000, we finally decided to take a lending transaction with the second division FC Barnsley. There, on his debut against the now relegated former club from Blackburn immediately he scored a goal. Overall, it showed up in Barnsley during the two- month stay of Ripley satisfied, but after a coaching change took you there distance from a possible connection obligation. So he returned seems to get back to Southampton, after which with Sheffield Wednesday took another second division and Leihverein in March 2001. There caretaker coach Peter Shreeves let him act mostly on the left side and Ripley helped the club with a comfortable distance from the relegation zone to the desired target class. In October 2001, he stood for the first time after a long time for Southampton FC in the starting lineup. In the game against Ipswich Town - also the first match under new manager Gordon Strachan - Ripley moved but again an injury and had to suspend with knee problems for three months.
After the end of the 2001/02 season ended Ripley's professional career. He returned to Lancashire and attended the University of Central Lancashire, where he earned a degree in Law and French. Since 2010, Ripley, whose son Connor was also successful in football, the breakthrough in the professional sector, a trained solicitor, deals mainly with the sports law and is part of the judicial committee of the English Football Association.
England national team
Ripley came on 12 November 1993 in World Cup qualifier against San Marino under Graham Taylor for his first senior international game and gave during his entire 90-minute insert in a 7-1 victory the templates to two goals. The " Three Lions " finally missed qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in the USA and under Terry Venables successor, he received no further parole chances, although he was particularly during the Championship 1994/95 season for Blackburn Rovers in a consistently good shape. Only under Venables successor Glenn Hoddle played Ripley a second international game with a late Substitutes for David Beckham against Moldova ( 4-0), however, was only a short rendezvous on 10 September 1997. More gigs followed not for Ripley, whose international career was suffering as the competition was too high-profile for his position on the right wing.
Title / Awards
- English Championship ( 1): 1995