Forest Nearly signed Brad Friedel

[Tnewton_1988]

NOTTINGHAM FOREST are to take steps to improve their defensive security by signing Brad Friedel, a 21-year-old American goalkeeper, writes Rupert Metcalf. Brian Clough, the manager of the Premier League's bottom club, has agreed a fee of pounds 300,000 with Friedel's team, Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Soccer League.

'We have only seen him in training and in one practice match but we've been very impressed,' Ron Fenton, Forest's assistant manager, said yesterday. Along with two other goalkeepers - the experienced Tony Meola and Millwall's Kasey Keller - Friedel is a member of the United States training squad, announced last week, for the World Cup finals which they will host in 1994.

Across the River Trent, Notts County yesterday completed the signing of Robbie Turner, the versatile 26-year-old former Wimbledon and Bristol City player, from Plymouth Argyle. Having spent most of his career as a striker, Turner has impressed as a centre-half during a month on loan at Meadow Lane. The fee will be settled by a transfer tribunal, Argyle have optimistically asked for pounds 185,000.

John Beck, the new Preston North End manager, recruited two strikers from Cambridge United, his former club, yesterday: Mike Norbury for pounds 32,500 and Gareth Ainsworth for nothing. Beck took Norbury to Cambridge from non-League Bridlington Town last year, while Ainsworth returns to Preston after being released last season.

 

[Eastwood Red]

Just imagine if we actually signed him, that would have been a very good piece of business considering how Brad turned out to be in later years.

 

[Daniel]

i actually remember this very well. We did sign him in the end. The problem was the government wouldn't give him a work permit. He went back to the states.

 

[Gary]

i actually remember this very well. We did sign him in the end. The problem was the government wouldn't give him a work permit. He went back to the states.

This needs to be turned into a Tevez Affair type of thing..

We should sue Thatcher for eleventy billion pounds for loss of earnings thanks to not signing him!

 

[Nick.]

Friedel is a very good goalie, but is he better than Smith or Camp? :blush:

 

[Midland Red]

Friedel is a very good goalie, but is he better than Smith or Camp? :blush:

Well, yes. He is.

 

[It's Baggio]

Nice find.

Didn't know this.

 

[BennettGaidenSigma]

Well, yes. He is.

Don't come here often do you?

 

[Paul 09]

It is a real shame that Brad didn't get the work permit and play for us because he would have been a good goalie.

 

[alfordred]

I remember this as well. But I think he was a little bit dodgy at the time and made more mistakes than he makes now so I guess we would have hounded him out of the club and branded him crap.

 

[KirkbyRed80]

the sad thing is that Liverpool did sign him a short time after, and he still wasn't american No1, so nothing had changed except the team trying to sign him!

 

[Maverick]

I remember this as well. But I think he was a little bit dodgy at the time and made more mistakes than he makes now so I guess we would have hounded him out of the club and branded him crap.

That is my recollection too. Wasn't sad that we missed out at the time. but with a degree in hindsight what else would you have changed? 8)