[Gunnerman]

My local club, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, are set to return in 2008 with new ownership, thank fuck. However they will be doing things the Everton way it looks like. I just hope that it does not mean that they will be doing things really good one year and then totally sucking ass the next.......

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – 12 July, 2007 – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the United Soccer Leagues announced a partnership agreement today with English Premier League Club, Everton Football Club. The partnership launches - for the first time ever - a training academy for Western Pennsylvania players based on the highly successful Everton Football Club training program.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Head Coach and General Manager, Gene Klein said: “This is an historic day for soccer players and coaches throughout the Western Pennsylvania region. They will have exclusive training that utilizes the program and methods, of one of the world’s leading organizations for player development.” Everton Football Club will be associated with the Riverhounds Winter Academy where Everton will assist the Riverhounds in the development of an Academy curriculum, as well as provide their expertise and technical advice.

In exchange, the Riverhounds agree to promote “The Everton Way” to all players and coaches who agree to join the Riverhounds Winter Academy. “Evertonway.com” is an on-line program based on the methods used by the Everton Academy coaches. The web site provides hundreds of video clips to reveal practices, drills and the entire philosophy used by Everton’s Academy coaches. The Everton Academy has been enormously successful in producing top talent to go on and star in the English Premier League. The Riverhounds expect to use these same methods to help develop soccer players in Western Pennsylvania and improve the quality of the game.

The most famous graduate of the Everton Academy is current Manchester United and England star forward, Wayne Rooney. Currently Everton boasts 4 young players from their Academy that are part of Everton’s first team. Everton is also the club of Tim Howard, the starting goalkeeper for the United States National Team.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds also hope to foster a coaching exchange program. Pittsburgh Riverhound Academy coaching staff members, along with club coaches who become a partner of the Riverhounds club system will have opportunities to travel to Everton and visit the Everton Academy.

The beginning of this exchange will be in less than a month when the Pittsburgh Riverhounds host a large free clinic on August 9 at the Greentree SportsPlex.

The guest clinician is Everton’s Head of International Football Development, Mr. Tony “Tosh” Farrell. Mr. Farrell will conduct a coaching clinic as well as do a presentation on “The Everton Way”. "This is an exciting time, not only for Riverhounds but also for Everton Football Club,” said Mr. Farrell “This opportunity allows us to put Everton Football Club's proven coaching philosophy - The Everton Way - into place over a sustained period.

"We believe this will help raise the standard of soccer in the Pittsburgh area and beyond, helping the Riverhounds become one of the leading clubs in player development. The partnership is sure to help maximize player potential and credit must be given to Riverhounds for taking the steps to evolve."

The Riverhounds and Everton Football Club believe this partnership is very unique and one of very few in the country. They hope to add to this agreement by having player exchanges between the players who participate in the Riverhounds’ Winter Academy, as well as possible exchanges to the Everton Academy in Liverpool. Both boys and girls will be eligible for the Riverhounds’ Winter Academy.

The Riverhounds also announced some staff changes and additions. Klein will assume General Manager duties, as well as Head Coach. Jason Kutney will serve as the Director of Youth Development, T.J. O’Leary as Vice President of Sales and Operations, and Craig Butzine as Director of Marketing and Communications.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are owned and operated by a new group consisting of the Greentree SportsPlex, The Hill Family Partnership represented by Amanda Hill and other limited partners. They have taken this season off from competitive play while the new ownership agreement was being finalized. The team has continued to be very active in youth development holding more than a dozen youth summer camps throughout the area and just hosting a 3 v 3 tournament over the weekend of July 7th and 8th in which 130 area teams participated. The team plans to play again in the 2008 season and at least three playing venue options are being considered.