Hooray! I think....

[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.

[BtownJay]

That is really cool. The team going to play close to where you live Gunner? And I didn't read the whole thing, but does it say what league they are going to play in?

The Lehigh Valley needs a team with a partnership with Pompey or Liverpool.

[Gunnerman]

The Riverhounds will be rejoining the USL, which has a Division 1 and Division 2 and a Developmental Division. The Hounds used to play in Div 1 until they ran into financial trouble and then moved to Div 2 where they played for a coupla three seasons.

Their last season on the pitch was 2006, but by that time they had moved to a minor league baseball field in Washington, PA which was horrid. Hopefully the team returns to the Pittsburgh area.

My best Riverhounds memory was when we were playing some team from Massachusetts. It all started when one of the Mass players kept dropping the ball on a throw in to waste time. So I moved right behind him in the stands and shouted "GET ON WITH IT FER CHRISSAKES!" After which he gave me the middle finger salute and there was much rejoicing.

[ssigman]

pretty cool that a USL team is parntering up with an EPL team...i wish this happened years ago when I was a wee lad....i'm sure if you were good enough, you'd get to train over there

[BtownJay]

So do they start in division 2 and have to work their way up again? I know dick about the USL except for what i see in the US Open Cup. Is their relegation in that league like there is in Europe?

LOL! Thats great when you actualy get the player to acknowledge you and give you the finger. Mark "one" in the win catagory for Gunner.

[ssigman]

nice job gunny....it is usl though...i'm shocked he didn't throw the ball at you to try and waste more time...its worth a yellow i think

[Gunnerman]

There is no promotion and relegation between Division 1 and 2 in the USL. Teams can move between the divisions based more on financial reasons. The Riverhounds started in D1 and then moved down to D2 because they did not have the finances to stay in D1.