Professional
Alex Forbes, the manager of the professional team brought Mike into the first team squad. His full professional debut was made in 1972 at the age of 16 against Durban City. In 1973 Mike was invited to go on trial with Arsenal in England. He spent 6 months on trial but was not signed. He returned to Rangers. In 1974 Eddie Firmani, the new coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Tampa USA, was scouting for players in South Africa. Rangers was playing Arcadia Shepherds who featured Steve Wegerle. After Mike was substituted his father confronted Alex Forbes on the field. An act Eddie Firmani realised gave him opportunity to get Mike. In 1975 at the age of 18 Mike arrived in Tampa, Florida USA. He played every season for the Rowdies until the NASL collapsed in 1984. His years with the team included one championship, in 1975, and two runner-ups, in 1978 and 1979. In NASL indoor he won one championship in 1979-80 and one runner-up in 1981-82. He was a 1979 and 1980 First Team All Star and a 1982 Honorable Mention All Star.
Read more about this topic: Mike Connell (soccer)
Famous quotes containing the word professional:
“The relationship between mother and professional has not been a partnership in which both work together on behalf of the child, in which the expert helps the mother achieve her own goals for her child. Instead, professionals often behave as if they alone are advocates for the child; as if they are the guardians of the child’s needs; as if the mother left to her own devices will surely damage the child and only the professional can rescue him.”
—Elaine Heffner (20th century)
“I hate the whole race.... There is no believing a word they say—your professional poets, I mean—there never existed a more worthless set than Byron and his friends for example.”
—Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke Wellington (1769–1852)
“As a scientist I’m afraid I’m a professional skeptic who doubts everything, even the certainties.”
—Karl Brown (1897–1990)