*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Ian Kuypers
Appearances: 34+1 Goals: 4
Date / Year of birth: 7th April 1965
Position: Midfielder / Striker
Season of first appearance: 1983/84
Season of last appearance: 1988/89
Also played for: Dover, Gillingham (0), Herne Bay, Erith & Belvedere, Tonbridge, Canterbury City, Hastings Town and Broomfield United
Versatile player born in Islington who started his career with Dover as a youth before spending a year at Gillingham.
Ian then returned to Crabble and broke into Dover's first team as a 16 year-old during the 1981/82 season, scoring once. During the 1982/83 campaign Ian scored five goals and played a whole match in goal at Basingstoke on 11.9.82. He was an emergency replacement for Joe Radford and it was the only game the future Thanet keeper missed whilst with Dover.
Ian joined Thanet in October 1983 and made his debut in a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Tonbridge on 11.10.83. He went on to make 26 appearances (one as sub) before the end of the 1983/84 season. He usually played as a winger and won praise from the local press for his "lively runs". Ian scored four goals, the first of them in a 3-2 win over Hounslow at Hartsdown on 29.10.83. However he left the club at the end of the season.
Ian moved to Herne Bay for the 1984/85 campaign and scored eight goals during the season. He stayed there until the summer of 1986 when he joined Erith & Belvedere. Ian made 60 appearances (three as sub) for the North Kent club and scored 29 goals before rejoining Thanet in the summer of 1988.
The Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Ian was "razor-sharp" in a pre-season friendly against Gillingham and he made his second United debut in a 1-1 draw at Ramsgate on 2.8.88. It was the annual Isle of Thanet Gazette Cup match. Ian was ever-present in United's midfield for the first nine games of the 1988/89 season and the last of them was a 1-0 win over Portfield in an FA Cup tie at Hartsdown on 17.9.88. He then failed to turn up for an FA Trophy clash with Hitchin on 24.9.88 and was suspended for a month by Thanet's player-manager Norman Fusco as a result. Fusco told the Thanet Times "I won't tolerate this sort of behaviour. It was most unprofessional and he let down not only the club but himself." Ian's non-appearance for the Hitchin game was linked to the fact that he'd been approached by Tonbridge and in October 1988 he signed for the club. On 12.11.88 he scored for the Angels in a 6-2 win over Thanet, one of 16 goals he managed during 1988/89.
In the summer of 1989 Ian moved on to Canterbury and he was the club's top scorer for the 1989/90 campaign. In 30 Southern League appearances Ian scored 11 goals. He also had a loan spell at Hastings during the season.
Ian stayed with Canterbury for the start of the 1990/91 campaign and scored twice in six appearances before leaving the club in September 1990. He signed for Hastings with former Thanet striker Darren Hare joining Canterbury in exchange.
Towards the end of 1990 Ian left the UK to work abroad and then played the last competitive football of his career when he made a few appearances for Kent County League side Broomfield United during the 1992/93 season after his return to England.
He later lived in Croydon before settling in Maidstone in 1999 and at that time Ian worked for Canon UK as a Corporate Account Manager based in Reigate, Surrey.
In 2004 he started coaching children and by 2012 Ian was manager of Vinters Green Under-12's who were based in Maidstone and included Ian's son Rory in their squad. At that time Ian had been working as a Branch Operations Manager for Ricoh UK Ltd in London for over five years.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1983/84 (TUFC) |
25 (49) |
1 |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (18TH OF 20) |
2QR |
1QR |
3R |
2R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1988/89 (TUFC) |
9 (52) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (20TH OF 22) |
2QR |
2QR |
2R |
1R |