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Grande on trial at Ipswich Town


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Here's the article...

Town trial for Canadian international

October 28, 2004 06:12

EXCLUSIVE

CANADIAN international Sandro Grande has today joined Ipswich Town on a 10-day trial.

Meanwhile, passport and visa requirements could complicate a move for 17-year-old sensation Jaime Peters.

Peters' agent has received the 1,200-signed petition urging the Canadian international to sign for the Blues.

The youngster has been discussing the offer, made to him by Ipswich in July, with his parents and agent and the EADT understands further talks with the Blues are soon to be held.

Although Peters was signed to Kaiserslautern last season, he does not hold an EU passport and, to ensure a Commonwealth visa, he needs to have played in at least 70% of first-team games within two years whichever club he decides to sign for.

Millwall and Derby County are also keen to sign the speedy right-sided midfielder, who enjoyed a week with Manchester United and at least one other Premiership club earlier this month.

New Town triallist Grande is a 27-year-old midfielder who has no passport or visa problems.

Grande played in the same World Cup qualifying side as Jason De Vos and has also competed in the Intertoto Cup with Serie A side Brescia.

The multi-lingual, Quebec-born player recently helped Montreal Impact to the North American Soccer League championship and was recommended to the Blues by Canada's national team manager Frank Yallop.

Grande arrived in Ipswich yesterday and will link up with the Blues squad when they return from a two-day break this morning.

International clearance, in order for him to be available to play for Town reserves against West Ham at Dagenham on Wednesday, is being sought.

Grande last night told the EADT: “I have heard a lot of good things about Ipswich from Jason, who I spoke to at the last Canadian camp, and Frank (Yallop) has told me he believes I will do well here.

“From what I hear, Ipswich's style of football will suit me and I'm really excited about being here.

“I played seven years in Italy and would love to play in Europe again, where there is a higher standard of football than there is at the moment in Canada.”

Grande started his professional career in 1998 with Montreal but his dual nationality allowed him to move to Italy, where he became the first Quebec-born payer to sign a contract with a Serie A club when he agreed a three-year deal with them in 2001, after moving from Serie C side Frosinone.

He played in the Intertoto Cup against Tatabanya in Budapest but problems with the initial transaction brought his stay at Brescia to an end and he was forced to return to Frosinone. Stints at lower league sides Potenza and Albalonga followed, before being released from his contract in August 2003.

Grande returned to Montreal Impact in April and helped them win the A-League championship in September.

His outstanding performances attracted Yallop's attention and he won his first international cap against Costa Rica earlier that month.

n Tony Dinning, who provided midfield cover at the beginning of the season during a two-month loan spell from Wigan, has joined Bristol City for an initial one-month period.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk

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That is awesome news about Grande! I hope he signs a deal with Ipswich. Grande was a revelation during qualifying, and with a higher level of play could take himself up a few more notches. 27 is NOT too old to still get better. Grande could be one of those "older" players--with Stalteri, Imhoff, DeRo, Brennan etc--who will form the key core of our team over the next few years. Toss in Hutch, Hume, DeGuzman, Simpson etc, and this young team is starting to look not-too-bad. They need to get better, yes, but at least there is tiny glimmer of hope.

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That is awesome news about Grande! I hope he signs a deal with Ipswich. Grande was a revelation during qualifying, and with a higher level of play could take himself up a few more notches. 27 is NOT too old to still get better. Grande could be one of those "older" players--with Stalteri, Imhoff, DeRo, Brennan etc--who will form the key core of our team over the next few years. Toss in Hutch, Hume, DeGuzman, Simpson etc, and this young team is starting to look not-too-bad. They need to get better, yes, but at least there is tiny glimmer of hope.

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More of the same, 'Direct From Portman Road:'

Grande on Town trial

Town trialist Sandro Grande has Frank Yallop and Jason De Vos to thank for his chance to impress at Portman Road.

The 27-year-old midfielder will spend 10 days with the Club on trial after Town were recommended to him by Blues defender Jason and Yallop, who made more than 300 appearances in his time at Portman Road.

"Frank Yallop is my manager for Canada and he said that I should try out Ipswich because they are a great club," Grande told the Club website.

         

"Jason told me the same thing so here I am and I will stay here for a week or so and see how it goes."

The player admits he has already been impressed by the standard of the football at the Club and adds: "I have only been here one day but you can see the quality here.

"There are some excellent footballers at Ipswich and they have also been very friendly to me and made me welcome.

"The facilities here are fantastic and hopefully I can spend the next week or so impressing the manager and see how things develop from there."

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Heres an article on it from Sky sports

Town trial Grande Canadian

by Simon Fudge - Last Updated 29 Oct 2004

Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle has handed a trial to Canadian international Sandro Grande.

The 27-year-old arrives at Portman Road with the hope that he can impress the Championship high-flyers during his ten-day trial spell in East Anglia.

The Montreal, Quebec-native, who holds an Italian EU passport, helped hometown club Montreal Impact to this season's A-League title.

His performances at club level earned him a call-up to Frank Yallop's Canada squad for their ill-fated World Cup qualifying campaign this autumn, as the North American nation failed to reach the final round stages of the competition in the Concacaf region.

Grande has previous experience of European football, having spent time in Italy with Brescia, Frosinone, Albalonga and Potenza before returning to the Impact in April 2003.

The former University of Alabama player is excited at the chance to possibly team up with international team-mate Jason de Vos at Town.

"I have heard a lot of good things about Ipswich from Jason, who I spoke to at the last Canadian camp, and Frank (Yallop) has told me he believes I will do well here," Grande told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"From what I hear, Ipswich's style of football will suit me and I'm really excited about being here.

"I played seven years in Italy and would love to play in Europe again, where there is a higher standard of football than there is at the moment in Canada."

Another Canadian that Ipswich are keen to sign is teenager Jaime Peters, as the midfielder continues to discuss his future with his agent and family.

Fellow Championship sides Derby County and Millwall are also interested in the 17-year-old winger, who recently spent a week training with Premiership giants Manchester United.

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I'm happy for Grande and all, but am I the only person who feels like a tool for once cursing this guy? I mean Al-Shat wasn't all that long ago. : )

Meh .... sucks that his heart wasn't with Canada for this whole period. However, if he's all for the program now then I shouldn't say much. He's kinda like a low-profile Radzinski.

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quote:Originally posted by Varsity Tyler

I'm happy for Grande and all, but am I the only person who feels like a tool for once cursing this guy? I mean Al-Shat wasn't all that long ago. : )

Meh .... sucks that his heart wasn't with Canada for this whole period. However, if he's all for the program now then I shouldn't say much. He's kinda like a low-profile Radzinski.

With what we were led to believe (rightly or wrongly - we all remember the quote), I think we were within our supporters' passion to think about him in a certain way. Even when he was the Impact's best player, I was reluctant because I remembered what he had said and on top of that he's a dick on the field :P.

But you know what? When I saw him in Vancouver singing the anthem probably loudest of all (from what I could tell), I forgave him everything.

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Okay, thanks for the clarification, I thought that's what you meant but wasn't sure.

So Grande does his job well, since in doing so he could get the oppisition would get them off their game, and get under their skin.

Every manager wants those types of players on their team, just like Marc Bircham.

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Guest Can. in UK

Sandro has been sent home. Apparently Ipswich couldn't get international clearance for him to play in a reserve match.

The manager says that they are still interested, but he says that they will wait until the transfer window opens in January.

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quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK

Sandro has been sent home. Apparently Ipswich couldn't get international clearance for him to play in a reserve match.

The manager says that they are still interested, but he says that they will wait until the transfer window opens in January.

From the Soccernet preview of tomorrow's Millwall game:

Scott Dobie is expected to make his Millwall debut at on Saturday - but player-manager Dennis Wise is struggling to be fit for his side's trip to Deepdale.

Wise is nursing a calf injury but striker Dobie is likely to start in attack following his £500,000 arrival from West Brom.

This transfer took place on November 9th. Please forgive my ignorance, but why does the transfer window not apply to that transfer?

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