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Derby County, Michigan Wolves Announce Historic Partnership

Rochester, MI — (October 14, 2008) — Derby County Football Club and the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer club today announced they were forming a strategic partnership.

Under the terms of the agreement, Derby County Football Club will provide financial and technical support to the Under 16 and Under 18 Wolves teams playing in the US Development Academy. In return, the Academy teams will adopt the name Derby County Wolves and wear a new uniform representative of the partnership.

In making the announcement Andy Appleby, Chairman of General Sports and Entertainment and Chairman of Derby County Football Club, said "we are thrilled that this agreement is finally in place. The rich and storied history of Derby has always been one of nurturing and developing talent at all levels. In addition to increasing the world-wide awareness of Derby County Football Club, our agreement with the Wolves will help create a pipeline of talent to the benefit of both clubs."

Roger Faulkner, chief architect of the agreement and Vice-President of Soccer for GSE, added, "With seven National Championships to their name, the Michigan Wolves-Hawks club is already recognized as one of the top clubs in the nation. Accordingly, Derby's coaching staff will be coming over to evaluate their top prospects, and with the Wolves assistance, host broader regional trials where the top players will be invited to train at Derby's Academy facility in England."

In commenting on the Derby-Wolves arrangement, Wolves Director of Coaching Brian Doyle said, "The depth of soccer talent in Michigan is undeniable. Derby's financial support ensures that money will not be a barrier to developing and showcasing that talent. Plus, the technical exchange between both clubs ensures that the benefits of this partnership will be felt throughout the entire Wolves-Hawks organization."

Adam Pearson, Chairman of Football for Derby added, "I am delighted at the completion of this unique and exciting Academy Alliance. This alliance gives Derby an opportunity to assess and subsequently offer Academy Scholar status to those American players who have the ability and desire to play within the UK professional game. Additionally, this alliance continues our global strategy of widening the search for the players who will form the next chapter of Derby County's proud history. We are confident that this alliance with the Michigan Wolves will be an important spoke in the globalization of Derby County while also providing talented players with a direct route to the UK game."

For more information about this announcement, please contact Roger Faulkner at 248-705-1156 or Brian Doyle at 248-890-8967.

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ABOUT DERBY COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB
Derby County was formed in 1884 and was a founding member of the Football League in 1886. They are one of only 11 clubs who have participated in every Football League season since its inception.

The club's proud record includes winning the Football League's premier Division on two occasions, winning the F A Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup where they were defeated by Real Madrid.

In the 2007 to 2008 season Derby County played in the Premier League, recognized as the world's best league, but were relegated to the Championship in May of this year. After a slow start the team is unbeaten in the last six matches and looks poised to make a run for promotion once again.

Known as "the Rams" the team moved from its old home, ironically called the Baseball Ground, to a state of the art facility, Pride Park in 1997. The stadium capacity is 33,475 and the club enjoys consistently high attendances.

Derby County also owns a magnificent Training Ground and Academy at Moor Farm, a 53 acre facility in a very attractive rural setting. A number of players developed at the Academy are now playing at the highest level of English football.

In January 2008 Derby County was acquired by General Sports and Entertainment of Rochester, Michigan. Andy Appleby, Chairman of General Sports, serves as Chairman of Derby County. Roger Faulkner serves as its US soccer consultant.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN WOLVES-HAWKS SOCCER CLUB
Created in 1974, with the support of Shirley Ritter and Paul Scicluna, the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club has grown from four teams to over thirty teams, with the boys' teams using the Wolves name and the girls' teams using the Hawks.

Director of Coaching for the Michigan Wolves-Hawks is Brian Doyle, who with 22 years of Division 1 college experience is one of the most well-known and respected coaches in our country. In addition to his duties as Director of Coaching, Brian is also on the ODP State and Regional staff.

The Michigan Wolves-Hawks soccer club is led by a board of directors, which is comprised of coaches, club parents, and at-large community members.

THE WOLVES-HAWKS MISSION
The mission of the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club is to instill a love for the game and cultivate that passion as each athlete matures. We build pride in our individuals, our teams, and our club and foster an environment that challenges each player to improve and experience the thrill of competition at the highest level.

OUR SUCCESS
By any standard, the results associated with the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club have been impressive. The club has had teams in the national finals for the last seven years and has won seven overall USYSA National Championships (in '89, '90, '91, '01, '03, '04 and '07). There have been 22 Regional Championship Winners, one Super-Y League North American Champion, and dozens of National Indoor Champions. Two former Hawks, Lindsay Tarpley and Kate Sobrero-Markgraff, are members of the US Women's National Team. The club has numerous current National, Regional, and State Olympic Development Program players, and 18 Mr. and/or Miss Soccer winners have come from Wolves/Hawks teams.

In the fall of 2007, the Michigan Wolves played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's inaugural season. The Development Academy is by invitation only and includes only clubs that have a history of elite youth player development and past success in elite competitions.



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