Colin Burns
Encyclopedia
Colin Burns is an American soccer goalkeeper who currently plays for Sandefjord Fotball
in Adeccoligaen
.
, Holland and Switzerland
. Burns played college soccer
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
He began his professional career with a training stint with Motherwell FC in July 2005. He then trained for five months with Scottish club, Partick Thistle FC, from July to November 2005. He had trouble obtaining a work permit in Scotland
so he left in November 2005 and returned to the U.S. Later on, he also had a training stint with French club Troyes AC
.
in the Divizia Naţională
, the top league in Moldova
. He was named the first choice goalkeeper shortly after arriving in Balti. Colin made his professional debut against FC Dacia Chişinău
in Stadionul Republican
on September 9, 2006. Olimpia lost 1–0 in his debut but Burns was named man of the match
for his efforts in the game.
Burns played for eight matches for Olimpia before canceling his contract during the winter break due to the financial crisis of the club. Much of the football media regarded Burns as one of the top goalkeepers in the league during his short stay in Moldova.
in Seinäjoki
, Finland
. He would appear for Sepsi in 18 matches from April to August 2007. Burns picked up eight clean sheets and three Man of the Match honors while playing for Sepsi. He also helped Sepsi to a 1–0 win over local city rival TP-Seinäjoki. This was the first time Sepsi had beaten TP in thirteen years.
Because of Colin's form, Sepsi was getting interest from many clubs around Finland wanting to buy him for the remainder of the season. Burns was sold to Kokkolan Palloveikot
(KPV) in the ykkonen
in August 2007.
that would keep him there till the end of the season. He played in eight matches for KPV picking up one clean sheet and named Man of the Match once, ultimately helping them avoid a late season relegation from the ykkonen. Burns gained his Man of the Match honors against Tampereen Pallo-Veikot
(TPV), in only his fourth match with KPV, in a 1–0 win. After the match, TPV head coach, Mikko Purola, was quoted in a local Tampere
newspaper as saying, "This game showed that Burns is the best goalkeeper in the league."
side Ljungskile SK
(LSK) in February 2008.
His transfer was about to collapse because of a dispute with the Swedish Football Association
over his registration. This is due to Burns having played for two clubs in the period from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, under previous FIFA
guidelines, he was not eligible to play for a third club during that period. FIFA changed their rules in December 2007 so that the period from July 1 to June 30 was no longer relevant. Under new regulations, the period is defined as the first game of the season to the last game of the season making Burns eligible to play for LSK. The Swedish Football Association had not adopted the new FIFA regulations and so they initially blocked his transfer. Legal action and pressure from the Swedish media, encouraged the Swedish FA to change their rules to comply with FIFA. This rule change has come to be known as the 'Burns Rule' by Swedish media.
Burns made his Allsvenskan
debut on April 21, 2008, in a 2–1 win over Trelleborgs FF
. He came on in the 90th minute for red-carded goalkeeper Michal Slawuta. He went on to play the final seven minutes in added time, making one save, and gaining his first league shutout
.
Burns made his starting debut in the next match against 2007 Allsvenskan Champions, IFK Gothenburg on April 25. Ljungskile went on to win the match 2–1 in front of a record home crowd of 7,100 people thereby ending Gothenburg’s stretch of nineteen unbeaten games started in the 2007 season. Burns was voted as one of the top three players of the match for his efforts in the game.
Burns took over the starting goalkeeping duties for the remainder of the season on August 17, playing away to Henrik Larsson
and Helsingborgs IF
. Ljungskile won the match 1–0, giving Helsingborgs their only home loss of the season. Colin was named as one of the men of match and also was named best goalkeeper of the week in the Allsvenskan
on the weekly highlight show “Fotbollsmåndag” – Football Monday.
Burns went on to appear seventeen times for LSK gaining four man of the match honors, two top three players in the match and six shutouts in his first season in the Allsvenskan
.
side Sarpsborg 08 FF in October 2009.
side Sandefjord Fotball
in January 2011.
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....
in Adeccoligaen
Adeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
.
Early career
Colin grew up in Newark, Delaware and played his youth soccer with the Kirkwood Soccer Club. Burns also played in the Delaware Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 1994–2001. While playing for Delaware ODP, he was selected to the Region one team from 2000–01 traveling with them to tournaments in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Holland and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Burns played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
He began his professional career with a training stint with Motherwell FC in July 2005. He then trained for five months with Scottish club, Partick Thistle FC, from July to November 2005. He had trouble obtaining a work permit in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
so he left in November 2005 and returned to the U.S. Later on, he also had a training stint with French club Troyes AC
Troyes AC
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1900. The club was promoted to Ligue 1 for the 2005–06 season and their first Ligue 1 season was in 1954/55, and their second spell came in 1999/2000 Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube...
.
Olimpia Bălţi
Burns returned to Europe in August 2006 to sign a one year contract with FC Olimpia BălţiFC Olimpia Balti
FC Olimpia Bălţi is a Moldovan football club based in Bălţi, Moldova. They play in the Divizia Naţională, the top division in Moldovan football. Their home stadium is the Olimpia Bălţi Stadium....
in the Divizia Naţională
Divizia Nationala
The Moldovan National Division is the top division of association football in Moldova. There are 12 teams in the competition. At the end of the season, the bottom club is relegated to the "A" Division and replaced by the lower league's champion....
, the top league in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. He was named the first choice goalkeeper shortly after arriving in Balti. Colin made his professional debut against FC Dacia Chişinău
FC Dacia Chisinau
FC Dacia Chişinău is a Moldovan football club, playing in the city of Chişinău, the capital of Moldova. They play in the Divizia Naţională, the top division in Moldovan football.- History :1999...
in Stadionul Republican
Stadionul Republican
Stadionul Republican was a multi-purpose stadium in Chişinău, Moldova. It was used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 8,084 people, was built in 1952 and demolished in 2007....
on September 9, 2006. Olimpia lost 1–0 in his debut but Burns was named man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
for his efforts in the game.
Burns played for eight matches for Olimpia before canceling his contract during the winter break due to the financial crisis of the club. Much of the football media regarded Burns as one of the top goalkeepers in the league during his short stay in Moldova.
Sepsi-78
From Moldova, Burns joined Sepsi-78 in the KakkonenKakkonen
Kakkonen is the third tier of the Finnish football league system.-League structure:Kakkonen is divided to three groups of 14 clubs. A club plays each of the others in the same group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a...
in Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. He would appear for Sepsi in 18 matches from April to August 2007. Burns picked up eight clean sheets and three Man of the Match honors while playing for Sepsi. He also helped Sepsi to a 1–0 win over local city rival TP-Seinäjoki. This was the first time Sepsi had beaten TP in thirteen years.
Because of Colin's form, Sepsi was getting interest from many clubs around Finland wanting to buy him for the remainder of the season. Burns was sold to Kokkolan Palloveikot
Kokkolan Palloveikot
KPV is a Finnish football club, based in Kokkola. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division . The club's manager is Jarmo Korhonen, and it plays its home matches at Kokkolan keskuskenttä....
(KPV) in the ykkonen
Ykkönen
Ykkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
in August 2007.
Kokkolan Palloveikot
Burns agreed to a short term contract with Kokkolan PalloveikotKokkolan Palloveikot
KPV is a Finnish football club, based in Kokkola. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division . The club's manager is Jarmo Korhonen, and it plays its home matches at Kokkolan keskuskenttä....
that would keep him there till the end of the season. He played in eight matches for KPV picking up one clean sheet and named Man of the Match once, ultimately helping them avoid a late season relegation from the ykkonen. Burns gained his Man of the Match honors against Tampereen Pallo-Veikot
Tampereen Pallo-Veikot
Tampereen Pallo-Veikot or TPV is a Finnish football club, based in Tampere. The club plays in the Kakkonen, the third highest level of football in Finland. It is the second largest football club in the Pirkanmaa region in terms of active members, with 1,600 members in 2005.-History:The club was...
(TPV), in only his fourth match with KPV, in a 1–0 win. After the match, TPV head coach, Mikko Purola, was quoted in a local Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
newspaper as saying, "This game showed that Burns is the best goalkeeper in the league."
Ljungskile SK
Burns signed a two year contract with AllsvenskanAllsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
side Ljungskile SK
Ljungskile SK
Ljungskile SK is a Swedish football club located in Ljungskile, a town within Uddevalla Municipality. The club, formed 1926 currently play in Superettan. Ljungskile SK is famous for their promotions between 1990 to 1997...
(LSK) in February 2008.
His transfer was about to collapse because of a dispute with the Swedish Football Association
Swedish Football Association
The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA...
over his registration. This is due to Burns having played for two clubs in the period from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, under previous FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
guidelines, he was not eligible to play for a third club during that period. FIFA changed their rules in December 2007 so that the period from July 1 to June 30 was no longer relevant. Under new regulations, the period is defined as the first game of the season to the last game of the season making Burns eligible to play for LSK. The Swedish Football Association had not adopted the new FIFA regulations and so they initially blocked his transfer. Legal action and pressure from the Swedish media, encouraged the Swedish FA to change their rules to comply with FIFA. This rule change has come to be known as the 'Burns Rule' by Swedish media.
Burns made his Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
debut on April 21, 2008, in a 2–1 win over Trelleborgs FF
Trelleborgs FF
Trelleborgs FF, or simply Trelleborg, is a Swedish football club located in Trelleborg. The club, formed 6 December 1926, will during the season of 2012 play in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan...
. He came on in the 90th minute for red-carded goalkeeper Michal Slawuta. He went on to play the final seven minutes in added time, making one save, and gaining his first league shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
.
Burns made his starting debut in the next match against 2007 Allsvenskan Champions, IFK Gothenburg on April 25. Ljungskile went on to win the match 2–1 in front of a record home crowd of 7,100 people thereby ending Gothenburg’s stretch of nineteen unbeaten games started in the 2007 season. Burns was voted as one of the top three players of the match for his efforts in the game.
Burns took over the starting goalkeeping duties for the remainder of the season on August 17, playing away to Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
and Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
. Ljungskile won the match 1–0, giving Helsingborgs their only home loss of the season. Colin was named as one of the men of match and also was named best goalkeeper of the week in the Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
on the weekly highlight show “Fotbollsmåndag” – Football Monday.
Burns went on to appear seventeen times for LSK gaining four man of the match honors, two top three players in the match and six shutouts in his first season in the Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
.
Sarpsborg 08 FF
Burns signed a two year contract with AdeccoligaenAdeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
side Sarpsborg 08 FF in October 2009.
Sandefjord Fotball
Burns signed a one year contract with AdeccoligaenAdeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
side Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....
in January 2011.
See also
- List of current American soccer players by US state
- List of people from Delaware
- List of Swedish football transfers 2007-08
- List of United States soccer players playing abroad