{{short description|American soccer player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Grover Gibson | image = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|11|18}} | birth_place = Fairfax, Virginia, United States | height = 1.78 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Richmond Strikers | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Braddock Road | youthyears3 = | youthclubs3 = VfB Stuttgart | years1 = 1997–1999 | years2 = 1999–2000 | years3 = 2000–2002 | years4 = 2002–2003 | years5 = 2003–2004 | years6 = 2004–2005 | years7 = 2005–2006 | years8 = 2006 | years9 = 2007 | years10 = 2007–2009 | clubs1 = VfB Stuttgart II | clubs2 = FC Augsburg | clubs3 = SV Elversberg | clubs4 = Mainz 05 | clubs5 = SV Elversberg | clubs6 = Jahn Regensburg | clubs7 = Preußen Münster | clubs8 = Kickers Emden | clubs9 = Preußen Münster | clubs10 = Rot-Weiss Ahlen | caps1 = 11 | caps2 = 25 | caps3 = 31 | caps4 = 4 | caps5 = 27 | caps6 = 30 | caps7 = 11 | caps8 = 8 | caps9 = 12 | caps10 = 40 | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | goals3 = 5 | goals4 = 0 | goals5 = 1 | goals6 = 2 | goals7 = 1 | goals8 = 1 | goals9 = 2 | goals10 = 6 | manageryears1 = 2013– | managerclubs1 = Fredericksburg FC }} '''Grover Gibson''' (born 18 November 1978) is an American soccer player who last played for Rot-Weiss Ahlen in the 2. Bundesliga until retiring due to injury in August 2009.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bundesliga.de/en/liga2/news/2008/index.php?p=3 | title = Gibson diagnosed with serious eye injury | publisher = bundesliga.de | date = 11 May 2009 | accessdate = 8 June 2012}}</ref>
In 2012, Gibson established the Grover Gibson Soccer Foundation, which is a non-profit corporation, where he founded Fredericksburg FC and is currently head coach.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Westfälische Nachrichten|title=Ex-Preuße Grover Gibson bildet in Amerika junge Fußballer aus der Talentförderer aus Amerika|url=https://www.wn.de/sport/lokalsport/muenster/der-talentforderer-aus-amerika-1934340|language=de|date=8 February 2014}}</ref>
==Club career== Born in Fairfax, Virginia, after graduating from high school, Gibson signed with VfB Stuttgart U-18. He went on to play two years for VfB Stuttgart reserves. After that he played for third-tier sides FC Augsburg and SV Elversberg before signing with 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the 2. Bundesliga at the age of 21. Later he played again in the third tier for SSV Jahn Regensburg, SC Preußen Münster, Kickers Emden. His last club was Rot-Weiss Ahlen in the 2. Bundesliga where he played 30 matches and scored six goals.
His professional career ending after fracturing the eye socket which also damaged the retina and optic nerve.
Gibson previously played four matches in the 2. Bundesliga for 1. FSV Mainz 05.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2002/apr24.htm | title = Gibson agrees to terms with Mainz, looks forward to playing in Bundesliga | publisher = soccertimes.com | date = 24 April 2002 | accessdate = 8 June 2012 | first1 = Gary | last1 = Davidson | first2 = Chris | last2 = Courtney | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190257/http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2002/apr24.htm | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
==Coaching career== Following the creation of the Grover Gibson Soccer Foundation, a non-profit corporation promoting soccer, Gibson founded RVA FC (now Fredericksburg FC), as a youth soccer organization in Richmond, Virginia, with the senior men's team to compete in the amateur National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), considered the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Gibson would coach the club in its inaugural season, leading them to a first-place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Division and all the way to the NPSL Championship game against the Sonoma County Sol.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/741595.html | title=NPSL Seminfinals Preview | publisher=NationalPremierSoccerLeague.com | date=26 July 2013 | accessdate=28 July 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001425/http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/741595.html | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=usurped }}</ref>
== Personal life == Gibson resides currently in Fredericksburg, Virginia with his wife and three children.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080819225552/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/vereine/spielersteckbrief/object/23536/saison/2008-09 Grover Gibson] at kicker.de {{in lang|de}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Grover}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American men's soccer players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Rot Weiss Ahlen players Category:1. FSV Mainz 05 players Category:SC Preußen Münster players Category:VfB Stuttgart II players Category:Kickers Emden players Category:SV Elversberg players Category:SSV Jahn Regensburg players Category:FC Augsburg players Category:2. Bundesliga players Category:American expatriate men's soccer players Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Soccer players from Virginia Category:United States men's youth international soccer players Category:United States men's under-20 international soccer players