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Stern turns to England Columbus forward John joins Nottingham
Posted: Tuesday November 16, 1999 08:21 AM
ATLANTA (CNN/SI) -- Major League Soccer announced Monday that Columbus Crew forward Stern John has signed a contract with Nottingham Forest of the English First Division. John, 23, has already obtained a work permit and could be available for Nottingham's game against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. John was the Crew's leading scorer for the past two seasons. The Crew was eliminated from the MLS playoffs on Saturday by D.C. United. John's transfer fee reportedly approached $6 million, though previous reports of John's impending transfer ran in the $1 million to $2 million range. Financial details of the transfer fee or John's contract were not officially disclosed. "We are certainly excited for Stern and wish him the best as he pursues his dream of playing in England," said general nanager Jamey Rootes. "The magnitude of this transfer is a great compliment to the player-development effort of the Columbus Crew organization and Major League Soccer. While we are sad to see Stern leave, his absence will allow us to bring in another marquee player." Nottingham Forest currently sits in 17th place among the 24 teams in the First Division. In the 1998-99 season, Nottingham competed in the English Premier League but was relegated to the First Division after finishing last in the 20-team league. The top two finishers in the First Division are automatically promoted to the Premier League. A third promotion to the Premiership is also awarded to the winner of a playoff between the First Division's third, fourth, fifth and sixth place teams. "I would like to thank all the fans in Columbus for supporting me over the past two seasons," said John. "I hope the fans can understand that it has always been my personal goal to pursue a career in England. I want everyone to know that I have enjoyed my time with the Crew and in MLS. My only regret is that we couldn't win the MLS Cup for Columbus, but I wish my teammates and the organization the best of luck in the future." John, who was signed by MLS and The Crew as a discovery option prior to the 1998 season, captured the 1998 MLS scoring title with 57 points on 26 goals and five assists, falling just shy of Roy Lassiter's single-season records of 27 goals and 58 points. A two-time All-Star and member of MLS' best 11 in 1998, John finished his career in Columbus with 52 goals and nine assists (113 pts.) in 65 appearances, including eight goals and two assists in 10 playoff appearances.
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