Sockers Sign Crow to Deal for 1988-89 : Ex-Striker Etherington Added as Team Attempts to Shore Up Its Defense

The Sockers, needing to produce some good news during this troubled summer, announced Friday they had re-signed Kevin Crow, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s defender of the year this past season.

In an effort to shore up its defense, the team also confirmed it had signed defender Gary Etherington, who played last season for Minnesota. The loss of Fernando Clavijo to Los Angeles and Brian Schmetzer to Tacoma in the past two weeks had left the Sockers short-handed in that area.

“Anytime you’re at a disadvantage of having players leaving, it’s good to come out with some good news,” said Ron Cady, the Sockers’ president. “We expect to only have good news from now on.”

The signing of Crow was considered a must by the Sockers, especially after Clavijo said this month that he was leaving to join the Los Angeles Lazers.

Terms of Crow’s contract were not announced, but Crow said it was for one year. Crow said he and the team reached a verbal agreement more than a month ago.

“We’ve lost some good, quality players, but there are still a lot more out there,” Crow said. “I have no question that the Sockers will always be in a competitive situation.”

Etherington, 30, had been a member of the now-defunct Minnesota franchise since 1984. He began his MISL career with the New York Arrows in 1982.

He played in 54 games last season, a career high, and scored 5 goals.

“I wanted to come back to the West Coast to play,” said Etherington, who played outdoors for the Los Angeles Aztecs from 1979 to 1981. “I’ve always admired the Sockers’ style of play.”

Cady said the Sockers will now focus their attention on trying to re-sign three players--Branko Segota, Brian Quinn and Zoltan Toth--who had guaranteed contracts last season.

Toth, according to his agent, already has agreed to a deal and will sign a contract by early next week. Cady confirmed that the team is waiting for a signature.

Cady said he will be leaving next week for Canada, where Segota and Quinn are playing in an outdoor league.

Quinn, a midfielder, is believed to be close to re-signing. Segota is also expected to re-sign, but he spent most of the summer in Europe and wasn’t aware of the turmoil that surrounded the league--including a near-folding--during June and July.

Segota, like the rest of the players, will be asked to take a pay cut because of the league’s new salary cap rules.