Robert "Bobby" Shuttleworth (born May 13, 1987) is an American former professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
for multiple teams in
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
and
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
.
Early life
Shuttleworth grew up in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
, and while attending
Nichols School
Nichols School is a private, non-denominational, co-educational college- preparatory day school in Buffalo, New York, United States. The average enrollment is 570 students with an average Upper School grade/class size of 98 students. The average ...
he set the school record with 48 career
shutouts
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
. Among his other accolades were winning 2 New York State Private High School Championships as well as earning first-team All-Western New York, All-State and All-East region honors. He finished his high school career with a 20–2–1 record in his senior year.
Career
College
Shuttleworth initially attended and played
college soccer
College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...
at
Loyola College in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. Eventually, he transferred to the
University at Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...
where he played soccer with the Bulls. He finished with a 0.94 goals against average and an 8–2–2 record.
During his college years he also played with
Kalamazoo Outrage
Kalamazoo Outrage was an American soccer team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The franchise folded at the ...
in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
where he helped the
Stu Riddle-led franchise to the elite 8 before succumbing to the eventual 2008 PDL champions
Thunder Bay Chill
Thunder Bay Chill Soccer Club is a Canadian soccer team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2000, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at Chapples Park S ...
.
Shuttleworth has also coached in an assistant coach role at
Bentley University
Bentley University is a private university focused on business, accountancy, and finance and located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, Bentley moved to Waltham in ...
.
Professional
Shuttleworth played briefly with
Buffalo City in the
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...
before being signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
on June 18, 2009 by
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
after the Revs played against
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system b ...
team
Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex were a soccer team based in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 2011 as a member of the Premier Development League, the team played the 2015 season in the United Soccer League, the second tier of the United States soccer pyr ...
in a pre-season match, with whom Shuttleworth was on trial. He signed one-year deal with an option for another four years
and later spent a short time on loan with
Western Mass Pioneers
Western Mass Pioneers is an American soccer team based in Ludlow, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at Lusitano Stadium, ...
in the
USL Second Division
The USL Second Division (commonly referred to as USL-2) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was at the third tier of soccer in the United States, behind Major League Soccer ( ...
.
He made his debut for the Revolution in a 3–0 loss against the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
in
U.S. Open Cup qualifying on May 12, 2010. He made his first appearance in MLS league play on May 29 vs New York Red Bulls, coming on as a substitute after a serious injury to
Preston Burpo
Preston Burpo (born September 26, 1972 in Bethesda, Maryland) is a retired American soccer player who is currently the goalkeeper coach for Austin FC in Major League Soccer.
College
Burpo played collegiate soccer at Southern New Hampshire ...
. Shuttleworth earned his first
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
Regular Season clean sheet on October 16 in a 1–0 win against visiting
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
.
On February 15, 2017, Shuttleworth was traded to
Minnesota United
Minnesota United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that plays in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The club began play in 2017 as the league's 22nd club, and replaced the North American So ...
in exchange for
Femi Hollinger-Janzen
Oluwafemi Hollinger-Janzen (born 14 December 1993) is a Beninese former footballer.
Early life
Hollinger-Janzen was born on 14 December 1993 in Cotonou, Benin. A mission worker named Lynda Hollinger-Janzen was working in a church-based health ...
. Shuttleworth came on late in United's home opener after an injury to starter
John Alvbåge
John Rune Alvbåge (; born 10 August 1982) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Beginning his career with Torslanda IK in 1999, he went on to play professionally in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the United States, a ...
, and went on to start the team's next three games. He tended goal for Minnesota United's first MLS point, a 2–2 draw against the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
, and first MLS win, a 4–2 victory over
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 20 ...
.
On August 6, 2019, Shuttleworth was loaned to
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
side
Sacramento Republic
Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, th ...
for the remainder of the season.
Following his release by Minnesota at the end of the 2019 season, Shuttleworth joined
Chicago Fire on January 30, 2020. Following the 2021 season, Shuttleworth's contract with Chicago expired.
On January 14, 2022, Shuttleworth joined
Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference.
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...
on a one year contract with a club option in 2023.
On July 7, 2022, Shuttleworth announced his retirement from professional soccer.
Beginning with the 2022 season, Shuttleworth is serving as an assistant coach with the Florida State University women’s soccer team.
Career statistics
Club
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shuttleworth, Bobby
1987 births
Living people
American soccer players
Loyola Greyhounds men's soccer players
Buffalo Bulls men's soccer players
Albany BWP Highlanders players
Kalamazoo Outrage players
New England Revolution players
Western Mass Pioneers players
Minnesota United FC players
Sacramento Republic FC players
Chicago Fire FC players
Atlanta United FC players
Association football goalkeepers
Soccer players from New York (state)
USL League Two players
USL Second Division players
Major League Soccer players
USL Championship players
Sportspeople from Erie County, New York
People from Tonawanda, New York