Breaking News: Memphis 901 FC and Bill Hamid part ways

Bill Hamid’s time in Memphis has come to an end. Memphis 901 FC announced today that they and Hamid have mutually agreed to part ways. The former DC United and USMNT goalkeeper appeared in just thirteen games for the Beale Street Boys: ten in USL regular season games and another three in the US Open Cup.

In a statement released on Friday morning, 901 FC said, “Memphis 901 FC and Bill Hamid have mutually agreed to terminate the goalkeeper’s one-year contract effective immediately.”

Hamid was billed as the biggest signing in club history back in March. Sporting Director Tim Howard described it as, “…one of our biggest days and we’ve had some really good ones.” Hamid’s initial few games seemed to stabilize a 901 FC team that had gotten off to a rocky start to the season with consecutive 3-1 home losses. With Hamid in goal the 901 FC defense improved noticeably. After giving up three goals in each of the first two games, Memphis went the next seven games without conceding three goals. That stretch included a massive win over MLS side Atlanta United in the US Open Cup.

As the calendar advanced into early June however, Hamid’s appearances in goal for Memphis became less frequent which coach Stephen Glass attributed, in several postgame interviews, to Hamid attending to personal, family matters. After a 2-1 win over FC Tulsa on May 19th, Hamid did not appear in goal for Memphis again until a July 7th (a stretch of six games) loss at home against San Antonio FC, in which he conceded four goals. His final appearance in a 901 FC jersey was back on July 15th in a 1-1 road draw against the Sacramento Republic.

So how will Bill Hamid’s time in Memphis be remembered? Will he be remembered as the third former USMNT goalkeeper to play for the Beale Street Boys? Will he be remembered as the goalkeeper whose signing steadied a defense that had a rough start to the season? Or will he be remembered as the player whose appearances in goal became few and far between? The reality will probably be some combination of those options. But now the main shot stopping responsibility falls to Drew Romig who has done well of late, conceding one or no goals in each of the last three games.

The first game of the post-Bill Hamid era in Memphis is on Wednesday, August 23rd down at AutoZone Park against Indy Eleven at 7:00pm.