Carlisle United’s attempt to sign former Hearts goalkeeper Ross Stewart has hit a snag, as Blues manager Paul Simpson revealed that a proposed deal had to be abandoned due to a registration issue. Despite three weeks of training with Carlisle and reaching an agreement with the club, it was discovered that the 28-year-old goalkeeper was still registered with another team.
Simpson expressed disappointment over the situation, emphasizing that Stewart was unaware of his ongoing registration with another club. The intended plan was for Stewart to serve as a backup to Tomas Holy following an injury to loanee Jokull Andresson. However, the deal fell through, and Simpson confirmed that Stewart won’t be able to join Carlisle before January, prompting the club to explore alternative options.
Stewart had been actively involved with the United squad in recent games and even traveled with them to Reading. Simpson had identified him as an ideal competition for the No. 1 goalkeeper position in Andresson’s absence. The manager explained that Stewart had been registered on an emergency basis with another club for a week, but the de-registration process did not occur as expected.
Despite completing paperwork and agreeing to a contract until the end of the season, the registration issue surfaced at a late stage, leading to the deal’s cancellation. Simpson acknowledged the need for an experienced goalkeeper as cover, especially considering the youth and inexperience of the current backup, Gabriel Breeze.
With the setback, Breeze is likely to be on the bench for the upcoming League One trip to Blackpool, as Andresson is expected to be out until the new year. Simpson highlighted the challenge of finding a suitable goalkeeper for emergency loan purposes in case anything happens to Holy before January. The manager noted that the club had been exploring free agents but faced difficulties in securing experienced goalkeepers willing to provide cover during this period.
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