Ade
Thought this might help you. The Fanzine did an article some time back (2 years?) on the best and worst foreigners in STFC History, even coming up with starting line ups and subs! Have a read, butcher what you want. It was based on fedback like your asking for from fans back in the day!
Best/Worst Forign Players in STFC’s History
442 magazine ran a feature in its last issue for all 92 football clubs, where they set out the all time best and worst foreign players. For STFC these were apparently Shane Cansdell Sheriff as best and Jason Van Blerke as worst.
It got us thinking about if we have had enough foreign players to compile a best and worst team from players outside of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The rules for the selection are simple, you have to have been born in a foreign land or represented them at any kind of international level. As such players like James Collins could make the team as he’s played for Ireland at international level. It’s still tough to get a decent list as comparably to bigger clubs STFC have not had may foreign players over the years, and even less who have played a significant amount of games.
Best Foreign TeamWith a dearth of talent in the midfield department we have gone with a attacking looking 3-5-2 formation.
GK - Benny Gall (Denmark)
DF - Sagi Burton (St Kitts and Nevis)
DF - Shane Cansdell Sherriff (Australia)
DF - Tommy Lynch (Ireland)
MF - Derek Asamoah (Ghanha)
MF - Terry Dunfield (Canada)
MF - Gylfi Sigurðsson (Iceland)
MF - Gerry Daly (Ireland)
MF - Martin O’Connor (Cayman Islands)
ST - Ian Stevens (Malta)
ST - James Collins (Ireland)
BENCH – John McGrath (Ireland). Jimmy Ryan (Ireland), Mark Dempsey (Ireland), Jamie Devitt (Ireland), Nole Blake (Jamacia)
GK - Benny Gall – The Danish keeper was hardily one of the best we have ever had, but by proxy of being pretty much the only foreign keeper to go between the sticks for the town he’s in! Playing 34 times for the town and being distinctly average the keeper spot is the weakest in this line up! Make your own joke up about Danish Bacon!
DF - Sagi Burton – The big central defender was generally good for the town, and a full international for St Kitts and Nevis. However Burton showed real loyalty to Shrewsbury turning down the chance to play for them in Caribbean Cup in 2006. Burton settled in to the town slowly while injured, but was a regular starter in the run to the playoffs in 2006/07. Sagi was solid at the back and could be relied upon to bag at the other end scoring 5 times in 44 games.
DF - Shane Cansdell Sheriff – Shane is the clubs longest serving player and has been a reliable performer over the last four seasons and wants a new contract according to recent reports. Hes been caped at under 17 and under 23 level and recently got called up to the full squad, but never played. Shane could be an STFC ledgend in the making if he signs on for more time with a club he clearly has a lot of time for. Bonza Mate!
DF - Tommy Lynch – A STFC Legend and one of the first inductees to the Hall of Fame. 234 games, 14 goals over 6 yers and countless crunching tackles and dominant headers. Tommy had the biggest heart of any player we have ever had. Sadly shafted by Davies at Wembley which forced him to leave the club that he had left a massive mark on. Truly great player for the town during dark times.
MF - Derek Asamoah – Del Boy split some fans, but he was generally well liked and played a lot in 2006/07 scoring 10 times in 39 games. It was rare back then for a STFC play to get double figures! He was also one of the players to stand out for the town at Wembley when other froze and could do a job up front or on the wing. Derek was a talented player who was a joy to watch at times but ruined what might have been a decent legacy at STFC by going AWOL in agitating for a move to Nice in France. He’s represented Ghana 4 times at international level and is now playing for Pohang Steelers in South Korea.
MF - Terry Dunfield – Terrys time at STFC was a strange one, after he signed in Jan 2009 he was frankly not very good for the rest of the season. But a full per season and by 2009/10 he was showing his class and ended up becoming the B and A Fanzine player of the season that year, and earned his first cap for Canada. However like Asamoah, he kind of ruined any legacy at STFC as the then new manger Turner was "far from happy with the player basically implying that this club and English League Two football was not good enough for him”. He moved back home and has now played for Canada 9 times and scored his first international goal in June 2011.
MF - Gylfi Sigurðsson – I think most people instantly saw the talent Gylfi had when he banged one in on his debut vs Bournemouth in October 2008. In the 6 games he was at the club he was impressive and the sort of talent you knew would be designed for bigger things. That was the case going on to be start regually for Reading, be 1899 Hoffenheim’s fans player of the season, playing for the full Iceland team and now playing in the premership for Swansea. Did you see his two goals vs Wigan a few weeks back! Quality.
MF - Gerry Daly – A blast from the past compared to most in this team, Daly was one of the first players from Ireland to make a real mark at STFC. Arriving at the club at the age of 31 with a wealth of experience playing for Manchester United and Derby County, Daly played 55 times scoring 8 goals, and even earned one of his 48 caps for Ireland whiles at STFC. This was during the days when town were in the Championship (the old 2nd Division). Speak to any fan who was going in the mid 80’s and they will tell you Daly was a hell of a player, in fact he would get into a lot of peoples all time best ever town players team let alone one just full of foreign players. Talent.
MF - Martin O’Connor – Having had a good career before joining the town for two seasons, O’Connor was a big part of the team that got us out of the conference and stabilised in League Two between 2003 and 2005. It was 2002 when at Birmingham City Martin was called up to the Cayman Islands (alongside 7 other English football league players) and played in two friendly, one of which was against DC United. However before a full international cap could be awarded FIFA stepped in and banned all the players. He does however technically have two appearances for the Caymans Islands!
ST - Ian Stevens – Born in Valletta, Malta in 1966, Ian Stevens soon moved to Lancashire and made his way into the football league with Preston North End. Stevens had two spells with STFC the first between 1994-1997 playing 111 games scoring 37. Steven returned in 2002 for another season. Particularly in his first spell Stevo was a good finisher, hard worker and threat going forward. Not so much in his second spell. His off the pitch antics are best left alone!
ST - James Collins – Although born in Coventry about as middle of England as you can get James is now an established Under 21 Irish player having played 9 games and scored 3 goals so far. Hopefully James can be the first place since Gerry Daley to get a full Ireland game while at the club. Collins has settled into being at STFC now and is one of the first names on the team sheets. With his best years ahead of him, Collins looks like quite a prospect.
Bench John McGrath – The on-loan winger was decent in his 8 games at the town, and many would have liked to have seen more. After going back to home town Limerick initially is now back in the football league at Burton.
Jimmy Ryan – One of Paul Simpspons biggst mistkaes? Four Irish Under 21 caps and now playing in League 1 for S****horpe.
Mark Dempsey – harsh to missout on the starting line up Dempsey has the goal against Fulham to rely on for a drink anytime hes in Shrewsbury.
Nole Blake – The on-loan Power house was solid during his loan spell in the 80’s. Now manager of the England Under 19’s
Jamie Devitt – Ripped us apart for Darlington before Simo got him in on loan and he had a decent 9 games coring 2. Played for Hull in the championship, had his contract renewed and now on loan at Accrington.
Worst Foreign TeamFor the worst team some creative licence is required. As no other foreign keeper has played for the town we have included two talented lads of a foreign heritage who never made the grade at STFC). Due to the lack of decent midfielders the worst team have three up top!
GK - Jas Singh/Andreas Andreas J. Arestidou
DF - Tomas Nielsen (Denmark)
DF - Jason Van Blerk (Australia)
DF - John Keister (Sierra Leone)
DF - James Meredith (Australia)
MF - Omar Riza (Turkey)
MF - Jay Denny (USA)
MF Benjamin van den Broek (Holland)
ST - Kris Bright (New Zealand)
ST - Guy Madjo (Cameroon)
ST - Rory Fallon (New Zealand)
BENCH - Glynn Hurst (South Africa), Fola Onibuje (Nigeria) Marco Adaggio (Spain), Moses Ashikodi, Ciarán Lyng(Irish)
GK - Jas Singh/Andreas Andreas J. Arestidou – Both Singh and Arestidou are still in the game despite not making it at the town, Singh at Solihull Moors and Arestidou at Preston North End. Singh was notable for being on the bench for town vs Buxton in a pre season game and playing for Buxton in the second half. Arestidou actually played two games for the town, one in the league vs Bury.
DF - Tomas Nielsen (Denmark) – The “not so great” Dane, Thomas Nielsen was more miss than hit when compared to his compatriot Benny Gall. I guess he was not the worst player we have ever had but the shear averageness of him gets him a nod in the worst team. Apparently after leaving town returned to Denmark to work in a Mens Outfitters and play for Aarhus Fremad.
DF - Jason Van Blerk (Australia) – The winner of the 442 vote and frankly a worthy winner. Van Blerks time at the club was awful (2002/03), contributing plenty to our relegation in his 23 games. His Classic moment was smashing one home in to his own net in our 6-0 loss at Boston in what many have described as the worst defensive performance they have ever seen. Regally subbed off after 45 minutes he was an awful, awful player and on a fair wack of money too at the time, you have to wonder hwo he EVER amassed 33 caps for Australia.
DF - John Keister (Sierra Leone) – Played 8 games in four months while at STFC and then let go half way through the season which tales the tale of how bad his spell at the club went. He has 7 caps for Sierra Leone. That’s about all there is to say, never really did anything and was pretty rubbish when he did played.
DF - James Meredith (Australia) – Anyone at the Barnet away game which proved to be Gary Peters last in charge of the club will know how bad James Meredith actually was, and how far from being a league player he looked. Timid, ineffective, a liability that day in what was only one of 3 first team appearances in two seasons at the club. Found his level with Telford on loan, and has kicked on to play regularly for York now for the last four seasons. We may see him again in the league one day.
MF - Omar Riza (Turkey) – Came into the club as a pain in the arse with some FIFA suspension over his head, which was finally sorted after a couple of months. He was then injured for a bit. This was in April 2009 and by January 2010 he was negotiating his way out his contract after getting nowhere near the first time for a couple of months. Why? Because he was rubbish, with ball control and shooting the major issues. 1 start, 13 games no goals – He was a striker! He did score at the Prostar though, good quiz questions this…. The only time? One of the Penalties vs Ipswich in the shootout in the Carling Cup in 2009/10 when town got knocked out. One to test your mates with in the pub tonight.
MF - Jay Denny (USA) – Proving once again the yanks no nothing about football, its Jay Denny. Born in Santa Monica, Denny was raised in England and somehow found his way to STFC in 2005/06. Denny was generally average in his 18 games, although he fired two goals to help town knock out Brighton from the League Cup which was a giant killing back then. However these goals went to his head and after being dropped for the following game he had a tantrum and said he would not renew his contract, and eventually had it mutually terminated by April 2006. Still playing in England for Hendsford Town and currently coaching for Gavin Cowan’s Crossbar Coaching.
MF- Benjamin van den Broek (Holland) – A lot of people liked Benny. As a football however he never produced the talent people thought he had for a variety of reasons, from being played on the wing when he was a striker, being used as a sub more often than not, and most tellingly, really not being that good. He would look dashing while running, but there not much of an end product most of the time. Potentially with time he could have kicked on, but GT saw enough and moved him on.
ST - Kris Bright (New Zealand) – What can you say about Bright, took masses of abuse of his own fans and then responded with his won two fingered salute following a goal vs Telford in Pre Season. But it was mostly deserved abuse, as he was terrible, with the highlight been his 45 minute impression of a lamppost during the Histon cup shock loss. 26 games 22 from the bench and 2 goals (Lincoln and Vale) Bright was one of those player nobody warmed to, a player who was just sort of the required talent as a upper league two player.
ST - Guy Madjo (Cameroon) – We paid Crawly town (then of the Conference) 20k for the services of Madjo. Just let that sink in and feel the anger grow. It started well for Madjo as on debut we were thrashed 3-1 by Hereford! He eventually played 15 games scoring three, but did not feature in Paul Simpsons plans due to chronic rubishness and was let go at the end of the season. Strangely however he’s now back in League 2 with Aldershot. Under 23 Cameroon international but never at the highest level.
ST - Rory Fallon (New Zealand) – When loan singing go wrong with Kris Bright Fallon may have put us of singing players from New Zealand for good. Despite having a faily decent carrer before and after his 11 game stint with the town, Fallon was the watermark in bad loan deals for a long time at STFC. A striker brought in to get STFC scoring goals in 11 games he did not threaten the back of the net once… not once. Looking for all the world like he would rather be anywhere than Shrewsbury and devoid of confidence his highlight came in winning a penalty at Halifax. That was it!
BENCH Glynn Hurst – Remember him, the totally under whelming forward who with only three goals for us more fondly remembered in Bury where we sent him on loan and his scoring rate improved and for his injury track record (long). Played for the South African Under 23s.
Fola Onibuje – Played one game and looked like he was a total chancer. A big tall bloke Gary Peters himself said on the day he was released “hes not as good in the air as he should be”. Not a great comment for a target man to read! He was also never fit enough according to GP and that when the opposition had the ball Fola took a “rest”. He also gave away loads of fouls. So one start in the cup and a couple of reserves games he was off after a couple months at the club. Since us hes played for 10 clubs at a rate of 2.5 per season now in the very lower leagues at Tooting & Mitcham United F.C and struggling to get in the team.
Marco Adaggio – Despite the name Addagio was actually born in Malaga Spain so TECNICALLY a forign player! Gien a few chances for the town after coming throuhg the youths but never took them and has since found his level in the lower leagues for Stafford, Wrocester City Reddich United and others. Another ex player currently coaching for Gavin Cowan’s Crossbar Coaching.
Moses Ashikodi - One Season, 8 games 1 goal. Moses was even subbed off on his league debut for the town after 45 minutes for Richard Walker. Yes he was that bad!
Ciarán Lyng – Was so bad at football at STFC in two seasons he played 5 games. However the penny dropped as he gave it up and moved into Galic Football, and has made the trasition well, being named an All Star in 2008, and international and medalist. Currently playing for Wexford GAA and St Martins GAA (County team). Galic Football is faily confusing to be honest!