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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Jan 31, 2023 14:05:36 GMT 1
Mkandawire was a decent player for Hereford. Always played well against us anyway. I remember there were positive comments from many Town fans. Guess at our level a defender is only as good as the partnership is with his fellow defender, there are many cases of Town players being good or bad depending on who they were playing alongside. Think Artell or Richard Hope plus others I cant remember at the minute.
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Post by kenwood on Jan 31, 2023 14:17:43 GMT 1
Trevor Birch never lived up to the transfer fee we paid for him. I think we paid £40k for him, a club record fee at the time. In context that would see us spending £270k in today's money. I’ve mentioned Mr Birch before . He came to us from Liverpool having scored for fun in their Central League side . Now , as an ex pro said to me it’s difficult not to score in that side when you are playing with and provided opportunities by players of outstanding ability . Remember the Central League teams had first team players from the top divisions who were coming back from injury or were trying to get back some kind of form or were young bloods trying to force their way into the first team. We took a punt, it didn’t work out. Now Trevor Birch is the go to man when clubs are in administration. He has a tremendous reputation and is well thought of. Plus the fact that he has developed a career which has been very profitable for him.
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Post by camdenshrew on Jan 31, 2023 14:18:16 GMT 1
Spencer Whelan. What made it even worse is that the fans helped pay the £35,000 transfer fee.
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Post by wookeywombat on Jan 31, 2023 15:57:52 GMT 1
Still harshly dealt with and made a scapegoat because Simpson panic bought having been turned down by Paul Benson who surprisingly enough scored 4 that day. Elder was taken off at half time against the Daggers and replaced with us 4-0 down whilst most of the woeful defence stayed on. He was always going to miss a few but got into positions to miss them unlike many of our so called strikers even today.
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Post by gainsparkshrew on Jan 31, 2023 16:17:02 GMT 1
Still harshly dealt with and made a scapegoat because Simpson panic bought having been turned down by Paul Benson who surprisingly enough scored 4 that day. Elder was taken off at half time against the Daggers and replaced with us 4-0 down whilst most of the woeful defence stayed on. He was always going to miss a few but got into positions to miss them unlike many of our so called strikers even today. Lived next door to Nathan during his time with us, you couldn't meet a nicer guy. Wife and a baby,who was born at the RSH.Always said that if I needed free tickets for family just to let him know.Took him up a few times.. absolute top guy
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Post by ssshrew on Jan 31, 2023 16:48:14 GMT 1
It’s always good to hear something like this from someone who actually knew the player concerned.
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abcdef
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 189
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Post by abcdef on Jan 31, 2023 17:59:35 GMT 1
Dave Artell, possibly the worst loan signing we've ever had, was a major part I us going out of the league, a useless slow clogger Very harsh. Was a decent young prospect when paired with an experienced co defender. Now his partner in the relegation season Matt Redmile I would agree with. That partnership was always destined to fail as there was no experience amongst them. Pity one of the best ever defenders Ratcliffe couldnt see it. You've got to be joking, he was awful, Redmile was far better when he had an experienced center hqlve in Heathcote next to him, Artell was a carthorse then and was for the entirety of his career
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Post by ProudSalopian on Jan 31, 2023 17:59:50 GMT 1
Still harshly dealt with and made a scapegoat because Simpson panic bought having been turned down by Paul Benson who surprisingly enough scored 4 that day. Elder was taken off at half time against the Daggers and replaced with us 4-0 down whilst most of the woeful defence stayed on. He was always going to miss a few but got into positions to miss them unlike many of our so called strikers even today. He might have been a nice bloke, unlucky, treated unfairly, etc. but the reality is we spent money on him (£90k was the figure often quoted) and given a 3 year deal but ended up scoring twice over 2 years. In a list of terrible signings for value for money, he is up there.
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Post by doctorproctor on Jan 31, 2023 18:29:01 GMT 1
Two of our less successful signings have been Steven Leslie and Richard Hope.
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Jan 31, 2023 18:41:43 GMT 1
Two of our less successful signings have been Steven Leslie and Richard Hope. Richard Hope was excellent for us, as I mentioned in a post earlier I think a lot certainly at our sort of level is gelling with your fellow central defender. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Still Hope is a hero for us at Shrewsbury for what he managed at Wrexham all those years ago 😀
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Post by gainsparkshrew on Jan 31, 2023 18:43:31 GMT 1
Still harshly dealt with and made a scapegoat because Simpson panic bought having been turned down by Paul Benson who surprisingly enough scored 4 that day. Elder was taken off at half time against the Daggers and replaced with us 4-0 down whilst most of the woeful defence stayed on. He was always going to miss a few but got into positions to miss them unlike many of our so called strikers even today. He might have been a nice bloke, unlucky, treated unfairly, etc. but the reality is we spent money on him (£90k was the figure often quoted) and given a 3 year deal but ended up scoring twice over 2 years. In a list of terrible signings for value for money, he is up there. Can't disagree with your point but his signing was down to the manager,not the player as he just accepted our offer Perhaps we should have a thread on our worst manager? That could be very interesting
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Post by shrewblue on Jan 31, 2023 20:10:14 GMT 1
We had high hopes in 1979 of a certain John Dungworth who 43 years ago cost us £100K having scored a load of goals for Aldershot, sadly he didn't quite replicate that form for us that would have substantiated such a high fee at the time and left a couple of years later You win some you lose some.
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Post by shrewdracer on Jan 31, 2023 20:48:55 GMT 1
Luke Waterfall...... just awful.
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Post by wookeywombat on Jan 31, 2023 21:04:54 GMT 1
Two of our less successful signings have been Steven Leslie and Richard Hope. Leslie could hardly be classed as an awful signing as he came through our youth system having been to school in Shrewsbury.
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Jan 31, 2023 21:06:33 GMT 1
We had high hopes in 1979 of a certain John Dungworth who 43 years ago cost us £100K having scored a load of goals for Aldershot, sadly he didn't quite replicate that form for us that would have substantiated such a high fee at the time and left a couple of years later You win some you lose some. We didnt play to Dungworths strength though so I guess he was as frustrated with us as well.
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Post by belfastshrew on Jan 31, 2023 21:14:44 GMT 1
Luke Waterfall...... just awful. Aww I kinda liked Waterfall...a defender who couldn't defend, but popped up with plenty of headed goals at the other end.
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Post by belfastshrew on Jan 31, 2023 21:17:10 GMT 1
Help me out here...a few years ago we signed a young lad from Newcastle was it? Announced across the socials and website...but he never played for us, never got on the bench, and was never even seen near Shrewsbury...
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Post by Salopfan99 on Jan 31, 2023 21:38:40 GMT 1
Help me out here...a few years ago we signed a young lad from Newcastle was it? Announced across the socials and website...but he never played for us, never got on the bench, and was never even seen near Shrewsbury... Matthew Bondswell, last season I believe.
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Post by gainsparkshrew on Jan 31, 2023 22:11:49 GMT 1
Talking of crap central defenders, anyone remember Alan Findlay? Signed for us from Marine,good at hoofing it from what I remember
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Jan 31, 2023 22:57:19 GMT 1
Talking of crap central defenders, anyone remember Alan Findlay? Signed for us from Marine,good at hoofing it from what I remember Probably wasnt a Championship level player, that's where we were playing at the time.
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Post by pughywasfree on Feb 1, 2023 0:12:37 GMT 1
I don't think signing Pyke was a disaster, giving him a 3 year contract was the issue. League 1 is too high for him and he's been stuck on the sidelines instead of getting regular football.
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Post by edgmond on Feb 1, 2023 0:43:04 GMT 1
Leon Clarke. Seem to recall he spent most of his time with us injured. Perhaps the signing of unfit players didn’t start this season after all. 😉
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Post by suttonfarmsalopian on Feb 1, 2023 8:20:19 GMT 1
Ian Black springs to mind. Played a few good games, got sent off and was awful after. Think we sold him back to a Scottish league 1 team
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Post by secretshrew on Feb 1, 2023 10:11:55 GMT 1
Gary Piggott.
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Post by The Shropshire Tenor on Feb 1, 2023 12:03:02 GMT 1
Two of our less successful signings have been Steven Leslie and Richard Hope. Leslie could hardly be classed as an awful signing as he came through our youth system having been to school in Shrewsbury. Doctorproctor is a Wrexham fan, he’s referring to them signing the players from us.
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Post by ProudSalopian on Feb 1, 2023 13:30:17 GMT 1
I don't think signing Pyke was a disaster, giving him a 3 year contract was the issue. League 1 is too high for him and he's been stuck on the sidelines instead of getting regular football. Agree with this. My issue with signing Pyke was always the fact we were giving an unproven player a 3 year deal, if we had signed him for 12 months then I suspect he would have been the same as lots of youngsters we have tried (and failed)
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Post by Stowmarket Shrew on Feb 1, 2023 14:21:12 GMT 1
Spencer Whelan was an awful signing, made all the worse by the fact I'd bought some shares to help fund it.
That said, given the expectations, the plainly generous salary, the injury saga since, the limited game time, the fact that we've desperately booted him to Kent at the last minute no doubt subsidising the majority of his wages, and the fact that we're stuck with him next season with limited chance of any reconciliation, I actually think in time, O'Brien has a damn good chance of being widely regarded as the most awful of all time.
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Post by Stowmarket Shrew on Feb 1, 2023 14:24:45 GMT 1
I don't think signing Pyke was a disaster, giving him a 3 year contract was the issue. League 1 is too high for him and he's been stuck on the sidelines instead of getting regular football. Agree with this. My issue with signing Pyke was always the fact we were giving an unproven player a 3 year deal, if we had signed him for 12 months then I suspect he would have been the same as lots of youngsters we have tried (and failed) Pyke has been a moderately useful squad member this season. Barely league 2 standard of course and he'll be off at the end of the season, but he's surely on a pittance of a salary, works hard, and seems an honest pro, he's just not good enough but that's hardly his fault. That said, I do agree about the three year element but given his modest salary it's unlikely to have cost us much and these kind of transfers sometimes pay off so for me there's been dozens and dozens of worse signings than this.
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Post by davycrockett on Feb 1, 2023 14:31:48 GMT 1
Spencer Whelan. What made it even worse is that the fans helped pay the £35,000 transfer fee. Nope that was Matt Redmile. Unless it was Spencer Whelan too? (Just seen he died in 2021 RIP)
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Post by Bob Rickerton on Feb 1, 2023 14:41:41 GMT 1
Leon Clarke. Seem to recall he spent most of his time with us injured. Perhaps the signing of unfit players didn’t start this season after all. 😉 This is a good shout. Absolute disaster of a signing, and by far the worst of the Wolves old boy network, which had some successes and disasters. Clarke might have been good if we'd got him 4 years earlier.
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