oafcprozac Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 ATHLETIC have hit a snag in their attempt to bring in new talent – the “excessive” money paid in higher divisions. Chief executive Alan Hardy today blasted wage levels, admitting it was increasingly tough for clubs like Athletic to compete for players. One potential deal fell through when Athletic enquired about a Championship striker who does not play regular first-team football and were told he is paid £7,000 per week. They remain confident of making signings during the transfer window, but Mr Hardy outlined the problems facing many lower-league sides. He said: “It’s a difficult situation because you ask about players in the Championship and some of them are on excessivewages. “We are very keen to get people in, but first they have to be players who suit us and then they have to be within the right budget. “If it’s a loan signing, you can try to negotiate a wage-share with the other club and bring the money into line with what we can pay, but often theywon’t do that. “I was working on one last night which, again, probably won’t happen, although there is still an outside possibility.” Athletic, who have made Sheffield Wednesday striker Leon Clarke one of their main targets, are willing to offer substantial deals when the circumstancesare right. Neil Kilkenny would havebecome the highest paidplayer at Boundary Park if he had accepted a deal two weeks ago instead of joining Leeds United. Meanwhile, Athletic are racing to get Chris Taylor back to fitness ahead of their weekend trip to Yeovil. Taylor was forced off with a hamstring injury at Leeds on New Year’s Day and has missed the subsequent games with Everton and Brighton.The winger, who can operateon either side, would give manager John Sheridan an attacking option from midfield as Athletic chase their eighth successive away win. Ticket sales for the FA Cup tie at home to Huddersfield on Saturday week have smashed through the 9,000 barrier. Athletic supporters have snapped up 6,000, with the remainder on open sale at Boundary Park. Huddersfield were originally given the large section of the Rochdale Road End, but demand in Yorkshire means the 1,600-seat smaller section will also be allocated to away fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 (edited) This is the point I have been trying to make. We just dont have the money alot of the time to attract qauility players and when we do get a player with qauility which we can afford, then we face competition from more wealthy clubs in are own division. Shez has a tough task ahead of him... Jan is always a bad time to look for new players.... Edited January 16, 2008 by oafc0000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senor_Coconut Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? Of course...we have made signings from this league and below,....Allott for example... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danoafc Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Of course...we have made signings from this league and below,....Allott for example... Rueben Hazell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyPimp Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Shez has made it clear that he's looking for experience. I would have thought that the majority of players with experience playing in the third division and below will be past their sell by date in his opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspiral_Carpet Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? John Thompson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senor_Coconut Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'll give you Thompson, but Allot was hardly an unknown to the coaching staff and Rubes was technically a free transfer after being on trial for a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oa_exile Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 ............and that is why we must keep investing in the Youth Team and keep churning them out. Our high percentage of our home grown have always done well for us whilst they have been here and brought much needed revenue into the club in transfers and many have gone onto better things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singe Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? C'mon Senor, I have noted a slight listing of the "I'll post positive for a year" ship. It's taking in water at the moment, but the captain is still on board and may be able get the water pump working again and shift the ballast about a bit..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Along as he's not drifting near Devon. Infamous death zone for any listing happy ships... I'm sure we have people looking down the leagues, but we also need to be looking in the direction we hope to go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senor_Coconut Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'm getting a bit like old supertaylor off jk lactics I DEMAND TRANSFERS NOW GOD DAMN IT !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oa_exile Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? Did you see this thread Coco ? interesting read >>Scout<< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hometownclub Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 C'mon Senor, I have noted a slight listing of the "I'll post positive for a year" ship. It's taking in water at the moment, but the captain is still on board and may be able get the water pump working again and shift the ballast about a bit..... I wager that water pump could be working overtime before the end of January the way the transfers are or aren't going at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'll give you Thompson, but Allot was hardly an unknown to the coaching staff and Rubes was technically a free transfer after being on trial for a week. JP. (not to mention Wood and Blayney) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Anyone wish to have a guess at who this player may have been? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorvik_latic Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Anyone wish to have a guess at who this player may have been? Clarke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Clarke. Agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senor_Coconut Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Take this Stuart Fleetwood fella, Gillingham, Crewe and Cheltenham have all bid for him, surely he wouldn't cost more than Clarke and wages wouldn't even be close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 (edited) Agreed I'd hope not. He's decent enough at this level but if it is him and Wednesday are giving him that it's no wonder they want rid! I would have said Horsefield myself had he not been in talks with Scunny. Suspect he'll be on a similar amount too. Fleetwood's a shout Coco but they turned down 175k from Crewe a few days back. Edited January 16, 2008 by RoytonBlueLad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'd hope not. He's decent enough at this level but if it is him and Wednesday are giving him that it's no wonder they want rid! I would have said Horsefield myself had he not been in talks with Scunny. Suspect he'll be on a similar amount too. Fleetwood's a shout Coco but they turned down 175k from Crewe a few days back. The simple thing is, if we can't afford players like Clarke* on a permanent then stop crying about it to the local press and either get him/someone similar in on loan for the rest of the season and deal with players who are out of contract at the end of the season when their demands have to become reasonable. If players don't look like playing their teams want these players out on loan to improve them and cover some of the wages. So just play the game as they want it. Although Fleetwood looks good in his division he has been an abject failure at any level in the league. He may have got better, since seven montha ago when Hereford deemed him not good enough, but I wouldn't want to be risking too much on it. *If, as seems likely, it is him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspiral_Carpet Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Take this Stuart Fleetwood fella, Gillingham, Crewe and Cheltenham have all bid for him, surely he wouldn't cost more than Clarke and wages wouldn't even be close. Crewe's £175k bid for Fleetwood was rejected. He's also being watched by Charlton and a couple of other Championship Clubs. Didn't he play League football last Season though and failed to make the grade? As Kenny Deuchar has proved, scoring goals in lower League football is no guarantee that you can do the same in League One or higher. Btw, good to have the old Coco back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midsblue Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Do you think we actually have anybody watching players in this division, or the division below, or god forgive non league? Has anyone read Ian Holloway's autobiography? Unsure who his scouts are/were but they spotted Barry Hayles, Bobby Zamora, Jamie Cureton, Carl Saunders, Nathan Ellington...the list goes on. All of which were unfancied players who had dropped down divisions or from league to non-league. I've done a spot of scouting in the past and the quality in the lower leagues and especially the level below the conference is amazing, especially the way Prem clubs turf out the young uns nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 How many scouts do we have ? Im guessing that we only have so many and they dont work for free..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 (edited) How many scouts do we have ? Im guessing that we only have so many and they dont work for free..... Don't know specifically, but I'd say there's one or two paid (full time?), plus some paid per game (or at least expensed), plus a network of 'knowledgeable friends' who more or less do work for free. Edited January 16, 2008 by garcon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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