STFC Transfer Rumours

[DarloSTFC84]

Doesn't Wes support Newcastle too? Uh ohhhhh... :-)

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I think we are seeing an approach now with Power which, as fans of STFC we have not seen before. LP appears to be a very pragmatic, straightforward businessman but first and foremost, he is a football man. Unlike previous regimes going back to the year dot, he seems to be able to see the long term benefit in holding on to your best players as opposed to cashing them in for considerably less than their full potential value for a short term financial gain.

He is of course open to selling players and acknowledges that this is how the Club will survive, but he will only do so on terms which are beneficial to STFC (i.e. Louis Thompson - a fantastic deal for all concerned) and I suppose he is helped massively by the apparent relative financial stability of the Club. In the past we've had to sell the likes of Shearer (worst deal ever), Fjortoft and Kerslake (2nd/3rd worst ever, take your pick as to which way round) to pay the tax man. Thank God we are not in that position right now.

Consequently, as time goes by and as long as LP is in charge, I think we will start looking forward to the 'swinging open and slamming shut' of the transfer window with hope and anticipation rather than fear and apprehension.



Edit: *Crosses fingers*

[Peter Venkman]

I agree exactly with all of that OST.

Although my glass is always half empty with all things STFC

[tans]

Cant see why anyone would bid for Foderingham when theyll be able to get him for free end of the season anyway

[nigel grays a postie]

For me Matt Ritchie sale to Bournemouth (and all that followed on) fucked up our promotion bid just as decisively as Shearer to Blackburn 20 years earlier....and both were for equally give away fees.

using muckMahon logic if we sold Wes we would replace him with a winger just as Fjortoft was replaced by a full back

[Peter Venkman]

using muckMahon logic if we sold Wes we would replace him with a winger just as Fjortoft was replaced by a full back

Yeah but what a fullback we got in Drysdale.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I agree exactly with all of that OST.

Although my glass is always half empty with all things STFC

It can be half full or half empty JJ, that's entirely up to you my friend - two ways of looking at the same thing

[kerry red]

It's not the players who will be taking any risk by staying until season end - it's the club.

Why would any player want to go now when, I presume, if we don't get promoted they can go if they wish in the summer?

Williams is unlikely to go now as he will be free in the summer, a la Wes.

It's really down to Power if he wants to go for it now and maybe fail or cash in now and start all over again for next season.

They'll never be a better chance than now, though

[Peter Venkman]

It can be half full or half empty JJ, that's entirely up to you my friend - two ways of looking at the same thing

Indeed I guess though I have been brought up to always expect the worst when it comes to all things STFC related, my mates, my family, the vast majority of posts on here all seem to err on the side of empty rather than full.

In comparison if you read the Crawley, Fleetwood or Yeovil forums they are always positive about things, always way more than glass half full.

Yeovil fans for instance, despite their awful form still think in the main that they can turn over Man Utd in the cup, Fleetwood fans are certain they will beat us this weekend, Crawley fans are always so over optimistic on everything.

I don't know if its just because we have become accustomed to success followed by abject failure that these new boys in the league have not had these massive highs and lows yet, I don't know.

But if you check out OTIB their fans are more half empty also.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I suppose I am a 'positive thinking realist' in that I realise that where STFC are concerned, 'every silver lining has a cloud' and that the 'light at the end of the tunnel' could well be a train coming straight towards you.

If you support a Club like Yeovil or Crawley or Fleetwood, those Clubs have been on pretty much an upward trajectory for about the last 15/20 years (probably a bit less with Fleetwood) with just a few little blips along the way. With STFC we seem to have had more than our fair share of massive highs followed by massive lows followed by massive highs etc...which can make some a bit jaded.

I think a lot of Town fans are overly negative though (not saying you are). They seem to think it is naive to think positively about anything but to me it is just as bad to be overly sceptical and jaded when things are going pretty well as it is to be a 'happy clapper' and constantly looking on the bright side when things are about as bad as they can be.

You have to make a balanced judgement on what you see in front of you and right now I can't really see how things can be much better. Even Reg is on the Happy Pills this season 

In true STFC fashion, I am saying this with my fingers firmly crossed 

[Peter Venkman]

Reg will break out the happy pills once we hit the 52 point target

Back to rumours.....a mate of mine from Coventry says they are interested in Smith again and could make a bid as long as they give Pressley some funds in the transfer window even though Madine is trying to be signed full time after a loan period.

[DarloSTFC84]

Without sounding like a 'happy clapper' - I do think the crux of the team will still be in place come the end of January..

I reckon, that those out of contract at the end of the season will sign on again should we go up. Let's face it, if we don't, they wont be short of offers.

[Bogus Dave]

My point of view with Wes is that, given the variety of factors (age, untested above league one, contract running out, general lower market value of goalkeepers) we would only be able to command £150 grand fee at most by selling in January. Large amount of money, but not compared to what we could get for other players. We could recoup that in league position prize money alone by keeping him (not even thinking about promotion), so I'd like to think that Power would take that gamble.

Essentially, I think we have players who we could get more money for AND have less difficulty replacing than Wes.

[Ardiles]

I suppose I am a 'positive thinking realist' in that I realise that where STFC are concerned, 'every silver lining has a cloud' and that the 'light at the end of the tunnel' could well be a train coming straight towards you.

If you support a Club like Yeovil or Crawley or Fleetwood, those Clubs have been on pretty much an upward trajectory for about the last 15/20 years (probably a bit less with Fleetwood) with just a few little blips along the way. With STFC we seem to have had more than our fair share of massive highs followed by massive lows followed by massive highs etc...which can make some a bit jaded.

I think a lot of Town fans are overly negative though (not saying you are). They seem to think it is naive to think positively about anything but to me it is just as bad to be overly sceptical and jaded when things are going pretty well as it is to be a 'happy clapper' and constantly looking on the bright side when things are about as bad as they can be.

You have to make a balanced judgement on what you see in front of you and right now I can't really see how things can be much better. Even Reg is on the Happy Pills this season 

In true STFC fashion, I am saying this with my fingers firmly crossed 

Agree with a lot of your post, but not with the part in bold.  I would not say that we have had more than our fair share of massive highs at all during the last 15 to 20 years.  We have enjoyed some good results recently and some enjoyable cup runs under PDC.  But nothing that equates with anything that fans of Swansea, Reading or even Fleetwood have had to cheer about.

The only promotions we have had during this period have both been immediate returns to Division Three, a division we should never have been relegated from in the first place (on either occasion).  I've said it before, but we are still waiting for the elusive shot in the arm that promotion to the Championship would provide, or a substantial ground redevelopment.  Either of these would be transformational.  As things stand, we are a lower league stalwart that has had little of any great significance to cheer about for over 2 decades - and that, in the circumstances, is doing very well indeed to attract the crowds that it is doing.

[Reg Smeeton]

Reg will break out the happy pills once we hit the 52 point target

Back to rumours.....a mate of mine from Coventry says they are interested in Smith again and could make a bid as long as they give Pressley some funds in the transfer window even though Madine is trying to be signed full time after a loan period.

You've got to love this season, but I'll still take it each game as it comes, tempting as it is to get ahead of oneself and dream.

When I was a kid, I always knew we would one day reach the top flight....never doubted it for a moment, after all we're Swindon Town, by far the greatest team the world has ever seen...even prob 25 odd years later, when we were seemingly stuck in Div 4, playing in front of sub 3000 crowds, I knew it.

And lo, it came to pass.

Dream fulfilled, I suppose I grew up and started seeing it as it really is, as we stumbled back to Div 4....