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I hope we have a few lesser-known trialists turning up for pre-season again, but it's made me think - who was the best one we've trialled and let go? (the Anti-Dossevi)

And whatever happened to Rodrigo Turnes? I'm guessing he wasn't as good as his name / stepovers at the FGR (?) friendly under Wise?

I wanna see Yoann Arquin again.

Probably the best trialist I ever saw was Bernard Tchoutang a Cameroon international striker/midfielder similar in build and style to Jayjay Okocha.

Too lightweight really for us at the time but fantastic ball skills and a good shot on him, played in 2 or 3 friendlies back in the early late 90's early 2000's IIRC, not sure which manager but I think it was Muckmarn.

Whoever it was at the time said he wouldnt offer hima contract because he couldnt guarentee what he would be like on a wet Wednesday at Hartlepool.

Legend has it (And it was fairly widely reported at the time) that Tchoutang refused to wear boots during training. He said he'd always trained bare foot throughout his career and McMahon was having none of it. Does beg the question "surely he must have trained barefoot before the friendlies?" but hey...why let common sense get in the way of a great story!!

Roger Boli (brother of Basil) was quite handy. We played Spurs in a pre-season game in about '97 and he'd literally come accross on the ferry from Le Havre that morning. He looked quite decent (Walters scored one of the best goals I've seen at the CG) and we drew 2-2. Didn't sign him and he ended up at Walsall where he did pretty well I seem to remember. Went on to play for Bournemouth and Dundee Utd.

We had hassan kachloul on trial once.

Again, mcmahon let him go.

The aids ridden cunt

Yeah I seem to remember that now and yes OST Roger Boli was a pretty good player, wasnt he here at the same time as Tchoutang? didn't they have the same African agent?

Freddy Eastwood? Didn't we also trial Zamora at one point?

Freddy Eastwood had a reserve trial for us mid season and scored 3 goals but didn't want to move far from his caravan in Essex.

I don't remember Zamora having a trial but I do know that we made a bid for him before he went to Brighton.

todd signed alexander for what, 350,000?  this was after king told him we should sign zamora and was told he'd be available for 90,000...

The problem is that nowadays we field most of our triallists against amateur sides as opposed to our bigger fixtures. They do well, score goals and are sent packing because, if we're honest, the club were never that bothered in signing them in the first place.

Thomas Dossevi was always going to sign but was given a match against Forest.

I wonder who our most succesful triallist turned permanent signing is.

parkin?

Jimmy Quinn played 1 game on trial for the reserves when he was at Oswestry Town and he did pretty well for us.

We had a brilliant trialist from Shepshed back in the Macari days in the 80's played 3 reserve games and scored a couple in each game but wouldnt sign for us as we offered less wages than he could get as a part time footballer and a bricklayer, shame because he had potential but drifted deeper in non league, Steve Tobin was his name IIRC.

But pre season trialists we never seem to do very well from, certainly not in recent years.

I am pretty sure Parkin never actually trialed with us, he came in the day before the season started on loan I think.

he was on the cornwall trip in pre season then signed for 50,000 following that i think

You could well be right my memory does fail me hugely at times its me age!

Yeah we looked at Parkin in the pre-season in order to see if he was decent enough for a loan deal. A £50k bid later and he was our player. Hardly one we let go! :)

bring back hamdi razak

I'm talking about unattatched, all or nothing trialists.

Parkin was at least contracted elsewhere.

That jumped up little cunt who "plays" for Burnley was fairly successful.

Nile Ranger was on trial wasn't he? Sure I saw him at a Supermarine pre-season friendly.

Yeah, he scored too. Then we let him go. Bloody Malpas.

He played at Salisbury as well, where Dave Byrne told me and JJ he'd unearthed 'A fucking diamond'.

We did the same with Constable,scored a cracker at Ciren in pre season while King was here,he was at Chippenham at the time.

He played shit though. Signed for Walsall and came on as a sub at the CG and was equally as wank!

He did indeed, in his "cockney way" his words were I will sell that bloke for 5 million in a few years time.

Well it looks like hes leaving newcastle this summer for £1mill to QPR or Bolton so hes on his way to getting there.