From positive to negative....

Quoted from CarlitoBrigante

now I feel completely deflated.  I also feel a little bit stupid; I went in the club shop a few weeks ago, and some guy was buying a new Town shirt.  He was asked if he wanted a name and number, and he asked "which number will Connell be this season?".  The woman in the club shop said "well, it hasn't been decided if he's staying yet".  Why not?  He was under contract and we'd had no official approach for him from a FL club, so we were told.  With hindsight, all the fans who said Hearn was signed as a replacement for Connell were absolutely spot-on.  The club obviously knew Alan was leaving, and Career Underdogs deserves some credit for saying this many weeks ago, he clearly got it right.

The thing that gets me is, I've turned from an optimist into a pessimist within the space of reading the news of Connell's departure.  
Worried, of Grimsby.........

I've just been reading some of these threads back and it's quite funny to see the derision that Career Underdogs received for predicting that Connell would go to Swindon for a six-figure sum.  Who would have thought?

I'm sure I never used to be this cynical, but how very coincidental that a rumour about Connell going to Swindon for a six-figure sum started circulating in June.  And now we are told that the club shop have been dubious about selling people shirts with his name on?   Ooh, and then just one day before the deadline for discounted season tickets (by which time most people would have bought their STs if they were going to) ... only then do things kick into action and the Connell deal is announced by the club.

Well it doesn't really bother me, because I think I'd have bought my ST anyway, but I'm curious to know whether some people might not have splashed out on STs if they had known Connell was definitely leaving?

I think it's very good business to get a six-figure sum for Connell when, after all, Woodsy signed him on a free, but the timing of it, when people have bought season tickets, makes me ever so slightly suspicious.

hence what i was saying about the sudden press articles a couple of days before with no apparent reason, sounds like its been on the cards for a while....

Clearly its not ideal to sell a 29 goals a year striker, but i think we have got a brilliant deal. By the end of last year AC was doubled up with marking and struggled to make as big as a impact as he did at the begining of the season. If the rumours/estimations are correct and we got 150k for AC in my eyes that is good business off a striker that cost us £0 and age is not on his side, hopefully now we can replace him well.Good luck alan thanks for last year man.

Quoted from marinette

I've just been reading some of these threads back and it's quite funny to see the derision that Career Underdogs received for predicting that Connell would go to Swindon for a six-figure sum.  Who would have thought?

I'm sure I never used to be this cynical, but how very coincidental that a rumour about Connell going to Swindon for a six-figure sum started circulating in June.  And now we are told that the club shop have been dubious about selling people shirts with his name on?   Ooh, and then just one day before the deadline for discounted season tickets (by which time most people would have bought their STs if they were going to) ... only then do things kick into action and the Connell deal is announced by the club.

Well it doesn't really bother me, because I think I'd have bought my ST anyway, but I'm curious to know whether some people might not have splashed out on STs if they had known Connell was definitely leaving?

I think it's very good business to get a six-figure sum for Connell when, after all, Woodsy signed him on a free, but the timing of it, when people have bought season tickets, makes me ever so slightly suspicious.

I don't buy a season ticket but if i did,the news that Connell was leaving/had left would make no difference to my decision.He would have left at the seasons end anyway,so getting the deal we did was the right thing in my eyes.

Players come and go,but i support GTFC,not individual players.

Quoted from Perkins

Quote from Alan Alger writing in todays "The Non League Paper" regarding Connells' transfer:

"The undisclosed six figure fee will help the club who are still having trouble balancing the books at this level.
One thing i would say is that if Connell could have been persuaded to put his league ambitions on hold for one season, a partnership with Liam Hearn could have been worth more than the transfer fee in the form of promotion back to the Football League"

That's simply not true is it? If Connell had stayed and if Connell had made a decent partnership with Hearn and if the club had got promoted and if my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.

Suppose it had all worked out like that - what money would Connell have wanted to make him stay? He would still have wanted to get back "darn sowf" and he would have been able to go for free. The club would certainly gain money from promotion but would also have to spend money in advance of receiving it to consolidate a league spot. So Alger's argument really doesn't hold water.

Good and sensible business.  He wanted to play league football so let him go, he deserves the opportunity.
We need the cash and if reinvested in 2 to 3 more players (i'm sure it will) then everyone wins.

Quoted from Perkins

No, i don't feel it's a valid argument either. I posted Algers comments just to guage reaction.It's all hyperthetical now anyway. I still believe the Connell deal to be good business.

Yes, I undertand that Mr P, I was having a go at Alger's opinion not yours!

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Yes, I undertand that Mr P, I was having a go at Alger's opinion not yours!

No thats ok, i didn't think you were. Apologies if my comment read as if i thought that.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

That's simply not true is it? If Connell had stayed and if Connell had made a decent partnership with Hearn and if the club had got promoted and if my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.

So you're writing us off for promotion then ?

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Suppose it had all worked out like that - what money would Connell have wanted to make him stay?

Do we even care if we're back in the Football League ?

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

The club would certainly gain money from promotion but would also have to spend money in advance of receiving it to consolidate a league spot.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your whole argument seems to be there's no point in promotion because we MIGHT be paying higher wages ? Sorry but who is forcing us to pay these higher wages ? The fans ?

If Scott and Hurst are good enough to take us up, then they're arguably good enough to survive relegation from League 2 even with a young squad of players on lower L2 wages.

And even if they don't we'll still be £500K a year better off for the year whilst we're there - it's a no brainer in my view.

Are you seriously suggesting promotion is a bad thing ?