Sam Jones

See he's left the shrews.
A move that never worked out for him and it got me thinking, how many other players have left GTFC in the hope of football fortune and progressing their career only for them to either fall flat on their face or it just not work out for whatever reason?..

You mean like Bogle even though you must be stupid to turn down championship football

Quoted from OllieGTFC

You mean like Bogle even though you must be stupid to turn down championship football

I’ll bet that Bogles bank manager would argue that it’s still been quite successful.

You mean the Bogle who pompey' s manager described as a big loss when he was injured for their play off final. I think it's fair to say the guys doing perfectly well for himself.

Would love Sam Jones back at the club, good player.

Quoted from Civvy at last

I’ll bet that Bogles bank manager would argue that it’s still been quite successful.

Everyone sees things differently but how much I loved Bogle his time in the championship hasn’t been a great success, has he would of liked apart from his bank balance of course 😂

However you judge Omar, his level is above league two and leaving us was a correct decision for him. Personally I think he'll be a success in a top league one side like Pompey

Quoted from Civvy at last

I’ll bet that Bogles bank manager would argue that it’s still been quite successful.

And his agent.

Sam Jones will Heading to Scunthorpe being Donny lad he will be nailed on at Scunthorpe, with our singings I don't we need him.

Plus he was garbage the last few months he was with us.

Quoted from fiveallive

Sam Jones will Heading to Scunthorpe being Donny lad he will be nailed on at Scunthorpe, with our singings I don't we need him.

Plus he was garbage the last few months he was with us.

You can blame slade for that though hoofball

Not that he’d be coming here anyway but we’ve already got a couple of players of his ilk in our squad with Cook and Vernam

Quoted from OllieGTFC

You can blame slade for that though hoofball

His attitude was suspect even pre-Slade.

I’d take Vernam over Jones personally. Younger and technically a much better player, far more potential.

Never really seemed willing to bust a gut which probably explains why he's not fulfilled his promise as yet. And probably never will.

Agreed. He played like he didn't want to be here and couldn't wait to get away.

Slade hoof might have been one factor, but he practically give up the last few months he was here obviously he knew Shrewsbury was interested and didn't want to get injured and stopped trying.

Sam Jones was our top scorer when he left. A good technical player and found the net fairly regularly in a very average team, despite not being an out-and-out striker. I thought he was more in the mould of Jordan Cook, preferring to play just behind the strikers.

Signed for Harrogate town

From non league into football league back out to non league all in a few years and still fairly young,

Thought he would of joined another league club in league 2 though at least.

Quoted from Sigone

Signed for Harrogate town

Bloody hell! Certainly had the talent to go further than League2 let alone National League North.

I suspect there has to be more to his choices of clubs than just football.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Bloody hell! Certainly had the talent to go further than League2 let alone National League North.

They play in the Conference Prem now.

Another yardstick we should beat Fenty with! haha Just how many leagues were we ahead of Harrogate when you took over?  

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Bloody hell! Certainly had the talent to go further than League2 let alone National League North.

They made the National League playoffs last season!

Quoted from Grantley

They made the National League playoffs last season!

Just shows how much notice I take of that league now 😄

Next you’ll be telling me that some club like, hmmmm thinks of obscure club, Salford say, are in the League now.

Not surprised he’s signed for a conference team.

Harrogate also have lots of £££££

Quoted from fiveallive

Slade hoof might have been one factor, but he practically give up the last few months he was here obviously he knew Shrewsbury was interested and didn't want to get injured and stopped trying.

There was pressure from the board to sell him by the sound of it because of high wages and a goal bonus he was cashing in on by being our top scorer. I think most of the team stopped giving a crap after Bignot got the sack and Slade came in anyway. Slade and Fenty just wanted all of Bignot's signings gone.

Tbh thought he was one of the few players we had in most games he was in that looked capable of making something happen.

Quoted from Kris2

There was pressure from the board to sell him by the sound of it because of high wages and a goal bonus he was cashing in on by being our top scorer. I think most of the team stopped giving a crap after Bignot got the sack and Slade came in anyway. Slade and Fenty just wanted all of Bignot's signings gone.

Tbh thought he was one of the few players we had in most games he was in that looked capable of making something happen.

what do you base this on?

It's common knowledge Slade was ordered to deconstruct the squad targeting Bignot's signings. More retarded behaviour from Fenty and the Yes Men as it was them who had so recently sanctioned all of them!

'How Not To Run A Football Club' Chapter 47, available now at all good book shops.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Bloody hell! Certainly had the talent to go further than League2 let alone National League North.

Harrogate aren't in National League North. They are National league and nearly got up to league 2 last year.

Harrogate would be a good bet to go up...

They have Scott Brown in the midfield after leaving Accrington

Quoted from Rik e B

It's common knowledge Slade was ordered to deconstruct the squad targeting Bignot's signings. More retarded behaviour from Fenty and the Yes Men as it was them who had so recently sanctioned all of them!

'How Not To Run A Football Club' Chapter 47, available now at all good book shops.

Ah yes! The 'Deconstruct' series of publications. 'How to Deconstruct a Fan Base', 'How to Deconstruct a Flag', 'How to Deconstruct Floodlights', 'How to Deconstruct a Squad', 'How to Deconstruct a Flask with a Tampon in it'. I'm sure there's more.

Quoted from Rik e B

It's common knowledge Slade was ordered to deconstruct the squad targeting Bignot's signings. More retarded behaviour from Fenty and the Yes Men as it was them who had so recently sanctioned all of them!

'How Not To Run A Football Club' Chapter 47, available now at all good book shops.

You probably shouldn't confuse common knowledge with common rumour. No manager has ever said that the board have told them who they should buy or what they can do with the budget. Why do you think that was suddenly the case? And not that Slade thought Bignot had signed a bunch of talented but unprofessional individuals. Their careers since leaving have hardly suggested that they were determined to make the most of their talent

Quoted from pen penfras

You probably shouldn't confuse common knowledge with common rumour. No manager has ever said that the board have told them who they should buy or what they can do with the budget. Why do you think that was suddenly the case? And not that Slade thought Bignot had signed a bunch of talented but unprofessional individuals. Their careers since leaving have hardly suggested that they were determined to make the most of their talent

So, two questions. How do you know what Slade thought of Bignot's signings? And, how did Slade's tenure improve things?

Quoted from MuddyWaters

So, two questions. How do you know what Slade thought of Bignot's signings? And, how did Slade's tenure improve things?

I don't, but how does everybody else know that "It's common knowledge Slade was ordered to deconstruct the squad targeting Bignot's signings"? I'm suggesting a different side to the story, but not describing it as fact. But I think Gavin Gunning is the only one of Bignot's signings that isn't playing at a lower level now, so I don't see how this conspiracy still has legs.

As for Slade's tenure, I'm not, nor never have defended how poor things were. It was painful to watch even when we were doing ok.

Let’s face it, Slade and Bignot we’re both crap appointments. Was widely documented that a lot of the players didn’t like Bignot plus he signed a load of suspect players and Slade was just shite.

Harrogate must have some cash this year to have Jon Stead and Sam Jones up front. Scott Brown too from league one. Have they got new rich owners?

Their owner does indeed have money.

Surprised as anyone about this. I selfishly hope they get promoted purely because it would be good to have one Town game which was only 20 minutes away. They've got to be favourites. Yeovil and Notts County will seriously struggle. Chesterfield still 4 years away at least.

Quoted from 140381

Surprised as anyone about this. I selfishly hope they get promoted purely because it would be good to have one Town game which was only 20 minutes away. They've got to be favourites. Yeovil and Notts County will seriously struggle. Chesterfield still 4 years away at least.

Not sure about Chesterfield, they improved a lot in the second half of last season after Sheridan went there. But they still have off the field issues with their owner so could go either way.

Next seasons NL is shaping up to be interesting though as other than AFC Fylde there are no other obviously bank rolled sides.

Quoted from 140381

Surprised as anyone about this. I selfishly hope they get promoted purely because it would be good to have one Town game which was only 20 minutes away. They've got to be favourites. Yeovil and Notts County will seriously struggle. Chesterfield still 4 years away at least.

I would love an away day at Harrogate, but there's a definite downside; there's no way they'd cope with the demand from town fans, it'd be a modest all-ticket game and most would miss out.  Unless we were allocated 3/4 of the ground, of course!

Dont have factual facts to back up penfras, I just thought it was well known Slade was instructed to cull the wage bill with Bignot's signings apparently being on big bucks. But again, the board sanctioned such wages in the first place, only to rip it all up soon after which stinks of no vision or plan for our progression.

And very nearly saw us relegated from the Football League.

Sam Jones was about the only player who looked like he could hit a barn door, before being escorted off to Scunny mid-Season. Very strange. It's not like Slade had stellar replacements lined up to fill the void...

I don't know if anybody can back up my claims but remember reading it in several places that that was what was going on at the time.

Quoted from Rik e B

Dont have factual facts to back up penfras, I just thought it was well known Slade was instructed to cull the wage bill with Bignot's signings apparently being on big bucks. But again, the board sanctioned such wages in the first place, only to rip it all up soon after which stinks of no vision or plan for our progression.

And very nearly saw us relegated from the Football League.

Sam Jones was about the only player who looked like he could hit a barn door, before being escorted off to Scunny mid-Season. Very strange. It's not like Slade had stellar replacements lined up to fill the void...

I don't know if anybody can back up my claims but remember reading it in several places that that was what was going on at the time.

It's one of those situations where we'll probably never know the truth.  But I think it's a very fair assumption that Slade's approach was to offload the higher earners and those who were given permission to commute in from afar.  I believe that Jones was still travelling in from the Leeds area on a daily basis.

Jones was a good player, hell of a lot of potential and all the right attributes to be easily playing at League One level.  On that basis alone it was no surprise when he got his Shrewsbury move.  Problem is that his attitude was miles off where it should have been and that's why I'm actually surprised he's managed to get a move to a promotion chasing Conference side.  

Slade no doubt knocked the stuffing out of him and with changed goalposts in terms of signing with the understanding you can commute in to then be told that's no longer the case, you can kind of understand any down-tools approach.  It's a job to these guys at the end of the day, I think any of us in our jobs would be far from motivated under such circumstances.  The other side is that he could have still pulled his finger out on the pitch and adopted a 'I'll show you' approach.  That, I guess, is the difference between potential and fulfillment.  

Jones and Callum Dyson is by an absolute mile the best front pairing we've had since returning to the Football League.  Nothing particularly fancy but just powerful, strong and willing running.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Jones and Callum Dyson is by an absolute mile the best front pairing we've had since returning to the Football League.  Nothing particularly fancy but just powerful, strong and willing running.

Kayden Jackson and Bogle, surely?

Other than impressing in his first game, I thought Jackson was pretty useless for us.  Quite clearly it wasn't an accurate reflection of him as a player because he's since gone on to far bigger and better things than us.  Maybe he wasn't quite ready or our tactics didn't suit him.  

Bogle was, of course, outstanding in that period but as a pairing I don't remember thinking they were any good.  Bogle was just unplayable on his own.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Other than impressing in his first game, I thought Jackson was pretty useless for us.  Quite clearly it wasn't an accurate reflection of him as a player because he's since gone on to far bigger and better things than us.  Maybe he wasn't quite ready or our tactics didn't suit him.  

Bogle was, of course, outstanding in that period but as a pairing I don't remember thinking they were any good.  Bogle was just unplayable on his own.

Yeah, I guess Jackson didn't perform at all consistently. I think he had at east a few decent games though (Stevenage and Barnet at home off the top of my head). I don't really seem to remember rating Dyson particularly, will be interested to see if Plymouth use him a bit next season. I actually probably preferred Alex Jones out of the loan strikers we've had since being back in L2.

Alex Jones was with us in the Conference

Quoted from sam gy

Alex Jones was with us in the Conference

Ah yeah you're right...in that case, I actually probably preferred Alex Jones out of the loan strikers we had around that time.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Other than impressing in his first game, I thought Jackson was pretty useless for us.  Quite clearly it wasn't an accurate reflection of him as a player because he's since gone on to far bigger and better things than us.  Maybe he wasn't quite ready or our tactics didn't suit him.  

Bogle was, of course, outstanding in that period but as a pairing I don't remember thinking they were any good.  Bogle was just unplayable on his own.

i thought Jackson was used mostly out of position as a winger whilst he was with us, Hurst basically killed his confidence by doing that and then Bignot got half a player when he came in

Quoted from Bignic69

i thought Jackson was used mostly out of position as a winger whilst he was with us, Hurst basically killed his confidence by doing that and then Bignot got half a player when he came in

I seem to remember he played in a two whenever Hurst decided to drop Vernon...which seemed like hardly ever, to be fair.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Other than impressing in his first game, I thought Jackson was pretty useless for us.  Quite clearly it wasn't an accurate reflection of him as a player because he's since gone on to far bigger and better things than us.  Maybe he wasn't quite ready or our tactics didn't suit him.  

Bogle was, of course, outstanding in that period but as a pairing I don't remember thinking they were any good.  Bogle was just unplayable on his own.

Didn't Jackson play instead of Bogle at home to Morecambe (first game back in the League)?

Jackson scored a goal on his debut, following a lucky ricochet, but then didn't look like he knew where he should be going or what he was doing for much of the rest of the season.

The setup at Accrington obviously suited him much more and I suppose he may have strengthened up a bit as well as he always looked incredibly lightweight when playing for us.

Not surprised he didn't do too much at Ipswich last year but perhaps he'll have a good season in League One this time around which I would guess ought to be more his level.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I seem to remember he played in a two whenever Hurst decided to drop Vernon...which seemed like hardly ever, to be fair.

He barely played many games up front, usually on the wing with Bogle and somebody else up front. Jackson ran around a lot but didn't really seem to understand what his role was supposed to be on the wing. We also had Shaun Tuton as a forward at the same time and he was even more ineffective. The only thing I really recall him doing besides constantly straying offside is not being given the most obvious penalty ever for a rugby tackle on him when he was on for a simple tap in.

Quoted from Kris2

He barely played many games up front, usually on the wing with Bogle and somebody else up front. Jackson ran around a lot but didn't really seem to understand what his role was supposed to be on the wing. We also had Shaun Tuton as a forward at the same time and he was even more ineffective. The only thing I really recall him doing besides constantly straying offside is not being given the most obvious penalty ever for a rugby tackle on him when he was on for a simple tap in.

I think tuton’s debut was away to county. Did really well, worked his socks off and really looked like he had something about. Although he missed a golden opportunity.

That was his only good game I believe.

Quoted from Posh Harry

I think tuton’s debut was away to county. Did really well, worked his socks off and really looked like he had something about. Although he missed a golden opportunity.

That was his only good game I believe.

I guess besides being caught offiside a million times sure. He was a trier, not so much a doer though. Another one of those young players that has some decent attributes in his physical strength and pace but doesn't ever really do anything with it because he lacks skills in all other areas.

Bogle up top alone (with wide advanced attack men  ) beats any front pairing we've had back in the league football for me