January window - when has it worked?

I've been trying to remember a January window where we have made one or more great signings which have made a real difference to the team and our results.  Can anyone come up with one?  Or pre the era of windows, a mid season signing?

I know everyone likes the idea of us finding a couple of class players that turn us from hopefuls to contenders but it just doesn't seem likely to me.

We started the season with a lot of new signings and lots of changes to the side due to red cards and injuries.  We had a settled side for a while then got in a rut.  RS changed it around and form is improving.  We have a few players in the team who haven't been playing regularly before this season but with a run of games should only get better.

I'm a big believer in the value of teamwork and building togetherness.  RS seems to be doing that.

Maybe we are better working with what we have got?  New players take time to gel and settle in.  And most likely any signing is either from a lower level and may take time to find their feet or from a higher level but not getting first team games, so lacking match fitness.

Anyway, I digress!  Save your views on this window for other threads.  I want to know who can remember when the window has actually had a positive outcome on the team's fortunes?

Lew Chatterley, Alan Gauden.

Quoted from LondonMariner43

I've been trying to remember a January window where we have made one or more great signings which have made a real difference to the team and our results.  Can anyone come up with one?  Or pre the era of windows, a mid season signing?

I know everyone likes the idea of us finding a couple of class players that turn us from hopefuls to contenders but it just doesn't seem likely to me.

We started the season with a lot of new signings and lots of changes to the side due to red cards and injuries.  We had a settled side for a while then got in a rut.  RS changed it around and form is improving.  We have a few players in the team who haven't been playing regularly before this season but with a run of games should only get better.

I'm a big believer in the value of teamwork and building togetherness.  RS seems to be doing that.

Maybe we are better working with what we have got?  New players take time to gel and settle in.  And most likely any signing is either from a lower level and may take time to find their feet or from a higher level but not getting first team games, so lacking match fitness.

Anyway, I digress!  Save your views on this window for other threads.  I want to know who can remember when the window has actually had a positive outcome on the team's fortunes?

It`s never going to be an easy task unless you are an elite team signing elite players who can slot straight in. I have thought for a long time we should look at signing a pair of youth players from a Championship or Prem side but only a pair who are likely to play.If Town could get a LB and CM who can pass with a decent engine til the end of the season it would be good business.What we and a lot of sides have done previously is sign players to bolster the squad and it only seems to unsettle our own players (Henderson/Macca).I know if I had a magic wand I would close all transfers Aug 1st til June 1st and operate a loan system where ea club were allowed 3 loans and 1 emergency loan through the season.Personally I would like to do the same thing with Manager`s which would be controversial but highly amusing if you were unaffected.

Palmer and Robertson helped us to our best regular conference season in 2015

Wayne Burnett
Jon Nolan
Andy Todd
Barry Conlon (forget the following season he helped keep us up)
Wayne Henderson

Quoted from Tommy

Barry Conlon (forget the following season he helped keep us up)

Ooh yeah, Peter Sweeney too.

Jamie Devitt the year after too  (apart from the keeping us up bit)

Whenever I think of January transfer window signings, it always brings to mind players of the calibre of Junior Mendes (18 appearances, no goals) and Tommy Wright (13 appearances, 1 goal). I suppose you can add players such as Lee Peacock (17 appearances, 2 goals in our relegation season) and Louis Soares (15 appearances, no goals) to the list.

Nope, I'm not expecting us to make any good signings in January!

Quoted from cannylad68

Lew Chatterley, Alan Gauden.

Were both signed late February 1972, there was no transfer window in those days!
But the point is made, two signings that definitely improved the team and enabled it to push on and win the league.

Lee Peacock was awful and a hugely disappointing signing. And yet because he did some chest thumping, quite a high percentage of our fans were taken in by him. Think he pulled out of every 50/50 whilst here.

The Shop.

I want to say Conor Townsend but I'm not sure it was January when he came. Definitely improved the side beyond measure though.

Quoted from cannylad68

Lew Chatterley, Alan Gauden.

I might be biased (!) but these are exactly the type of signings we need this season to build on the decent base weve got. Mind you they must both be in their 70's now  

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a deadline for new signings before the end of the season in 1972?

Quoted from cannylad68

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a deadline for new signings before the end of the season in 1972?

Yes I think there was a deadline for transfers some weeks before the end of the season I believe, in those days

Jamey Osborne
Sam Jones

Quoted from MarinersOnTheUp

Jamey Osborne
Sam Jones

True but did Bignot improve the team overall in the window last year.  He made 9 signings and the other 7 aren't really worth mentioning.

At this level, is imagine most managers have a similar success rate at signing players who excel.

Ivano and the excellent but injury prone Richard Smith

Quoted from lee65

Ivano and the excellent but injury prone Richard Smith

Ivano came early season. Debut was in september(?) away at charlton

Appreciate that Forza, I knew it wasn’t January. Was Smithy at the same time?

Does Ross Hannah count? On loan he was ace, signed him permanently in Jan and we got his not quite as good twin brother.

During confrence era Miller from Darlo was an excellent signing.

I'd also argue that Nolan was fantastic, others may disagree.

Quoted from forza ivano

Ivano came early season. Debut was in september(?) away at charlton

Watched Ivano debut for the reserves against the boro with Phil Stamp scoring a hatrick ...ivano best player on the pitch !

Cant believe no one has mentioned Brodie !



Oh my mistake...misread title of the thread ....


thought it said....hasnt it worked ..

Hannah gave us a good impetus during his loan.

When did Super Clive first arrive on loan ?

Albeit not January but I remember Wayne Henderson making a huge impact in goal under Newell.

Jon Nolan was probably the best January signing in recent history. I wouldn't class The Shop as a good January signing as he didn't particularly offer much the season he signed.

Ollie Palmer made a good impact but sadly there are more Junior Mendes et al than the two above.

I think Paddy Madden and Conor Townsend are out of our reach but both need to get their career going again and would on paper be a massive coup!

Jon Nolan. He was a cut above.

When did we sign Nathan Pond on loan?

Before Christmas. If you remember, it all went to pot when he left early in February (I think it was then).

Pond signed just before the first game of the season at Southport. Left the first week of January.

Will Antwi was he a January signing.

I would like to see us get Connor Townsend in from Scunny til the end of the Season then we would put in a Play Off challenge.

Unfortunately, he's busy helping Scunny to have a promotion/play-off challenge.