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Dearest Comrades, we used to have fun discussions on here about bad loan players and stuff. In this case I'm wondering what you think about players who joined with a lot of fanfare or had a reputation for being good but turned out to not live up to it? Can be a full transfer or loan.

We love a good moan just felt like a fresh subject would be fun.

Scott McGarvey. Unbelievably poor but many years ago!

UTM!

Brodie, Soares, Devitt Mk.2, Hannah (when permanent)

Jimmy Gilligan. Cost us about 25 grand a goal. And that Tudor bloke whose full name i can't recall. I was better than him.

Hayward - the centre back who came from Brentford with a big reputation and Butler (of similar vintage) who couldn't/wouldn't/didn't train.

Dale banton contender for buckleys worst

Scott McGarvey was truly shocking

Butler... and I didn't rate Conlon much either....

I remember having high hopes for Iain Anderson.

Scott McGarbage is a good call.

Maybe not the biggest letdown overall but the most disappointing debut must have been Neil Robertson who scored an own goal and gave away a penalty within the first 10 minutes of his debut.

Quoted from Abdul19

I remember having high hopes for Iain Anderson.

Had an amazing right foot, he was as fat as a barrel though.

Peter Begrie admitted he came to us as a washed out forty odd-year-old but after the hype from all the fans just off the M18 he failed miserably.

Reading this gawd we signed some excrement over the years Gilligan and butler for me but I recall that jimmy gilligan scored a lot for a team later in his career

With all the garbage we had in midfield at the time, Mark Hudson was being hailed as a saviour. Oh dear.

Michael Antoine Curier.

Des Hamilton - a player who had appeared in the Champions League with Newcastle.

Quoted from ginnywings

Jimmy Gilligan. Cost us about 25 grand a goal. And that Tudor bloke whose full name i can't recall. I was better than him.

Think Gillligan was £100k+ but I agree he was a huge let down. Had a good coaching career iirc?

Has to be Jimmy Gilligan!

Tommy Fourpast.

Shockingly bad.

What about windy miller in goal

Quoted from Les Brechin

Maybe not the biggest letdown overall but the most disappointing debut must have been Neil Robertson who scored an own goal and gave away a penalty within the first 10 minutes of his debut.

he ruined my game as mascot les!!!

and it was Robinson ;-)

Quoted from ex-merseymariner

he ruined my game as mascot les!!!

and it was Robinson ;-)

I meant to type Robinson, not sure why I put Robertson.

The biggest letdown I've ever experienced regarding a signing not living up to its full potential was Martin Pringle. So much promise wrecked by that wankker Challinor..

Terry Curran was generally unplayable whenever he played against us and typically dog turd when he made a dozen appearances in the black and white stripes..

Quoted from Bigdog

The biggest letdown I've ever experienced regarding a signing not living up to its full potential was Martin Pringle. So much promise wrecked by that wankker Challinor..

Terry Curran was generally unplayable whenever he played against us and typically dog turd when he made a dozen appearances in the black and white stripes..

Yeah boooo Pringle ...fancy letting someone break your leg and finish your career after just 1.5 games.... FFS !!

Alan Connell Mk II ......such a shame to see how far he had gone when he came back....fantastic classy striker in that first spell who didnt seem to score a simple goal .......not even a pale shadow of his former self on his return unfortunately.

Llwellyn saw 5 minutes of his freindly debut and decided was tosh ....he did nothing to alter that and his fellow welsh man around the same time Jones was worse

Quoted from Abdul19

I remember having high hopes for Iain Anderson.

He'd have been alright if he used both legs and put that bloody flute away! ;)

Soares was bigged up when he signed but was woefully bad.

We pushed the boat out wages wise for Butler didn't we? He had about the worst attitude of any player i have seen in the Black and White shirt.

I was really pleased when we re-signed dave gilbert and was excited to see him play for Town again, not sure if that counts as the 'bigging up' may all have been in my own nostalgic head, i'm not sure. I remember that i was really dissapointed in his performances though

Quoted from Badger57

He'd have been alright if he used both legs and put that bloody flute away! ;)

Think he was living in the past.

Quoted from Badger57

He'd have been alright if he used both legs and put that bloody flute away! ;)

Your living in the past mate.

Quoted from moosey_club

Yeah boooo Pringle ...fancy letting someone break your leg and finish your career after just 1.5 games.... FFS !!

Yeah because that's exactly the opposite interpretation of what I've actually written... FFS right back at ya!

Simon Nicholls the only decent thing he did was to be pole axed by an elbow chop from Kevin Muscat.

Mike Lyons any one ?

Oh I forgot to name mine. Mark Nicholls, came in from Chelsea having made a few appearances there in the first team and scoring a couple of goals. Seemed well thought of there and looked like he would be good. He wasn't and the only useful thing he did was fall on his face for a penalty. From my memories he was similar to Adam Buckley just ran around a lot looking lost.

Gary Silk , Matt Heywood , Damian Spencer and Tommy Forecast for me ... all rubbish

Quoted from Brazilnut

Llwellyn saw 5 minutes of his freindly debut and decided was tosh ....he did nothing to alter that and his fellow welsh man around the same time Jones was worse

My abiding memory of Chris Llewelyn is him getting sent off against Morecambe at BP with about 15 minutes remaining when we were 2-0 up. We lost 3-2 with their winner a 30 yarder in stoppage time.

Quoted from Les Brechin

My abiding memory of Chris Llewelyn is him getting sent off against Morecambe at BP with about 15 minutes remaining when we were 2-0 up. We lost 3-2 with their winner a 30 yarder in stoppage time.

and that was, up until then, by far his best game for Town!!

Some of these players are just excrement players, we're talking about players who we thought were going to be mint and were anything but..

Louis Soares is right up there for me, honestly thought he was going to get us promoted on his own when we signed him.

But the stand out winner for me, based on the fact he was so far removed from what he was believed to be, is Tommy Forecast. Simply stunning to think he made it past his school team.

Sean McAlister............Completely not his fault though BTW.

Chris Llwellyn (sp?) Is a really good shout.

Another big let down that I remember was in the early '80's and the GET was building up a "big household name" signing for The Mariners.

Turned out to be Phil Bonnyman! I can't say I'd heard of him before we signed him.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Another big let down that I remember was in the early '80's and the GET was building up a "big household name" signing for The Mariners.

Turned out to be Phil Bonnyman! I can't say I'd heard of him before we signed him.

I remember rightly Les we where in for Alan Birch on the same day as both he and Bonnyman where a really good combination in a decent Chesterfield side they both came up to sign but Birch backed out after Bonnyman had put pen to paper, apparently he would not get out of the car when he got to BP. :)

Quoted from Bigdog

Yeah because that's exactly the opposite interpretation of what I've actually written... FFS right back at ya!

Was it ? Ooops if so. :X

Bonnyman, as one of those midfielders who didn't get stuck in, used to come in for a lot of stick from the Lower Findus.

Another that came with the hopes of all Mariners fans on his shoulders was Charles Ademeno.

Not questioning his ability but just never happened for him, seemed to be injured a lot if I remember correctly.

That Robinson who kept replacing Craig Clay for some reason a couple of years ago. I think he must have been Paul Hursts son-absolutely useless. Nobody will remember him as he was so insignificent.

Quoted from golfer

That Robinson who kept replacing Craig Clay for some reason a couple of years ago. I think he must have been Paul Hursts son-absolutely useless. Nobody will remember him as he was so insignificent.

(Confused)

except that you did...

some good contenders on this thread for my old "Room 101" thread...

Alan Connell for me, purely because it really upset me to see how bad he'd become in such a short space of time.

Rhys Wilmot with his supposed pedigree he was as bad a goalkeeper I can ever recall being our first choice though Colgan ran him mighty close.Outfield for the money we paid Livvo and before him Gilligan never justified the fee with goals though Livvo went on to give sterling service so can be forgiven.

The winner though hands down Martin Butler what a failure he cost the best Manager we have ever had not only his job but part of his reputation.Also the knock on effects of the Butler fiasco contributed massively to us eventually dropping out the league.He embodies everything that is wrong in a modern footballer and I hope Santa sh1ts down his chimney.

Murray Jones never lived up to the hype and tbh I could never see him as a Buckley style player

Quoted from Abdul19

I remember having high hopes for Iain Anderson.

Thought he was that bloke who stood on one leg and played the flute - or did he just play football like that?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

The winner though hands down Martin Butler what a failure he cost the best Manager we have ever had not only his job but part of his reputation.Also the knock on effects of the Butler fiasco contributed massively to us eventually dropping out the league.He embodies everything that is wrong in a modern footballer and I hope Santa sh1ts down his chimney.

Always a weird situation that was. If he was going to commute and it was such a problem he shouldn't have signed in the first place but it seemed like we bent over backwards to give him a contract he couldn't refuse. He didn't want to move any closer or compromise but he wanted the money. We should have just got rid when he was on loan and saw that he couldn't turn up to train.

How about Michal Buscher, poor sodomist never made the first team after signing, sure he got rave reviews in the scottish premiership.

Forecast
Spencer
Fostervold
Connell mk2
Heywood
Brodie
Elding

I would probably say Brodie overall

Were people expecting Brodie to be good? I know he'd had one good season for York but every time he'd played against us he'd been garbage. And so he proved to be.

Quoted from mariner91

Were people expecting Brodie to be good? I know he'd had one good season for York but every time he'd played against us he'd been garbage. And so he proved to be.

I do remember complaining that we'd signed that little chav and people on here defending him at least ;D. "But he's a proven goalscorer we should give him a chance!" He's also been a massive helmet every time he played against us so no.

The equivalent now would be signing Harry Pell since he's been at Cheltenham.

Quoted from Freemoash88

Don vose

Go go male private and Don. Hmmmm :(

Lauren Tens Heuvel. think that was his name. Loan striker from sheffield utd. Michael jeffrey - "former newcastle utd striker".....shockingly bad. Mikael Antoine Curier aaahhhh

Heywood won on of Brentford's Player of the Season awards the year before he joined us. Quite remarkable when you consider he had the turning circle of a pocket battleship.

I'd say another big let down was Sestanovich. If he'd applied himself, he could have been a brilliant player - big, powerful, quick, skilful, but just drifted away and turned out to be a pretty terrible person as well.

In general, I'd say the biggest let downs were those players who had been excellent for us in early or loan spells but then just didn't do it again after returning. Conlon, Devitt, Rankin, Boyce spring to mind. I was actually expecting something from them but they disappointed badly upon their return. Connell too, of course.

It's only Townsend I can really think of who has done well in multiple spells in recent years.

Quoted from livosnose

Gary Silk , Matt Heywood , Damian Spencer and Tommy Forecast for me ... all rubbish

Does anyone have a link to that infamous Forecast game? I have often wondered if my memory of it is better or worse than the reality?

1. Lee Peacock
2. Serge Makofo
3. Jammie Devitt - Round 2
Most unfortunate Sean McAllister

Some of these players mentioned is making me cringe bad memories !!!

Quoted from Maringer

Heywood won on of Brentford's Player of the Season awards the year before he joined us. Quite remarkable when you consider he had the turning circle of a pocket battleship.

I'd say another big let down was Sestanovich. If he'd applied himself, he could have been a brilliant player - big, powerful, quick, skilful, but just drifted away and turned out to be a pretty terrible person as well.

In general, I'd say the biggest let downs were those players who had been excellent for us in early or loan spells but then just didn't do it again after returning. Conlon, Devitt, Rankin, Boyce spring to mind. I was actually expecting something from them but they disappointed badly upon their return. Connell too, of course.

It's only Townsend I can really think of who has done well in multiple spells in recent years.

Good points. I'd add John Oster to your Townsend too. Great in a poor team when he burst onto the scene. Then when we got him back on loan he was absolutely fantastic and actually looked too good for the Championship.

Lee Ashcroft....for 500k and our record signing i was hoping he was mint but turned out to be awful.

I agree with Mariner Ronnie it has got to be Peter Beagrie truly awful

Peter beagrie was 40 yo now when he signed i was like....really i think even i could have done a better job lol but not someone i was expecting to light up the pitch.

Quoted from Maringer

Heywood won on of Brentford's Player of the Season awards the year before he joined us. Quite remarkable when you consider he had the turning circle of a pocket battleship.

I'd say another big let down was Sestanovich. If he'd applied himself, he could have been a brilliant player - big, powerful, quick, skilful, but just drifted away and turned out to be a pretty terrible person as well.

In general, I'd say the biggest let downs were those players who had been excellent for us in early or loan spells but then just didn't do it again after returning. Conlon, Devitt, Rankin, Boyce spring to mind. I was actually expecting something from them but they disappointed badly upon their return. Connell too, of course.

It's only Townsend I can really think of who has done well in multiple spells in recent years.

I reckon the Brentford fans must have been taking the pish and hoping due to the vote another club would come in and sign him blind.It worked.

Quoted from Meza

Lee Ashcroft....for 500k and our record signing i was hoping he was mint but turned out to be awful.

He was overpriced but far from awful and scored some good goals think we got most of our money back when we flogged him on also :-/

Quoted from Maringer

Heywood won on of Brentford's Player of the Season awards the year before he joined us. Quite remarkable when you consider he had the turning circle of a pocket battleship.

There are times when I feel like I'm imagining it or exaggerating it in my head, but then somebody else brings up how slow he was at turning around and it's bizarre. I can not remember a player we've had who was slower than Matt Heywood. He was like a large truck, the other team would rush past him and he'd just stop with dead eyes and make that reversing noise as he turns "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP" and by the time he turned around the ball was out of play and being kicked out again so he has to stop and turn, "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"

Okay maybe I exaggerated a bit... ;D. I still maintain to this day that putting a fridge in defence would have done a better job. Probably would have turned quicker too.

You look at the last 2 years in non league and we made some terrible signings, some which people wont even remember!

Jordan Chapell
Christian Jolley
Rhys Oates
Hamish Watson
Conor Henderson
Evan Horwood
Ryan Jennings
Jordan Stewart
Anthony Straker

Was going to include Pat Hoban, but he did alright, and will be remembered for his strike at goal which led to Arnold scoring

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

You look at the last 2 years in non league and we made some terrible signings, some which people wont even remember!

Jordan Chapell
Christian Jolley
Rhys Oates
Hamish Watson
Conor Henderson
Evan Horwood
Ryan Jennings
Jordan Stewart
Anthony Straker

Was going to include Pat Hoban, but he did alright, and will be remembered for his strike at goal which led to Arnold scoring

That's just naming excrement players though, which isn't what this thread was meant to be about.

Steve Watts although not in the same class of terrible as some of the others I expected him to be better than he was.

I never understood why Brodie came with such a good reputation as a player. Even in his best period at York, his goals to games ratio was less than Connell's, Hearn's and Bogle's.

Quoted from Les Brechin

That's just naming excrement players though, which isn't what this thread was meant to be about.

Yeah, thats very true

Quoted from wigworld

I never understood why Brodie came with such a good reputation as a player. Even in his best period at York, his goals to games ratio was less than Connell's, Hearn's and Bogle's.

Because he got promoted twice, and won conference player of the year award aswell.

Quoted from Kris2

There are times when I feel like I'm imagining it or exaggerating it in my head, but then somebody else brings up how slow he was at turning around and it's bizarre. I can not remember a player we've had who was slower than Matt Heywood. He was like a large truck, the other team would rush past him and he'd just stop with dead eyes and make that reversing noise as he turns "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP" and by the time he turned around the ball was out of play and being kicked out again so he has to stop and turn, "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"

Okay maybe I exaggerated a bit... ;D. I still maintain to this day that putting a fridge in defence would have done a better job. Probably would have turned quicker too.

He hardly won a header either and at well over 6ft that worried me from the first time I saw him it never got better ;D

Quoted from 1mickylyons

He hardly won a header either and at well over 6ft that worried me from the first time I saw him it never got better ;D

I remember his debut game thinking that he doesn't seem to jump more than a cm for headers. I guess that never improved and he was eventually dropped for good. Sometimes I wish I could find footage of some of these players games just to laugh. It's funny now but back then it was frustrating as intercourse.

Even though the tapes were probably burned I want to see that Tommy Forecast debut again just to laugh at it now. That was the first and only game I've seen a mate of mine and big town fan leave a game in frustration early.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

He was overpriced but far from awful and scored some good goals think we got most of our money back when we flogged him on also :-/

I like the description by fans of one his previous clubs quoted by SWWF: 'a scorer of spectacular goals rather than a spectacular scorer of goals.'

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

You look at the last 2 years in non league and we made some terrible signings, some which people wont even remember!

Jordan Chapell
Christian Jolley
Rhys Oates
Hamish Watson
Conor Henderson
Evan Horwood
Ryan Jennings
Jordan Stewart
Anthony Straker

Was going to include Pat Hoban, but he did alright, and will be remembered for his strike at goal which led to Arnold scoring

Jolley was a bit of a letdown so I'd argue you have half a claim for him. He's been plying his trade at Conference South team Hampton & Richmond Borough for the past year or so.

No one has mentioned the player brought in a Joe Waters’ replacement... Mick Hallsall. He was dogshit.

Butler is just an utter utter anus. AB had to back him and he repaid that by totally taking the urine.

For me, Peter Bore would be as big a letdown as most of the loanees and 'bigged-up' signings mentioned.

I'm old enough to remember Jimmy Gilligan ("Leadboots") though.
I was young then....still had hopes and dreams.
I thought the world was being run by essentially good people - who were misguided rather than malevolent.
I firmly believed Town would win the FA Cup in my lifetime.
And we paid an absolute fortune (!) for this player I'd never heard of - which only added to the mystique.......
.....which sadly didn't last long. We'd signed an expensive carthorse!

Leadboots was probably the first step on my slippery slope from optimistic young man to sad, cynical git.
Was bound to happen sometimes, I suppose...

UTM

Quoted from 137

For me, Peter Bore would be as big a letdown as most of the loanees and 'bigged-up' signings mentioned.

I'm old enough to remember Jimmy Gilligan ("Leadboots") though.
I was young then....still had hopes and dreams.
I thought the world was being run by essentially good people - who were misguided rather than malevolent.
I firmly believed Town would win the FA Cup in my lifetime.
And we paid an absolute fortune (!) for this player I'd never heard of - which only added to the mystique.......
.....which sadly didn't last long. We'd signed an expensive carthorse!

Leadboots was probably the first step on my slippery slope from optimistic young man to sad, cynical git.
Was bound to happen sometimes, I suppose...

UTM

Bore never fulfilled his potential but played nearly 100 games for Town and looked a very good RB or RWB as they are now.Every other week his attitude was in question we had a good nucleas of young home grown players in him ,North,Taylor,Heggarty,Bennett in that period and it`s sad that only one progressed.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Bore never fulfilled his potential but played nearly 100 games for Town and looked a very good RB or RWB as they are now.Every other week his attitude was in question we had a good nucleas of young home grown players in him ,North,Taylor,Heggarty,Bennett in that period and it`s sad that only one progressed.

Bore was kind of a 1 game in 20 player where he'd have maybe 2-3 good games in a season and the rest average or poor. Got sent back from being on loan early for attitude problems, if I recall the rumours, Buckley wasn't a fan of his ego. I think ego was probably his downfall because he had the potential and took being an athlete seriously, ate right, was known to stick to soft drinks in the pub etc. I guess North and Heggarty have done well in other countries though I personally never rated either of them despite them playing a lot of games. Don't think either had the ability to make it in English league football.

Taylor much the same, had pace and could score goals but was too weak on the ball without the skill to beat players. Bennett was the only one who looked like a real player where at 18 he already looked too good for us. We really have struggled to produce good players through our youth team. Most of the time it feels like people want players to be good because they were trained by us rather than they are good so they end up completely overrated. It shows when they leave us and go on to do very little in the English game.