While I'm at it, who were your best loan players we had in non league days

Ross Hannah was pretty good until he signed permanently and forgot what the offside rule was 😎

Nathan Pond and Connor Townsend for me... Both superb!

Conor Townsend for me, never forget that free kick at BP...bent it round the outside of the wall and into the bottom corner of the net...

Townsend by a country mile.

Pond was excellent and whilst we had decent players in his position afterwards, none were quite as commanding.  But Townsend was just leagues and leagues above that level.

Other notable mentions to Scott Neilson and Ross Hannah.  Marcus Marshall was very good in his first loan spell too.  In the very first season in the Conference Richard O'Donnell was also very impressive.

Generally though our loan players, we had a fair few of them too, were largely disappointing.  I dare say there's quite a few that most of us would struggle to remember at all!

Townsend was a class above. I don't think we'd have been promoted without him.

Apart from him I'd say Brodie and Tomlinson.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Conor Townsend for me, never forget that free kick at BP...bent it round the outside of the wall and into the bottom corner of the net...

I preferred his other one, a last minute effort I think, which went in higher up the goal... and Scott had the audacity to say it was about time he delivered!   ;D

If Townsend or Pond had stayed the full season in either of their respective seasons, we’d have come much closer to winning the league.

Quoted from Grantley

If Townsend or Pond had stayed the full season in either of their respective seasons, we’d have come much closer to winning the league.

well we went up in townsends second spell so i'll take that and he stayed the full season in his first

agree about pond though, he was immense

Was Manny Panther a loan player or someone we signed on a short-term deal? Not saying he was one of the best, but I remember we were a bit disjointed in midfield until he came in and settled things down with Dizza.

Same goes for Will Antwi. Think he brought a bit of stability at the back when we were still trying to adjust to life in non-league.

Will antwi was brilliant for us but Conner t was the man 👍

Has to be Pond as the best, he was absolutely superb. Pretty sure we had him Pearson, Miller and another decent CB in the squad at that time.

Scott Neilson was initially on loan too, wasn't he? Then went to Luton as they tried to sign our entire squad that was top around Christmas I think. If Hearn hadn't have got crocked and we'd have somehow managed to keep hold of Pond and Neilson that team could have won that title.

Will Antwi.

Quoted from Abdul19

Townsend was a class above. I don't think we'd have been promoted without him.

Apart from him I'd say Brodie and Tomlinson.

Tomlinson has just signed for Alfreton

I thought Pond was very good, as was Townsend.  Ok so who else, errmmm what about Tom Naylor?  I thought he was good, but maybe not as good as Pond or Townsend

On loan players

O'Donnell
Marshall
Neilson
Hannah
Pond
Townsend
Antwi
Panther
Tomlinson
Brodie
Hoban
Arnold (I think)


I'm sure there are others, there's one that i cant remember the name but was a striker under hurst, i think he scored on his debut.  I think his name may have been foreign lol.

Remember Andy Todd, think he was on loan years ago. Remember he was class.

Quoted from Meza

I thought Pond was very good, as was Townsend.  Ok so who else, errmmm what about Tom Naylor?  I thought he was good, but maybe not as good as Pond or Townsend

On loan players

O'Donnell
Marshall
Neilson
Hannah
Pond
Townsend
Antwi
Panther
Tomlinson
Brodie
Hoban
Arnold (I think)


I'm sure there are others, there's one that i cant remember the name but was a striker under hurst, i think he scored on his debut.  I think his name may have been foreign lol.

we also had Jones, Wilks, and Tuton

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

Remember Andy Todd, think he was on loan years ago. Remember he was class.

In the Championship era.

Ryan Jennings
Oumare Tounkara
Cleveland Taylor
Luke McCarthy
Was Jordan Chappell loan?

Quoted from Davec

Ryan Jennings
Oumare Tounkara
Cleveland Taylor
Luke McCarthy
Was Jordan Chappell loan?

Ah that's the strikers name I couldn't remember.

Josh Gowling

Townsend couldn't stop jack mackreth at Barrow. He did eventually when jack was subbed after an hour - i think mainly due to him being man marked by an extra player in the second half

Matt Robinson from Luton. He is a rapper now!!

Seem to think he was that here with a C in front of rapper 😉

Quoted from nightrider

Townsend couldn't stop jack mackreth at Barrow. He did eventually when jack was subbed after an hour - i think mainly due to him being man marked by an extra player in the second half

He's currently plying his trade at Warrington Town! I never thought he was that good but didn't think he'd be playing Northern Premier League at the age of 27.

Quoted from mariner91

He's currently plying his trade at Warrington Town! I never thought he was that good but didn't think he'd be playing Northern Premier League at the age of 27.

Crikey. I think the lad has a lot of unfulfilled potential. Could have been one of our best non-league players- always played with more freedom and verve against us than for us.

Did he have some sort of an injury problem, I wonder? I remember him causing us all sorts of problems earlier in his career but really lacked pep and didn't seem to have the same pace when he signed for us.

I think he still had it, it’s just that when he went haring off down the wing from our half he’d get 10 yards beyond the halfway line and seem to suddenly remember ‘keep us shape, keep us shape’ then slow right down to make sure the opposition had time to get back and reorganise.

Nah, I really think he didn't have the pace we thought. That said, I think I'm correct in remembering that one of his best performances against us was when he was up against Ridley. Perhaps not a surprise he looked quick in that situation!

Didn’t say he was that fast (but he was quick enough) and I remember him showing what he could really do at Barnet in 2015.

(Can’t believe it was already 4 years ago)

He annihilated Townsend for pace every time in the first half at barrow - we couldn't have known anything about him
He was fast. Best player I'd seen in that league hence why we were trying to sign him for 2 years. I dont think he was keen on on leaving the Liverpool area
He even looked good in the fa cup game against oxford on tv a couple of year ago. One of the best players on the pitch and hit the post
But only did it at Macclesfield and barrow. Maybe teams are more defensive in non league against the ex league teams like tranmere / grimsby / Wrexham?