Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[E10rifle]

Seen one of those in the know accounts on Twitter linking us with Stephen Dawson - brother of Kevin, so could be a goer (although still waiting on news of him agreeing a new deal). Thoughts Bury fans?

Stephen has about half the talent of his brother, but is three times the player. 100% effort, will run box-to-box all day, gets stuck in, a handy enough player on the ball and a born leader. Been a few years since he was with us, but as long as his engine hasn’t gone, he’ll be a great signing.

 

[EricSabin]

They'll all be on a decent wage though, and you aren't pulling in 30,000 every week. It's just a word of caution really because we've seen teams do this before and weren't you in financial trouble not too long ago?

That wasn’t an overspend though that was a crook of a chairman trying to stuff a £10m council loan in his pocket...

 

[JJ1532]

Alan Nixon says Swindon are in for Hallam Hope. I'm sure they can offer him more money, but why would he go there when he's stated his desire is to play higher?

Wonder who released that information? I'm betting it was Hope's agent trying to prick peoples ears up and get them interested.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

With Powell coming in I'm guessing Bowery is signing elsewhere, I'd be pretty happy with that though, probably a slight upgrade. But I'd say we still need another option through the middle. As I see Powell playing a more wide role.

Everyone has him as a winger, he states that he prefers to play down the middle.Everytime he subbed on down the middle he either scored or assisted.
He started our last six games as CF and scored three with one assist.
I liked him but was frustrated that he wasn't given the right opportunity and became a bit of a fans target for abuse and moaning.

 

[Big Bird]

Alan Nixon says Swindon are in for Hallam Hope. I'm sure they can offer him more money, but why would he go there when he's stated his desire is to play higher?

Wonder who released that information? I'm betting it was Hope's agent trying to prick peoples ears up and get them interested.

Weird one.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Weird one.

You're meaning Nixon aren't you

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Nixon also reckons were in for Danny Mayor. Wouldn't surprise me if we took a couple loans from Rangers and Liverpool too. Also linked with a lad called Davies from Coventry, think he's a centre half.

 

[Greenacres]

On our forum there is a mention of Reece Brown moving to Huddersfield, guess it is inevitable that he will leave as he is out of contract, but hope it works out for him if he does sign for them.

 

[GTFCfish]

Nixon also reckons were in for Danny Mayor.

I can’t see FGR letting him leave to be honest with you.

 

[shoddycollins]

Alan Nixon says Swindon are in for Hallam Hope. I'm sure they can offer him more money, but why would he go there when he's stated his desire is to play higher?

Wonder who released that information? I'm betting it was Hope's agent trying to prick peoples ears up and get them interested.

His agent has said he has, no idea what Hope himself wants. He could be satisfied to stay put and his agent is just hinting to try and drum up interest (of course he wants to play at a higher level, but if you added 'within the next couple of years' and 'potentially by helping Carlisle to promotion' to the end of that sentence it loses its impact), or he just wants to sign for a club with more ambition and more money and Swindon could fit that bill but his agent wants to try and attract attention from league One.

 

[Indian Dan]

Well, if it’s true that you are only offering 1 year contracts to everyone, it’s going to be difficult retaining current players and ever harder attracting new ones.

Who the fuck signed off on that?

 

[shoddycollins]

Nothing commented on by the club or in the local media, but over the last few days the Daily Mail and several local newspapers have linked our teenage winger Liam McCarron with a move to Norwich, Sheffield United, Leeds, Wolves or Derby; 250k being touted as a fee.

It's kind of come out of the blue as I don't think anyone here was even thinking that bigger clubs could be after him, we were thinking this season coming would be the one that makes him as a player.

This is kind of where smaller clubs like ourselves (and often the players in the longer term) get fucked over. The big clubs now have enough money that they can snap up players who show potential for next to nothing and then just bung them in the reserves and wait and see if they develop that potential. The risk, that they don't show the potential and the money they spent was wasted, is worth taking ahead of the risk that they wait a year to see if that potential is realised, the price goes up and a rival may get in ahead of them.

But for all the greater resources they have at their academies, they are just hoarding youngsters so that nobody else can have them and hoping one or two of them develop into Championship/Premier League level stars. The rest, perfectly good players who just aren't at the right level can go years without ever playing a competitive match, until they hit 23/24 and get released.

When we signed Macaulay Gillesphey last season after being released by Newcastle, he'd played for us previously on loan, but those two loan spells were the only two times in his career he'd played competitive senior football, and he was 24, and I thought then, what a waste. The first six or seven years of his professional career spent just waiting to see if he ever got the call up from Newcastle's academy when he had the ability to be a regular in League One with a bit more competitive experience. He left us a couple of weeks ago to 'seek a new challenge'. Still don't know what was meant by that but there's been speculation this might mean something like playing in North America or Australia. Nice for him maybe in terms of getting out and seeing the world while earning a decent living but a waste of his talent if he ends up the Canadian second division or something like that.

He was one of the lucky ones as he got time out on loan. What happened I wonder to the other players from his cohort at the academy, who didn't go out on loan and ended up free agents in their mid twenties yet to get their first taste of actual competitive football?

But then right now that maybe seems to players the only way to see if you can make it at a higher level. You might still make it if you gain experience at the lower levels, a not insignificant number of players do, but there's an element of luck there too; being in the right team that showcase your talents; getting spotted by a big club; that big club then deciding that paying a fee for you compared to promoting from their own academy is worth it. Buy a ticket in the Category One Academy Lottery, risk never playing professional football again for a chance to play in the top two divisions. The money being too good to refuse in a career that could be ended by a bad fall tomorrow is a factor but that's a symptom of the inequality in football rather than the cause of it. The uncertainty a young player faces over staying in the lower divisions to play first team football is because the clubs here can't afford to give him that security.

EPPP isn't fit for purpose.

 

[shoddycollins]

Well, if it’s true that you are only offering 1 year contracts to everyone, it’s going to be difficult retaining current players and ever harder attracting new ones.

Who the fuck signed off on that?

Suspect Edinburgh Woolen Mill involvement. I mean for all intents and purposes they own us now, just at arms length, from behind a tweed curtain.

 

[Chris FGR]

EPPP isn't fit for purpose.

I woud say it is fit for purpose, given that it's real purpose was to benefit the big clubs and screw over everyone else. It does that part very well.

 

[Semi-skimmed Silk]

Adam Dawson has signed a new contract with us. Practically a completely new signing consider he was inellible to actually play for us last season.

 

[Casey]

Matty Willock released by Manure. On loan at Crawley at the end of last season. Our fans are shouting we should sign him up. As if he would leave Manure then come to Crawley!

Good player though and another example of EPPP in action.

Casey

 

[Chris FGR]

A number of L1 and SPL sides chasing Doidge apparently, can't see him staying if we get an offer. We won't get near what Bolton offered though.

 

[PaulHaddock]

We’ve signed Matt Green. Relatively pleased I guess.

 

[jbet]

We’ve signed Matt Green. Relatively pleased I guess.

is that a good signing or not? Hardly set the world alight in the league below and the wrong side of 30.

 

[pontoonlew]

Meh, our fans are dead excited but his record hasn’t been great in recent seasons.

2 year deal as well for a 32 year old.

 

[GodsGift]

Better than anything you've got at the moment. Good striker, hard worker and should get you at least 10-12 goals.

 

[Agombar stool]

Meh, our fans are dead excited but his record hasn’t been great in recent seasons.

2 year deal as well for a 32 year old.

If he does as well as Wes Thomas then it'll be a good signing for you. I'd suggest an adequate striker for league 2 based on my minimal knowledge of him.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

It's an okay signing, straight replacement for Thomas who I think is the better player but was always one foot out the door, so we should see a lot more out of Green in comparison. 2 years is a little surprising but I'm relatively content.

 

[Agombar stool]

Devitt has now officially rejected Carlisle's contract offer. According to Twitter, us, Plymouth and Blackpool are interested in signing him.

 

[AdamStag]

Better than anything you've got at the moment. Good striker, hard worker and should get you at least 10-12 goals.

I’d had have loved him back at Mansfield but unfortunately isn’t good enough for what we’d be looking for.

Solid signing for both green and Grimsby though, should be a decent match

 

[GTFCfish]

Maybe I’m just easily pleased but I’m very happy with Matt Green, just what we need in my opinion.

 

[Big Bird]

You're meaning Nixon aren't you

Yes.

Devitt has now officially rejected Carlisle's contract offer. According to Twitter, us, Plymouth and Blackpool are interested in signing him.

Hate it when you're linked to a player for ages and then they go somewhere else...this feels like one or those times.

 

[T.A]

Yes.

Hate it when you're linked to a player for ages and then they go somewhere else...this feels like one or those times.

Careful, if you dont kiss Nixons arse you get blocked in twitter.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Careful, if you dont kiss Nixons arse you get blocked in twitter.

Guilty.

 

[AnotherStagsFan]

Green is a good signing for a team like Grimsby.