What could have been: Transfers that nearly happened

[Goldstone Rapper]

Keegan to Brighton ?

Rainer Bonhof was also a player linked with Brighton around that time. Think wages may have been a stumbling block.

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

Blackburn also had the chance to sign Christoph Dugarry and Zinedine Zidane from Bordeaux the season after Blackburn had won the premiership. The sum was to be minimal but they turned it down because the club wanted to give priority to their own youth players.

St Mirren nearly signed Ronaldinho on loan before he went to Paris St Germain, that certainly would have been a change to footballing history.

Jack Walker was quoted "Why do we need these lads when we have Stuart Ripley" (or variation of that)

I was reading a while back that Di Stefano had agreed to sign for Real Madrid, River Plate, who owned the players licence accepted an offer from Barcelona, Both the Spanish clubs complained to the FA who said that he had to play half a season at each club, each year. Barca didn't like it so backed out.

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

Demba ba failed a medical at stoke before signing for newcastle

He had trials with Gillingham, Swansea and Barnsley in 2001...

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

blackburn turned down zidane because they had tim sherwood (who was a good player to be fair....hardly ZIDANE though)

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

martin o'neill signed heskey instead of falcao while aston villa manager

good choice...

 

[Box of Frogs]

He had trials with Gillingham, Swansea and Barnsley in 2001...

How old was he then? About 10?!?!

 

[the wanderbus]

No, the choice was between Paul McCarthy and Roy Keane, who were both playing in Ireland at the time. We sent a scout over and decided McCarthy was worth giving a trial too but not Keane. The story was covered by Spencer Vignes in the club programme earlier this season I think.

Actually the choice was between Ian Wright and Steve Penney. The connection between Paul McCarthy and Keane is that they played for the same youth side in Ireland and McCarthy recommended Keane to Brighton. sauce? Paul McCarthy!!

 

[Mowgli37]

I read somewhere once that ibrahimovitch nearly went to arsenal, imagine!

 

[shaunslats]

Ryan Harley? Oh wait shit that actually happened

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I read somewhere once that ibrahimovitch nearly went to arsenal, imagine!

He was pictured with the shirt, number 9 on it and everything. They wanted him to play in a practice game to see him properly, first hand. Which led to the immortal phrase;

"Zlatan doesn't do auditions"

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Do managers count as transfers? There was that lingering rumour during Dick Knight's reign that we were about sign that World cup manager with the Lion King head of hair, the press conference was all arranged and everything, then he backed out at the very last moment. Which led to Hinsh The Elder being plonked in front of the press conference and unveiled as our new manager.

Winifred Schafer met Dick Knight at Gatwick on the Monday after verbally agreeing to take over on the Saturday. Said he had a problem with what Peter Taylor had told him in Japan earlier in the month re budgets and stadiums , pissed off on the Tuesday. Legend has it Coppell feel asleep during his interview on the Wednesday , Hinsh I'm not a big name but I am a long one was employed on the Thursday along with the clipboard kid.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Souness flirted with us in the mid 80's when he was gewtting bored at Rangers.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

He had just left the middle east and was training with us. Said he liked the place and wanted to sign etc, then got an offer to play back in russia for big money and thats where he went. He lives in brighton now i think

Yeah he lives in Brighton, actually under 'New England Road' Bridge. He leaps out and quotes Dostoevsky at unsuspecting passers by. Happen to me a week ago last Thursday.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Winifred Schafer met Dick Knight at Gatwick on the Monday after verbally agreeing to take over on the Saturday. Said he had a problem with what Peter Taylor had told him in Japan earlier in the month re budgets and stadiums , pissed off on the Tuesday. Legend has it Coppell feel asleep during his interview on the Wednesday , Hinsh I'm not a big name but I am a long one was employed on the Thursday along with the clipboard kid.

 

[johnny jigsaw]

I'm sure Barry Lloyd tried to sign Les Ferdinand in 1991, I vividly remember reading the headline in the Argus.

 

[damo1971]

Actually the choice was between Ian Wright and Steve Penney. The connection between Paul McCarthy and Keane is that they played for the same youth side in Ireland and McCarthy recommended Keane to Brighton. sauce? Paul McCarthy!!

According to Roy Keanes biography he came to Brighton for a trial with Paul McCarthy and that we turned Roy down due to his height.

 

[dunno]

Mullery tried to replace Peter Ward in our first season in the First Division with Paul Walsh who was playing for Luton at the time

 

[Mowgli37]

He was pictured with the shirt, number 9 on it and everything. They wanted him to play in a practice game to see him properly, first hand. Which led to the immortal phrase;

"Zlatan doesn't do auditions"

What season was it? If him, Henry and Berkamp had been together...

 

[Ninja Elephant]

He was invited over to Arsenal in 2000. Arsenal passed up the chance to sign a 16 year old Cristiano Ronaldo as well!

 

[the wanderbus]

According to Roy Keanes biography he came to Brighton for a trial with Paul McCarthy and that we turned Roy down due to his height.[/QUOTE

I could be wrong, McCarthy and Keane could've known each other from playing against one another , it was a long time ago that I spoke to him. I haven't read the book but I didn't think Keane made it as far as England for a trial.