'How to part ways with a Football Club' by Steve Cook

[leigull]

Good luck to Cook. Maybe we'll see him in our blue and white stripes again on his rise up the football ladder

 

[Albion Rob]

Dont get me wrong, after Hardings assault on CMS on Monday I have no time for him at all but you cant blame him for leaving us. He was offered £300 a week to stay here or £1100 at Leeds - he did what most young lads would do. I may be wrong but I dont remember him slagging off the club afterwards.

Hammond is slightly different as well, again I don't like him anymore due to his antics after scoring at Withdean, but after all the shit he used to get on here about how glad we were that he had gone and how we wouldn't miss him can you really blame him for ramming it back down our throats?

Is that right? £300 a week?! Or a £300 a week rise?

Would a Champioship club, even the Albion, really only be paying a (newly) established first team player £300 a week (about £16,000 a year)? If so then that's a very interesting insight into just how skint we were in the early part of this century.

 

[chez]

Is that right? £300 a week?! Or a £300 a week rise?

Would a Champioship club, even the Albion, really only be paying a (newly) established first team player £300 a week (about £16,000 a year)? If so then that's a very interesting insight into just how skint we were in the early part of this century.

Nope, it was actually £300 per week pay. I was told this at the time by his girlfriend who I knew socially. Obviously I cant confirm that she was being truthful but I saw no reason for her to lie as I wasn't moaning to her about him leaving.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Back to the subject...

Very good luck Cooky, will continue to follow you on Twitter. From Hastings to Brighton to Bournemouth, I'm sure the next stop won't be Torquay(!) Good luck with that A27 too!

PG

 

[shaolinpunk]

I fully expect him to be a key player over the next few years for Bournemouth - great bit of business for them. Talented youngster with bags of potential, it's a shame to see him go but the fairest thing for all concerned.

 

[shaolinpunk]

Paul Camillin alerted Steve Cook to this thread on twitter - his response:

very nice words. Appreciate them all and I hope the #bhafc fans and players enjoy a successful rest of the season.

 

[catfish]

He seems a really decent lad & I wish him all the success he deserves.

 

[lost in london]

Amazing, what a nice guy, shows what you can do with a bit of humility and a few brain cells.

 

[Sam Ovett]

Hope to see him a few times at Easter when I'm back in Poole, we're playing away and Bournemouth are at home. Good luck Cooky

 

[Turkey]

Nope, it was actually £300 per week pay. I was told this at the time by his girlfriend who I knew socially. Obviously I cant confirm that she was being truthful but I saw no reason for her to lie as I wasn't moaning to her about him leaving.

Have heard his family in a pub in Rottingdean last year maoning about how Brighton fans treat him! To be honest, I have no idea on what went on, but when you look back at what was happening around that time, it really wouldn't suprise me if Dick Knight encouraged him to leave anyway, as we were entitled to and recieved pretty decent compensation if I recall correctly.

Anyway, back to Cook, think he's delt with the whole thing very well and wish him the best of luck at Bournemouth.

 

[Silent Bob]

The thing is with Harding even if you've nothing at all against him, it makes sense to boo him because he cannot take it.

 

[Drakey]

Plus Harding left us for the club he's supported all his life, don't see why there's so much hatred against him. Hammond on the other hand is a ungrateful wanker.

Expected more from Hammond, another local lad like Cookie from Hastings but would seem, completely different personalities!
Granted Cookie's decision must have been much harder than that of leaving the Withdean, but Hammond didn't handle it very well.

As for Harding, not a local lad so never as likely to hold him in the same regard, took a load of wedge off of Leeds though when he went - couldn't have hoped for a better Amex debut - well, the red card he deserved would have been a touch better!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Good luck Cooky. Old head on young shoulders. Respect.

 

[Don Quixote]

He is a class act that lad! I kind of wish we would have kept him now.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Was in the same year as him (but not in the same football team, I'm too shite) and now work at the same place as his dad, so been getting updates from him when I have a chat at work.

It's good to see anyone from Hastings go far, good luck to him!

 

[Seagull on the wing]

My understanding of the Harding/Hammond issue was...Harding said he was'nt going to leave...and left the next day,so he knew that he was leaving...don't blame him for trying to better himself..it was the lying...if he had been honest and said he was leaving for more money and Championship football he would have got a far better reception from the fans.
Hammond at least was put in the position of a choice and I do remember talking to him at a pre=season match at Eastbourne and him and Alex Revell were full of praise for the fans. So I never boo Hammond but Harding does get abuse.

As for Cookie..what a real decent fella...sorry to see him go but I think he made the right choice in regards playing and wages. Good luck Cookie..you will always have a welcome from me.

 

[1066familyman]

Shows considerably more grace over the matter than some of our fans

Exactly !

What a lovely statement that was from him. Steve Cook and the club have handled the whole affair in text book fashion. Well Done Albion and Steve Cook, I wish him every success.

 

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

It helped that his last game for the club was a 3-0 poncing of Southampton, and that he was required to play because we had no other options. He has handled himself extremely well though, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. He looks a promising young player who has moved on for the benefit of his career. Good luck to the guy, it's rare players leave and you genuinely hope they do well, but it's a mark of becoming a better club that our reserves are good first team players for clubs on a lower league. We're the feeders rather than the fed, so to speak.

great post mate totaly agree

 

[ArcticBlue]

AFCB and their fans must be over the moon to have signed him. To walk into a depleted team on Monday and play the game of your life speaks volumes. Good luck to him, although I don't think he will need it.