So Stephen Ward was ours for the asking all summer...........

[BensGrandad]

Cast your mind back last season and you may remember Andrews was crap!!, slow, never hit a forward pass and constantly caught in possession!!- give Ince a go or Holla who are miles better and are not past it like Andrews

Andrews is far, far , better than Ince he wins tackles amnd plays the ball to a player in the same colour shirt. One day Ince may be able but not at the moment.

 

[Icy Gull]

The Ward saga illustrates how arrogant the hierarchy seem to have become imo. It's obvious the club thought they held the whip hand so strung the deal out to the 11th hour, it kind of serves them right that it blew up in their faces.

 

[jamie the seagull]

Everyone bar Ward's agent believed it was. If I recall correctly, Mrs Ward was enjoying the delights of a Brighton hotel whilst the formal stuff was to be played out. (That might have been someone else - my memory is poor)

I've learned the hard way to use phrases like "expected to sign" rather than "will sign".

"We were in Brighton to do the medical and sign that night, then they allowed a call to come in."
"It was a Premier club who play decent football, a fantastic opportunity."

So the story that he did a U-turn on the way down is incorrect. He was here and ready to sign and we let his agent take a call...
Burke should go for this reason alone...Club is a joke behind the scene's

 

[Thunder Bolt]

"We were in Brighton to do the medical and sign that night, then they allowed a call to come in."
"It was a Premier club who play decent football, a fantastic opportunity."

So the story that he did a U-turn on the way down is incorrect. He was here and ready to sign and we let his agent take a call...
Burke should go for this reason alone...Club is a joke behind the scene's

What do you do? Confiscate the blokes phone when he crosses the threshhold?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Andrews is far, far , better than Ince he wins tackles amnd plays the ball to a player in the same colour shirt. One day Ince may be able but not at the moment.

If Keith Andrews was a Jedi then Rohan Ince would be his apprentice.

 

[TonyW]

Just goes to show the problems are not just with the manager.

Greedy ******* who would sit on ANYBODY'S bench if the money was right.

Nothing to do with the football.

Well rid of him and his scum bag agent

 

[TonyW]

"We were in Brighton to do the medical and sign that night, then they allowed a call to come in."
"It was a Premier club who play decent football, a fantastic opportunity."

So the story that he did a U-turn on the way down is incorrect. He was here and ready to sign and we let his agent take a call...
Burke should go for this reason alone...Club is a joke behind the scene's

Stupid comment.

No way should we be held to ransom by players of his ability.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Another reason why our Transfer Policy over the Summer was a total and utter shambles. The buck doesn't stop with Hyypia, it is with Burke and his University Students scouting team. And his poor negotiating skills.


I honestly do fear for us in January, if Burke and his inept scouting team are still here. Which does seem to be the case!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

What do you do? Confiscate the blokes phone when he crosses the threshhold?

Make damn sure Ward signed and then he becomes our player then if Burnley want him they have to pay us. Like Holsgrove all those years ago.

 

[fat old seagull]

but the club procrastinated to such an extent that Burnley stepped in with bigger fee, higher wages and longer contract. from Argus today as told by his agent. Club have no comment to make!!!!

I know this is what everyone thought but now confirmed. Instead we are left with Chicksen/Joe Bennett.

Yes, but if we'd have bought Ward we might not have been able to buy the handful of players who sit on the bench or have been loaned out. Where's the fun in that? It would be nice to know exactly whose reluctance to go ahead it was.

 

[Eeyore]

I'd rather hear the club's version of this too. If the deal was breaking down then there must have been issues surrounding money. As for allowing a call to come in. What do we do, ban people from answering the phone ? I think that may have been worded wrong.

 

[dsr-burnley]

From the Burnley end, I'm sure that Ward wasn't a main target during the summer. We already had 2 left backs, and hadn't (so far as we know) made any offer for any others. Ward started the season as reserve behind Ben Mee, and came into the team in October. But by August we were getting stuck for players, especially defenders - we only had 6 defenders to fill 4 places until Ward made it 7, Michael Keane made 8 on the last day of the window - so I think a quality player on a relatively low fee was to good to miss out on.

On the other hand, we made approaches for numerous other players during the summer and the price (when they saw Premier money on the horizon) was raised beyond what we were willing to pay. Deeney (watford), Dawson (WBA), Bryson (Derby), Lansbury (Forset) being the main ones. It's more than likely, and I thought so at the time, that Burnley waited until the transfer fee was fixed with Wolves before jumping in, to try and avoid being stung again. Whether they would have done the same in June, i doubt.

 

[Stat Brother]

Is there any injury reason to explain Ward's measly 9 games, so far this season?

 

[symyjym]

Is there any injury reason to explain Ward's measly 9 games, so far this season?

Hairline fracture in his foot. Out since December

 

[Sheebo]

He seemed to be a regular which was surprising considering their fans said they had 2 good LBs. Bennett's been alright this season but Ward was a cut above...

 

[8th battalion East Lancs]

Ward didn't play early doors because Ben Mee was playing well. Mee went off the boil a bit for a couple of games and Dyche swapped him with Ward.

Ward did great (absolutely immense in our win at Stoke) but then got injured.

He's been fit now for the last few weeks but Mee has been playing well.

Ward is a better footballer than Mee but Dyche doesn't like changing things unless it's necessary.

Mee is brave as a lion though and will stick his head in where boots should be.

 

[stripeyshark]

Hairline fracture in his foot. Out since December

He was in the Ireland squad last week. I spoke to him then and he had nothing but good things to say about his time here. He said he'd be back in a heartbeat. According to him, wolves made the transfer to us very difficult and Burnley came in with a better offer. I'm pretty sure wages was a factor too. Nice bloke though.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The perhaps not reliable HITC site reckons we are now trying to get him from Burnley

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015/06/08/brighton-line-up-move-for-former-loan-star-stephen-ward-from-bur/

 

[Pavilionaire]

Interesting story about Dyche being 24 hours from joining Sunderland before Advocaat changed his mind about the job.

This makes Ward's Burnley future a little less stable.

 

[SeagullCrow]

Good timing Pavillionaire - Just spotted this:-

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015...-for-former-loan-star-stephen-ward-from-bur/?

Not sure how reliable they are, but might be an interesting development