Stockdale OFF ***to Birmingham - Official***

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Harry Bull S**t rides again . He'll spend more than he earns , the team with flatter to deceive and he'll leave them in financial ruin . Collateral we lose the best keeper we ve had in many a year . Shame .

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Now don't take this as any sort of "pro-arry" stance. I find the bloke slimey as anything and wouldn't want him anywhere near our club.

However, I have to defend him and any manager on this issue. It is not the manager's fault if he spends too much money. That is COMPLETELY down to the board who set the budget.

If the manager chooses RUBBISH players then sure, but the financial side is nothing to do with them.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Agreed. Could we close the thread with it ?

I really do wish that we had!

 

[seagull_special]

Interesting article in The Argus:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/153...dale_s_exit_was_no_surprise_to_Albion_bosses/

Paul Barber explains why David Stockdale's exit was no shock to Brighton and Hove Albion

Albion knew David Stockdale was on his way when they presented their best offer – and were told it would not be accepted.

Paul Barber has given some insight into communication between the club and Stockdale’s agent Rob Segal which ensured the parting was a civilised one.

The Seagulls’ chief executive said he knew “for some weeks” that a parting of the ways was inevitable.

Stockdale has since joined Birmingham City on a three-year deal as a free agent.

That leaves the Seagulls looking to sign at least two senior goalkeepers with both Niki Maenpaa and Maty Ryan expected to put pen to paper.

Barber said he was pleased with the level of dialogue between the club and agent.

And he has highlighted the pro-active efforts Stockdale made to help try and comfort relatives of those who died in the Shoreham aircrash.

Barber said of Stockdale’s departure: “It was not a surprise in terms of not reaching an agreement with David. We have known for some weeks that was not going to happen.

“You get to a point where a contract is offered and, if it’s your best offer and it’s not accepted, the writing is on the wall.

“We have got a great relationship with David’s agent. I have known Rob for many years and we have a very open relationship.

“We can talk to each other and he can say, ‘If that’s your best offer, we are going to need to look elsewhere’. No problem, we understand that.

“The whole process was conducted without any acrimony, without any problems, without any issues. We all knew where we were at any particular time.”

Stockdale’s choice of destination, as he became Harry Redknapp’s first signing for Birmingham, surprised many people.

Barber said: “Players’ choices of football clubs are very much personal decisions. I was in contact with David on Tuesday night and wished him all the best.

“I worked with Harry so I asked David to pass on my best wishes to him.

“David was fabulous for us over a long period and very popular, not just with the fans but also within the club.”

Stockdale’s efforts after the Shoreham disaster are well-documented.

But Barber highlighted how the keeper made the first move to see how he could help.

He said: “For me personally, during the Shoreham disaster, David was one of the first players to come and ask if he could help, if there was anything he could do, if he could visit the families.

“As soon as he knew Matt Grimstone was a goalkeeper, he felt an immediate connection.

“I will always admire David and Alan Mullery for stepping forward and visiting the families when it was a very tough time.

“I went and I found it probably the toughest experience of my life. I am 20 years older than David and I found it very difficult.

“For a young man to step up and do that, I will always admire him for that and respect him for that.”

Birmingham are not short of glovemen. Ex-Albion favourite Tomasz Kuszczak has just signed a new deal, as has Adam Legzdins, while Connal Trueman is highly rated in the under-23s.

Albion plan to have similar numbers in their goalkeeper department.

Ryan is away with his national team, which has not helped in finalising personal terms, but Maenpaa's agent has told sources in Holland his client will be back at the Amex.

Barber said: “With Niki, work is continuing. These processes are always interrupted by holidays and people having a bit of a break.

“In an ideal world you would have a very rapid decision-making process. But the ideal world doesn’t exist.

“It was great to get Steve Sidwell done but work is ongoing.

“We very much want Niki to stay at the club and we are looking forward to him being here next season.”

Did Maenpaa’s presence push Stockdale to his form of the past two seasons?

It is a popular theory which may well hold water.

What we do know is that Chris Hughton and chairman Tony Bloom both expressed their thanks to the big Yorkshireman as he left – and that does not always happen.
Barber said: “David will always be welcome here and always be part of this football club.

“He will always be part of the folklore that got promotion to the Premier League.

“We really hope he does well at Birmingham City. It is a very good football club.”

Hopefully after the dust has settled the fans will remember David Stockdale as a record breaking hero who served this club and community superbly.

 

[Mellotron]

Just been having the same chat with a mate. When you choose money at a team that just stayed up in the second tier as opposed to pushing yourself at the highest level you can and aiming for a call up for your country it is a very, very sad money-driven sport. I would have totally got it if he signed for Leeds even, his boyhood club but to drop down a league, to play in from of 17K fans to a team in a shit city that just stayed up on the last day because they are paying a few more dollars really is a sad indictment of the mentality of a modern day footballer indeed.

Also, it might not even work out a better deal money-wise, possibly only in the short term. If he had a great season with us in the Prem, perhaps a West Brom or West Ham could come calling, with a much higher wage packet than Brum, and the possibility of England caps? Just seems a daft decision on many levels.

Also, when will players learn not to play poker against Tony Bloom?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

91 pages .... jeez. He chose to go, good luck to him, it's his choice. Hopefully given our new status we can attract somebody equally as good or better.

My SAUCE tells me BUFFOON is on his WEIGH from YUVE

 

[Springal]

Also, when will players learn not to play poker against Tony Bloom?

If he was playing poker against Tony Bloom and as a result is earning more money, would you not say Stockdale has won? Isn't that the aim of poker? To win more money?

 

[Mellotron]

If he was playing poker against Tony Bloom and as a result is earning more money, would you not say Stockdale has won? Isn't that the aim of poker? To win more money?

I'm confident his decision will earn him LESS money in the long term.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Now don't take this as any sort of "pro-arry" stance. I find the bloke slimey as anything and wouldn't want him anywhere near our club.

However, I have to defend him and any manager on this issue. It is not the manager's fault if he spends too much money. That is COMPLETELY down to the board who set the budget.

If the manager chooses RUBBISH players then sure, but the financial side is nothing to do with them.

True but he'll be in those budget negotiations, insinuating that he can bring in some top top players if he's given the right amount of mullah as, at the moment they're down to the bare bones. "You won't find me turning off my phone on transfer deadline day" he'll insist, "me and my dog will be hanging out of a car window at 10pm for the delight and amusement of Sky viewers and to welcome top top player Carlton Cole to the club for just a fraction of the 200 million you're going to give me this window".

Has that now ticked everyone's Arry Bingo cards?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

True but he'll be in those budget negotiations, insinuating that he can bring in some top top players if he's given the right amount of mullah as, at the moment they're down to the bare bones. "You won't find me turning off my phone on transfer deadline day" he'll insist, "me and my dog will be hanging out of a car window at 10pm for the delight and amusement of Sky viewers and to welcome top top player Carlton Cole to the club for just a fraction of the 200 million you're going to give me this window".

Has that now ticked everyone's Arry Bingo cards?

I've just got 'triffic' left for a full house.

 

[Bozza]

Bizarre all this talk about Stockdale staying with us, playing in the Premier League and possibly getting into the England frame again as I really don't think he'd have played many games, barring injury to the new #1, next season. And he'll have known that too.

He wants to play football. Maybe Birmingham was the best option available to him right now that would see him as a surefire first choice, and also meant he could either remain living where he is, with a long commute, or get closer to "home".

 

[Mellotron]

Bizarre all this talk about Stockdale staying with us, playing in the Premier League and possibly getting into the England frame again as I really don't think he'd have played many games, barring injury to the new #1, next season. And he'll have known that too.

He wants to play football. Maybe Birmingham was the best option available to him right now that would see him as a surefire first choice, and also meant he could either remain living where he is, with a long commute, or get closer to "home".

Was it always the idea - to your knowledge - that we get in Ryan, regardless of what happened to Stockdale? I assumed we showed our interest there once Stockdale was stalling.

 

[Bozza]

Was it always the idea - to your knowledge - that we get in Ryan, regardless of what happened to Stockdale? I assumed we showed our interest there once Stockdale was stalling.

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

True but he'll be in those budget negotiations, insinuating that he can bring in some top top players if he's given the right amount of mullah as, at the moment they're down to the bare bones. "You won't find me turning off my phone on transfer deadline day" he'll insist, "me and my dog will be hanging out of a car window at 10pm for the delight and amusement of Sky viewers and to welcome top top player Carlton Cole to the club for just a fraction of the 200 million you're going to give me this window".

Has that now ticked everyone's Arry Bingo cards?

Triffic lad

 

[5ways]

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

I always thought he'd be able to make the step-up (again)

 

[Guinness Boy]

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

Joking about 'Arry aside this is genuinely interesting. The plan seems to be - from what TB and PB have said publicly and [MENTION=30752]NooBHA[/MENTION] has implied on here - that we gradually improve each position as we go along. From what I saw last season - and admittedly that was only a couple of games in the case of Maenpaa - I thought keeper was relatively strong with the change that we'd need the third keeper to be much better than Casper. I saw both full back positions, the "number 10" and ideally an upgrade on Murrray as starting striker with Glenn on off the bench as our PL priorities.

This suggests to me that improvements are possible - indeed maybe probable - in pretty much every position. Keeper really wasn't an issue last season, in fact Stocko would have been my fourth choice for player of the season after Dunk, Knockaert and Murray.

 

[Springal]

I always thought he'd be able to make the step-up (again)

Again? I thought he didn't actually play that much in the Premiership

 

[Bozza]

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

...or at least a very strong contender for the 'keeper's shirt.

I'm trying to be careful about what I say, but it's no surprise to me that Stockdale is not an Albion player any longer. It may look like after-timing, but there are a few on here who'll know I said the same quite some time ago.

I'm personally disappointed as I think he's been amazing for us, both in keeping us in the Championship during that dreadful season and then getting us to the Premier League. And as the years go on, I imagine I'll only ever think more fondly about his time at the club and how much I enjoyed the last two seasons.

 

[sparkie]

I do wonder if BERK signed him with a "must be 1st choice keeper" clause, which the club understandably didn't want to repeat in a new deal.

 

[Easy 10]

Heard from a 'source' that's been reliable in the past that he's something of a salad-dodger, there's often been behind-the-scenes issues about his weight.

That said, with a contract from a Premier League club on the table, you'd have thought he'd swerve the BK Whoppers for a season and knuckle down to make sure he could continue as the No1 here. The defence was a solid unit, he had a great understanding with his CB's, and personally I'd have liked to have seen that continue into next season. In terms of a career move it cannot be viewed as anything other than a massive step backwards, and indicates a distinct lack of ambition on his part.

But its his career, his choice, and I'm sure it wasn't an easy one. He served us well, I hope it works out for him there.

 

[Bozza]

There's a story knocking about that Stockdale wanted £70k a week from the Albion and that is a large part of the reason he left.

That is, using a technical term, utter bollocks.