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

[Bold Seagull]

Murray v2.0

 

[Weststander]

A few idiots at the ground and online were enough to help Ashley Barnes decide his future lied elsewhere after his Brighton contract was do to expire and the club knew it and decided to sell early to get some cash back. (not the PL i know)

If you get abuse, and Stockdale is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, he is more likely to be affected by it that others may be. They are still human after all.

The stuff surrounding the young kid (possibly family member) and his Leeds shirt was possibly the final straw and meant he went elsewhere(can't find the original pic any more so it seems like it's been deleted)

Incorrect about Ashley Barnes. He was on shockingly low money when the squad had several players on big bucks. Burnley gave him much better wages and a long contract.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Well I really really hope this new guy is good and doesn't turn out to be another Graeme Smith. Stockdale may not necessarily be the best on paper, but we know what we have with him, now we're stepping into the unknown.

 

[Timbo]

Sounds about right.... Virgo preety much just tweeted that..( and wages)

Fair play to you if you can make any sense out of anything that Virgo puts on twitter.

 

[chaileyjem]

Everyone always seems to know exactly how much everyone is paid on threads like this.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

For me this is as strange as Ronald Koeman quitting Southampton for Everton last season. It made no sense to me at all, but the man felt he had something to prove. Maybe Stockdale feels he has something to prove that it wasn't just because of Dunk and Duffy he kept 20 clean sheets. Or maybe the money is right for him and his family. Who knows but on the face of it it's a bizarre decision.

Thanks to Stockdale for the last two years, he's been fantastic on and off the pitch and will be remembered as a fantastic goalkeeper for us.

I think Ronald Koeman knew exactly what he was doing. Everton are a historically big club with a huge fan base and some real money behind them, not to mention a fantastic youth system. The word is that Southampton's academy is going through a thin patch at the moment and the planned takeover was going slowly.

Stocko, on the other hand ...

 

[Barry Izbak]

Reading between the lines and snippets ... I'd say, wouldn't be our 1st choice and length of contract offered.

Well yes, but errr Birmingham City?

(try it as in the Peter Kay Garlic Bread sketch)

Birmingham?
Birmingham City?
Am I hearing you right?

 

[ac gull]

Ryan plays for Australia and no doubt used to play in Australia too before moving to Europe

Tony B spends a month or so in Australia every winter - ha may have spotted this guy himself years ago

 

[pastafarian]

crikey

 

[WonderingSoton]

Well this is...weird. Not the best advert for the club, losing an established player to Birmingham. Yes ok I know we expected him to go and have options, but not to Birmingham FFS!

 

[Weststander]

True, but he's been second choice keeper in the Premier League before, perhaps he didn't fancy getting splinters in his arse at the age of 32.

Did you have an inkling or more, that Stockdale was always destined to be our backup keeper this coming season?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I'm sure, in 167 pages, and more recently, since the official news, all of what I say has been said, this is a very bizarre move for Stockers. Does it show no ambition? Doesn't believe he is good enough? Or the very large lump of money he'll be getting from 'Arry's dog? Or all three?

 

[1066familyman]

Odd decision.

2 years fighting for promotion to the PL, and finally make it, and then...

*Nah, I'll stay in the Championship*


Best of luck to him to him, of course.

But it's not as simple as that is it. Many factors to consider aside from what division he'll be playing in. He's already played in the Premier League anyway don't forget. I'm not overly excited by PL football compared to the Championship myself to be honest.

I'd rather he stayed, but good luck to him, as you say. I wish him well for the future and thank him for some great times with us.

 

[el punal]

I'm trying to get my head round this decision. I can only assume that Stockdale is going to be paid a shit load of wonga for the next three years to compensate for NOT playing in the Premier League where he might have earned the plaudits and glory with us.

I can almost understand him moving to Leeds, hometown(?) club and all that, for nostalgia reasons. I can understand him maybe going to Chelsea as a back up goalie, with the potential of a few league or European games under his belt. But . . . Birmingham? Very, very strange decision.

Anyway, all the best David, good luck and thanks for everything you've done for us. You will always be fondly remembered.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Well this is...weird. Not the best advert for the club, losing an established player to Birmingham. Yes ok I know we expected him to go and have options, but not to Birmingham FFS!

The fact Dale Stephens is still here probably tells you all you need to know. If we think you're good enough - we'll pay you accordingly on a long contract to keep you here. If we're not so sure we won't. Stockdale is worth about half as much to this squad as Stephens is. Particularly with an heir apparent in the next year or so on the books.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Ryan plays for Australia and no doubt used to play in Australia too before moving to Europe

Tony B spends a month or so in Australia every winter - ha may have spotted this guy himself years ago

Talking to the Bloom brothers on train journeys occasionally, one thing you can say about them is they know their keepers. Slightly obsessional about them even.

 

[rocker959]

This with bells on. We now have top footballers who are millionaires by the time they even get first-team action and it undoubtedly affects some who lose their hunger. There doesn't seem to be much kudos in representing your country either and here we have a 31 year old keeper given the chance to play at the very pinnacle of English football and surely that was his dream when he was a boy but instead for whatever reason he's decided not to make that dream come true even for just one season.

Best of luck to him and I do mean that but it makes me ever more cynical about how rotten the game is now.

Exactly .

 

[tigertim68]

I reckon he did not want to be second choice keeper

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I wasn't expecting big teams to be queuing up for him. Birmingham was not expected - I was thinking possibly Notts Forrest or Derby

Notts Forrest. Where to start? The 'Notts' or the 'Forrest'.





(Morning After Disclaimer - this post was fuelled by several bottles of Elvis Juice)

 

[Bucephalus]

Brighton offered him a year but Brum have offered him three. No idea how wages compare but suspect length of contract a key factor as well as possibly knowing that he'd be #2 for us this season. Life moves on and I wish him well in his new venture but he'll be fondly remembered for his time with us for sure.