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[Albion] The Albion transfers that never happened.







Beanstalk

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2017
3,052
London




Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
6,092
Not doubting the veracity of this story but I'm not sure that a team with minimal funds would be seriously interested in Reid (not in 78/79 anyway). He made his debut in 1974 and was pretty much an ever present in the seasons after that. I remember going to the Bolton match in March 78 and he was the opposition player to watch out for (and indeed, he ran the game for them). Bolton won the league that year, with Reid the standout player.

It just doesn't ring true: why would a second division team (which Brighton were in 78/79), strapped for cash, look to be buying a star player from a first division one?

I can only go on what old Mr 0898 told us that night, once the sniffer dogs had made the venue safe. When did Reid sign for Everton?
 


Frankworthington

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2019
1,544
South Shields
I may be mis-remembering this but I think it was this transfer was the beginning of the end of the Chris Cattlin era. I think he'd said to the Board that he pretty much guaranteed promotion back to the top flight if we signed Houghton but it didn't come off and he was pretty p*ssed off about it - given the relatively small amount of money. Wasn't it £35k or something?

You are totally correct.He ended up joining Oxford.

Another one was Peter Beagrie who Mullery tried to sign the following year.The board would not sanction a nominal fee.He ended up signing for Sheffield United and ended up playing for Everton and Man city amongst others.
 












Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,858
Uffern
I can only go on what old Mr 0898 told us that night, once the sniffer dogs had made the venue safe. When did Reid sign for Everton?

I don't doubt that it was true but if Mullers was trying to get players on the cheap, he was after the wrong guy. He'd have cost a few hundred thousand in 78.

Just looked him up and he went to Everton for £60k after five seasons where he'd played very few games after a succession of injuries. So, I imagine if Mullers wanted him in 79/80, he'd have been able to snap him up - even though he'd spend most of the season on the treatment table.
 








DJ NOBO

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2004
6,866
Wiltshire
In terms of players that we CHOSE not to sign (as opposed to the likes of Van Dijk and Nunez), there’s obviously your examples of Reid and Aldridge, plus Wright and Keane. The other one I remember around the same time was Trevor Steven.

I can add a little to back up the Aldridge one. He even definitely trained with us for a bit. In the tunnel area, of the Goldstone, there were a series of cheaply framed photos of the players. One featured a group of 10 or so, running up a hill in pre-season training (probably in Hove Park). Aldridge was clearly identifiable in that group.

He was definitely at the goldstone for the first game of the 1991/92 season. Destroyed us.
 


Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
26,344
In Mullers’s 1st spell it was reported we were attempting to bring in Rainer Bonhof (German international of the 70’s)

I remember hearing about that at the time. Ray Clemence would not have fancied playing us....

Bonhof was an awesome player. He would have been at Valencia at the time. I think it could be urban legend as he could have played for any top team. I guess only Mullery would know. Could be good for a Q & A.
 






LANGDON SEAGULL

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2004
3,566
Langdon Hills
Alex Pritchard - thankfully his navigation of the M25 led him north


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,183
Chandler, AZ
Who can forget the Ken Armstrong saga in the summer of '84. Even appeared in the official team photo before the transfer from Southampton collapsed!

1234.jpg
 








Jam The Man

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
8,236
South East North Lancing
Chris Waddle.
Was due to come on loan to us from Newcastle... but he rejected the move at the last minute.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,858
Uffern
Was Mark Jones any good?
I had never heard of him before seeing this photo

Very good. We had him on loan from Villa I believe. He only played a few games but looked useful. Was he here at the same time as Martin Keown? I'm not sure if they overlapped but he was here at roughly that time. We got some good loan players in those days
 


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