Viking Supporters Co-operative

Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: NickDRFC on December 09, 2015, 10:20:07 pm

Title: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: NickDRFC on December 09, 2015, 10:20:07 pm
The Nathan Tyson thread, and the comment that said "might be why he had a rare off day", made me think just how much I rate him. When he joined, I thought it was a dreadful signing - hadn't scored in 389 years, was knocking on a bit - but I'm delighted to say I was proven very wrong and he's been great for us.

Begs the question - who else were you horrified to hear that we signed only for them to turn out to be half-decent?
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: 1879Rovers on December 09, 2015, 10:38:07 pm
I can think of many the other way round. I thought he was a decent signing and then he was sh*te.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: NickDRFC on December 09, 2015, 10:48:37 pm
Far too many like that. Makes a refreshing change this way round.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 09, 2015, 10:56:11 pm
Got to admit the first few 'galacticos' we signed in the conference weren't great, so my hopes for Steve Nicol weren't great. Little did I know.

Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: NickDRFC on December 09, 2015, 11:03:07 pm
Steve Nicol remains my favourite Rovers player of all time. He was unbelievable for us. My mate's dad used to be the club doctor, and on his last game before he jetted stateside (Stevenage at home on a Friday night) he got to say goodbye personally. Never felt such sadness on the terraces as the grief at losing my favourite player wrapped up with the envy that my best mate got to have a chinwag with him.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: BillyStubbsTears on December 09, 2015, 11:17:15 pm
A few archetypal old-pros who had a last (or near-last) hurrah with us.

Jack Ashurst
Hugh Dowd
Andy Kowalski
Ernie Moss
Leo Fortune-West
Paul Barnes
Neil Sullivan
John Breckin
Alan Little
John Sher.....joking....
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: BobG on December 09, 2015, 11:38:46 pm
I'd nominate John Doolan too.  An overweight, slow nobody when he arrived. Not far off a God when he left. It was him who played the Rovers pass of the decade for me: that awesome pass out of defence to Gregg Blundell haring through the centre as he bore down on the Crystal Palace goal. A geat pass. A great goal.

And how about Sean Who? He didn't inspire many folk either when he arrived but turned out not too bad.

BobG
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: PDX_Rover on December 10, 2015, 12:30:01 am
Lewis Guy... Oh hang on.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: roversdude on December 10, 2015, 06:53:05 am
Doolan provided one of my favourite Rovers moments on a foggy night at Oakwell
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: andyst79 on December 10, 2015, 07:45:58 am
Doolan was class at that level, overweight & couldn't run very far or fast but he was that good he didn't need to!
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: mushRTID on December 10, 2015, 07:58:47 am
I'd say Sullivan for me. I knew he wasn't shite but i did worry he'd be past it when he first joined.

Turned out to be the best goalie iv seen for us.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Guernsey Exile on December 10, 2015, 08:07:39 am
Keegan for me. Raised a few eyebrows when he joined but defo come good!
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: roversdude on December 10, 2015, 12:54:05 pm
Diouf has to fall into this list
One of the few during 'the experiment' to show a bit of passion
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: RobTheRover on December 10, 2015, 01:30:29 pm
Rob Jones

I seem to recall a lot of hand wringing, probably brought on by memories of the torrid time Billy Sharp gave him at Scunny that day.  Turned out to be our talisman and leader.  Top bloke, too.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: craigdrfc on December 10, 2015, 01:46:16 pm
Paul Green

Saw him play a few pre season games and he looked about 4 stone, 4 foot tall, and 4 years old. No chance I thought....
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Copps is Magic on December 10, 2015, 01:47:23 pm
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Dutch Uncle on December 10, 2015, 01:49:49 pm
Although I never thought he was sh*te, the one who has exceeded expectations the most has to be a player we bought from Conference club Exeter in 2004 for 30K when we were about to pay much more than that for Heffs (OK reasonable value there, but can't match JC26), Sean Thornton, Alan Blayney, Byron Webster, Shelton Martis, Kyle Bennett, Theo Robinson, Harry Forrester..........

474 appearances later he's still not bad!   
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Al4475 on December 10, 2015, 04:28:00 pm
Beat me to the punch with jones rtr - I've never hiddden my criticism of him as a footballing defender but the impact he has had in and around the club is almost beyond comparison! Somewhat hard to believe as he was a fouth choice signing behind failed bids for the stevenage duo (roberts and ashton was it?) And the succesful acquisition of mccombe!
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Bentley Bullet on December 10, 2015, 04:30:50 pm
Dave Mulligan was a very good signing, despite being a Dingle discard!
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: wilts rover on December 10, 2015, 04:36:43 pm
There was a lot of criticism flying around when we signed that Billy Blunt from Sheff U, so much so that we dropped him and tried to get Killen from Celtic and only went back for Sharp when Killen failed a medical. Then there was more abuse when he didnt score in his first four or five games ... turned out alright in the end though.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: andysly on December 10, 2015, 05:25:40 pm
Another vote for Rob Jones.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Bentley Bullet on December 10, 2015, 05:27:06 pm
Sean O'Driscoll
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Derby Viking on December 10, 2015, 07:42:09 pm
Paul Birch - streets ahead of the rest of that team in terms of vision and footballing brain
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: 1879Rovers on December 10, 2015, 08:19:01 pm
Colin Douglas - Looked like a gangly lightweight streak of p*ss when we signed him but I think he learnt a lot from Ernie Moss and he never looked back.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: DRFC on December 10, 2015, 08:22:50 pm
Colin Douglas - Looked like a gangly lightweight streak of p*ss when we signed him but I think he learnt a lot from Ernie Moss and he never looked sober .

Fixed that for you.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: essexrover on December 10, 2015, 09:11:43 pm
Paul Barnes. The kind of player you would hate if he was playing for the opposition !
Thought the club had gone mad signing him, but he was great  :)
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: BobG on December 10, 2015, 10:32:57 pm
Paul Birch was always a good player though. You're right Derby - he certainly was streets ahead. But I thought we were looking for rubbish players, or players with rubbish reputations who turned out good?

Cheers :)

Bob
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: roversdude on December 11, 2015, 06:56:11 am
George Friend - at the time was a terrible full back just goes to show what a spell at centre half can do
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: DRFC on December 11, 2015, 07:04:52 am
Evina. Looked like I was going to proved right last season too but he's been a revelation this season.

Probably one of our most passionate players too, I absolutely love his little fist pumps to the crowd!  :bbscarf:
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Derby Viking on December 11, 2015, 07:44:13 am
Paul Birch was always a good player though. You're right Derby - he certainly was streets ahead. But I thought we were looking for rubbish players, or players with rubbish reputations who turned out good?

Cheers :)

Bob

I see what you mean Bob - what I meant was was when he arrived he was cracking on a bit and I assumed he was coming for a last payday. We've seen a lot of old Prem players turn up and not give a toss but he gave his all every match - so I feared when we signed him but he was great - more like Steve Nicol than Mike Newell  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Mike_F on December 11, 2015, 11:14:05 am
I'm with DV on that one. We had a hopeless squad and I thought Birch would be just another washed up journeyman but he was a class player and man. It was such a shame to see him die at a young age.
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: PopStander on December 11, 2015, 01:17:39 pm
For me, like with the other thread about Copps, It is DF who has changed our players! Williams is a different player now, Tyson, Copps, Lund, Evina too! Having a quality manager is showing!
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Dare to dream! on December 11, 2015, 01:29:44 pm
Syers
Title: Re: "Thought he'd be sh**e but he's actually alright"
Post by: Drover on December 11, 2015, 01:31:21 pm
From BST list,LFW,I was very dubious when we signed him,I thought,we are not a long ball playing team,and when we do try it,we usually are pretty poor at it.Became 1 of my top 20 all time favourites,and great professional off the pitch too.