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Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: epworth red on December 29, 2025, 11:32:47 pm

Title: Made a living at it
Post by: epworth red on December 29, 2025, 11:32:47 pm
Kyle Wooton made a living at it !(just what grant said )! Why the f**k have we never signed him ? Local lad as well !
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: mushRTID on December 29, 2025, 11:35:56 pm
Born in Kidderminster according to wiki
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: DonnyOsmond on December 30, 2025, 12:34:17 am
Lives locally too doesn't he?
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Rovers Return on December 30, 2025, 10:38:22 pm
To my dismay I was the guy who told his Mum he should take him to a junior footy club. He was at Donny Knights with my boys. His Dad loved his Rugby and his Mum was saying that Kyle wanted to play football. I watched him kicking a football about one Sunday morning at the Knights and even at 6/7 years old he was obviously pretty good. I told her “You need to take him, he’s good”. I put her in touch with a mate who was running a side and the rest is history. He didn’t last very long in local mini junior football as Scummy signed him at 10 years old.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Rovers Return on December 30, 2025, 10:40:56 pm
 :lol:I said to my lads last night that the next time they see Kyle tell him he’s beginning to upset me now
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Usher wide. on December 30, 2025, 10:58:00 pm
Tojal at Plymouth, Wooten at Stockport.

Grant ‘knows’ what their qualities are or what their nouse & ‘brute force’ bring to this division according to his post match interviews.

It does beg the question.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on December 30, 2025, 11:19:08 pm
Look a fairly unremarkable career until signing on loan for Notts Co in the conference, initially on loan, where he got into regular goalscoring. Stockport managed to pick him up on a free whilst also still in the conference, where of course, he's grown with them and continued to find the net at each level.

There must be other prospects in the Conference we ought to be looking at?
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Draytonian III on December 31, 2025, 01:05:02 am
Look a fairly unremarkable career until signing on loan for Notts Co in the conference, initially on loan, where he got into regular goalscoring. Stockport managed to pick him up on a free whilst also still in the conference, where of course, he's grown with them and continued to find the net at each level.

There must be other prospects in the Conference we ought to be looking at?


Justin Jackson
Carl Alford
The lad who played for Altrincham and worked in a sports shop , William ??
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 31, 2025, 05:59:35 am
Gary Williams, signed from Accrington Stanley?
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Draytonian III on December 31, 2025, 07:12:08 am
Yeah that’s him , I got my Accrington’s and my Altrincham’s mixed up, I think he cost about £60,000 ,25 years ago and was as successful as the other two
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 31, 2025, 07:37:39 am
JR did spend a lot of cash trying to find that goalscorer in the conference. Alford, Jackson, Sale, Newell were all established and expensive for that level. Eventually struck lucky with Paul Barnes and very late in the promotion season, Gregg Blundell.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on December 31, 2025, 08:44:08 am
Plus the lad from Scunny recently, who barely played a game then got injured, never to be seen again.

Alfie of course, gradually built up his reputation after taking the leap from non league.

Greg Blundell was one of my favourites and definitely one the gave more than expected plus having Barnes, then Leo around  was a great time for us.

It just shows they're all gambles. Some you win, some you don't as some players struggle to make the adjustment.

I just wonder how some of the natives would react  if we took a gamble on a National League striker right now?
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 31, 2025, 08:53:22 am
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Cramby10 on December 31, 2025, 09:34:37 am
Plus the lad from Scunny recently, who barely played a game then got injured, never to be seen again.

Alfie of course, gradually built up his reputation after taking the leap from non league.

Greg Blundell was one of my favourites and definitely one the gave more than expected plus having Barnes, then Leo around  was a great time for us.

It just shows they're all gambles. Some you win, some you don't as some players struggle to make the adjustment.

I just wonder how some of the natives would react  if we took a gamble on a National League striker right now?
lad from scunny? Give us a clue. You have me scratching my head.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 31, 2025, 09:42:28 am
Caolan Lavery.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Cramby10 on December 31, 2025, 09:48:09 am
Ah yes. Ta. Never had any high hopes for that one.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: moses on December 31, 2025, 09:51:30 am
Kyle Wooton gave out the medals at my lads end of season awards night. Good player.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Prez on December 31, 2025, 10:57:25 am
JR did spend a lot of cash trying to find that goalscorer in the conference. Alford, Jackson, Sale, Newell were all established and expensive for that level. Eventually struck lucky with Paul Barnes and very late in the promotion season, Gregg Blundell.

Alford and Jackson did score a lot of goals in the conference.

Just not with us.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Barmby Rover on December 31, 2025, 12:20:50 pm
Tojal at Plymouth, Wooten at Stockport.

Grant ‘knows’ what their qualities are or what their nouse & ‘brute force’ bring to this division according to his post match interviews.

It does beg the question.

Which question? Why we haven't spent enough money to employ a top class striker for this division? Surely that is a question for the owner.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Goole Rover on December 31, 2025, 12:29:53 pm
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.
Marquis had great service, not good now.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: mushRTID on December 31, 2025, 12:39:59 pm
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.

Marquis was a brilliant striker for us.

I’m not sure our fans ever really appreciated how good he was.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Draytonian III on December 31, 2025, 12:56:14 pm
John Marquis of a few years was ideal for this system, he closed players down, scored his fair share of goals, but he was shitte at penalties. Anyone remember the one away at Crawley , it was terrible, I could have saved it whilst eating a sandwich
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: mushRTID on December 31, 2025, 01:30:28 pm
John Marquis of a few years was ideal for this system, he closed players down, scored his fair share of goals, but he was shitte at penalties. Anyone remember the one away at Crawley , it was terrible, I could have saved it whilst eating a sandwich

Yes agreed but what he gave us by far outweighed missing a few penalties.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Barmby Rover on December 31, 2025, 01:45:18 pm
Marquis was too greedy, demanded the team work only for him, but he did score goals. I wouldn't want an identical character, but it would be good to get that aggression in the box and give wingers somebody to target.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: ncRover on December 31, 2025, 03:10:48 pm
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.

Don’t forget Ironside 23/24 - 24 goals in 55 appearances.

I think it helps the centre forward get more chances through the team functioning better if they are good at the things you mentioned.

Recruiting centre forwards based solely off their previous goal records elsewhere isn’t the way to go about it.

Someone like Wootton would be great for us. A 39 year old Sharp who struggles physically and a player in Olusanya who couldn’t trap a bag of cement less so.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on December 31, 2025, 04:12:09 pm
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.

Don’t forget Ironside 23/24 - 24 goals in 55 appearances.

I think it helps the centre forward get more chances through the team functioning better if they are good at the things you mentioned.

Recruiting centre forwards based solely off their previous goal records elsewhere isn’t the way to go about it.

Someone like Wootton would be great for us. A 39 year old Sharp who struggles physically and a player in Olusanya who couldn’t trap a bag of cement less so.

Absolutely he would, but maybe 4 or 5 seasons ago Wootton may have been viewed differently as he wasn't prolific up to signing on loan for Notts Co from Lincoln. 
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: dickos1 on December 31, 2025, 04:57:06 pm
Quite hard for a centre forward to score lots of goals in the set up that McCann plays. You are on your own and expected to be the focal point for attacks and help bring in the wider players. Requires a lot of energy and graft.

Does show how effective Marquis was in 2018/19 with 26 goals in 54 appearances, playing in that set up.

Street did alright last year
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Usher wide. on December 31, 2025, 05:39:22 pm
When Grant says “Wooton has made a career of it (bullying centre halves)”, he’s clearly been watching Wooton some time to be able to make that statement.

It’s not unlike the statement he made after Lorent Tolaj scored a hat trick against us for Plymouth…’We told the boys that he would look to spin & his pace takes him into dangerous places for us….”.

As I’ve said on another thread, whilst it’s admirable that Grant knows so much about our opposition’s players it does beg the question, why weren’t we looking to get them playing in hoops?

I know Tojal’s release clause at Port Vale was £1.2 million (£300k less than Lincoln turned down for Rob Street) but if we’re crying out for a ‘proven goalscorer’ (Tojal scored 19 goals for Aldershot in 2023/24, 15 for Vake in 2024/25) is that sort of money above us because if it is then we’re looking to find a gem in a lump of rock then Hanlan, Ajayi, Olusanya yes Billy are certainly not that gem (once upon a time Billy you were, absolutely).

Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: drfchound on December 31, 2025, 06:56:38 pm
When Grant says “Wooton has made a career of it (bullying centre halves)”, he’s clearly been watching Wooton some time to be able to make that statement.

It’s not unlike the statement he made after Lorent Tolaj scored a hat trick against us for Plymouth…’We told the boys that he would look to spin & his pace takes him into dangerous places for us….”.

As I’ve said on another thread, whilst it’s admirable that Grant knows so much about our opposition’s players it does beg the question, why weren’t we looking to get them playing in hoops?

I know Tojal’s release clause at Port Vale was £1.2 million (£300k less than Lincoln turned down for Rob Street) but if we’re crying out for a ‘proven goalscorer’ (Tojal scored 19 goals for Aldershot in 2023/24, 15 for Vake in 2024/25) is that sort of money above us because if it is then we’re looking to find a gem in a lump of rock then Hanlan, Ajayi, Olusanya yes Billy are certainly not that gem (once upon a time Billy you were, absolutely).

Tolaj is a quality striker and would be terrific for us,
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: drfchound on December 31, 2025, 06:57:25 pm
Marquis was too greedy, demanded the team work only for him, but he did score goals. I wouldn't want an identical character, but it would be good to get that aggression in the box and give wingers somebody to target.

Nothing wrong with a striker being greedy for goals.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Draytonian III on December 31, 2025, 07:11:32 pm
Even though it’s my club I’m talking about I can see players choosing Plymouth than Doncaster, they are far bigger club with a lot bigger catchment area, big crowds etc . You only have to look at their away support the other week for a team that’s in the bottom 4
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Chris Black come back on December 31, 2025, 07:48:18 pm
It’s one of the most isolated clubs in the country. Sign for us and if you choose, you can live in Leeds, Sheffield or Manchester. Sign for Plymouth and you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with no other credible sides nearby. That matters to get your next move at this level.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Barmby Rover on December 31, 2025, 08:04:51 pm
I would love to see an Akinfenwa type, but I think he may have been unique.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: ForsolongaRover on December 31, 2025, 09:08:34 pm
It’s one of the most isolated clubs in the country. Sign for us and if you choose, you can live in Leeds, Sheffield or Manchester. Sign for Plymouth and you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with no other credible sides nearby. That matters to get your next move at this level.

As a fan, if you like your football, there is no other option apart from Truro City, recently promoted to the NL and not doing so well. I’ve watched Rovers there travelling up from beyond Truro when on holiday and although it was quite a distance it was a relatively easy journey. As for the players, the city, and that part of the country have many attractions compared with South Yorkshire and it is scarcely “the middle of nowhere”.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Usher wide. on December 31, 2025, 09:50:32 pm
Plymouth Argyl vs Doncaster Rovers.

Doncaster Rovers vs Plymouth Argyl.

As a professional footballer what is the first & foremost thing you & your agent look for.

Length of contract.

Pay structure.

‘Get out’ clauses.

Do you think John Marquis came to us from Barnet because he wanted to ‘embrace that Northern weather & culture’? No.

Ferguson told him (quite rightly) that he’d be coming to a better club & he would play as a first choice striker in a team that was being built for promotion.

Are we a ‘better club’ than Plymouth Argyl or Stockport County?

I happen to believe we are.

It’s up to ‘better influences’ than me to ‘sell that belief’.
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on December 31, 2025, 09:51:21 pm
Didn’t realise Wooton was at Lincoln too. Can we just sign their recruitment team and save ourselves loads of hassle!! 
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: Draytonian III on December 31, 2025, 11:43:31 pm
Plymouth Argyl vs Doncaster Rovers.

Doncaster Rovers vs Plymouth Argyl.

As a professional footballer what is the first & foremost thing you & your agent look for.

Length of contract.

Pay structure.

‘Get out’ clauses.

Do you think John Marquis came to us from Barnet because he wanted to ‘embrace that Northern weather & culture’? No.

Ferguson told him (quite rightly) that he’d be coming to a better club & he would play as a first choice striker in a team that was being built for promotion.

Are we a ‘better club’ than Plymouth Argyl or Stockport County?

I happen to believe we are.

It’s up to ‘better influences’ than me to ‘sell that belief’.


John Marquis didn’t come from Barnet unless he was living there at the time, he joined from Millwall, he had 9 loans away from Millwall to 7 clubs, 3 loans at Northampton. He moved to Portsmouth for no doubt better wages, but also his wife/partner wanted to live down South, closer to her family, her brother plays for Brighton and England, Lewis Dunk
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: epworth red on January 01, 2026, 01:45:09 am
Thanks for everyone’s input obviously gone a lot further than I thought!! Rovers return hit on what I was aiming at ! As he’s grown up in the isle and ultimately ended up at Stockport on probably more wages than we’d like to pay ? But maybe just that extra might just do the trick ?
Title: Re: Made a living at it
Post by: DonnyOsmond on January 01, 2026, 10:04:34 am
Unless we start showing more ambition than Stockport than it's unlikely he'll play for us in his prime, maybe on his way down though...

Pretty sure I've seen him in Harworth Asda and Rossington Lidl before.