Alfie May

[swain_drfc]

Anyone got any idea what sell on percentage we receive for any deal for Alfie May? Looks to be on the move this summer.

[telfordrover]

Just won goal of the season on central news
Scored against Peterborough from the halfway line

[Goole Rover]

Thank you Darren for your incredible foresight.

[WheatleyRover]

Some of us on here saw how good of a player he was, while most slagged him off.

[rover-n-out]

I was in your camp Wheatley!

[roversdude]

Me too

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Not me, it was right to let him go at the time imo. That he's improved substantially since is a testament to his attitude and willingness to learn.

[Goole Rover]

Not me, it was right to let him go at the time imo. That he's improved substantially since is a testament to his attitude and willingness to learn.

I don't agree with your post Pud.
I had a chat to Alfie when I said that I thought that his confidence was growing with every match he agreed so I fail to see how a football league manager could not recognise this.

[jmt23]

He was known to be the best finisher at the club, ( I did post this at the time) unfortunately he never got enough consistent game time with us. The moment he did, he began to show what he was capable of.

Moore didn’t play a style that would accommodate Alfie, so it was only ever going to end in him being released.

Most on here wanted rid of him too!

[Colin C No.3]

It can’t have been easy playing with Marquis either who had a habit of throwing his arms up in despair every time a missed place pass was aimed at him, an attack broke down or his attacking partner took a shot on & didn’t score.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

He was known to be the best finisher at the club, ( I did post this at the time) unfortunately he never got enough consistent game time with us. The moment he did, he began to show what he was capable of.

Moore didn’t play a style that would accommodate Alfie, so it was only ever going to end in him being released.

Most on here wanted rid of him too!

I think we need some balance here. I wouldn't say most people were either slagging him off or wanting rid. At the time, we felt we were pushing for the play offs and Championship aspirations. In that sense, the broader concensus was he was limited with doubts he could cope with the rigours of the higher league. He was well liked with his enthusiasm and skill but he wasn't commanding a starting berth. I actually thought he was a new Copps in the making, playing like a no 10 role etc. However, when he and Blair left, because they wanted more football, folk reluctantly agreed it was the right move.

[selby]

  It was not a case of him not being good enough just that we had better players in his position at the time.
  When with us he didn't see the other players in better positions in the area than himself, needed a touch and lacked composure and rushed and didn't have the composure in front of goal so missed some easy chances and frustrated Marquis, Blair and Coppinger were better wide, and Williams inside.
   We had better players in those positions at the time who were more suited to those positions, but Alfies all out effort attracted supporters rather than ability which is why the managers always marginalised him, they recognised the better players at the time which is what you would expect from professional football men whose job relied on results.
  He showed promise while with us but like many who are a few years older coming from non league, the numbers that go on to do what Alfie has done in that situation is very very small, he has batted against the norm at Cheltenham, so very well done he has taken his chance.
  He has improved since and with his willingness to work hard has obviously done well which is great to see.
  He deserves the reward of a good move and pay day.

[Avsuptem]

And what a wonderfully enthusiastic and spirited lad he is too. Shortly after he joined us he was playing cup football v Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Pretty amazing transition from playing in front of a few dozen supporters at a minor league club on the Kent coast.

[Goole Rover]

  It was not a case of him not being good enough just that we had better players in his position at the time.
  When with us he didn't see the other players in better positions in the area than himself, needed a touch and lacked composure and rushed and didn't have the composure in front of goal so missed some easy chances and frustrated Marquis, Blair and Coppinger were better wide, and Williams inside.
   We had better players in those positions at the time who were more suited to those positions, but Alfies all out effort attracted supporters rather than ability which is why the managers always marginalised him, they recognised the better players at the time which is what you would expect from professional football men whose job relied on results.
  He showed promise while with us but like many who are a few years older coming from non league, the numbers that go on to do what Alfie has done in that situation is very very small, he has batted against the norm at Cheltenham, so very well done he has taken his chance.
  He has improved since and with his willingness to work hard has obviously done well which is great to see.
  He deserves the reward of a good move and pay day.

My point is B that our manager didn't or was incapable of recognising his potential. I recall a Tony Booke stepping up very late in life and adapting very well.
Hope everything is going well at home please pass on my best wishes.

[Bentley Bullet]

It didn't help sticking him out on the wing, but maybe with Marquis' attitude, it was the best place for him. He was easily good enough for a regular place, and he proved that on the occasion he was actually given one, albeit only a short one. During that period he was getting more confident each game and was feared by the opposition, all despite him not being played in his best position!

Cue BST.........

[In the box]

It didn't help sticking him out on the wing, but maybe with Marquis' attitude, it was the best place for him. He was easily good enough for a regular place, and he proved that on the occasion he was actually given one, albeit only a short one. During that period he was getting more confident each game and was feared by the opposition, all despite him not being played in his best position!

Cue BST.........

Michael Duff has to be congratulated for seeing in Alfie what no one else could …and helping him fulfil his potential.Rovers got this one very wrong !!

[Bentley Bullet]

Interesting statement on 3:45
https://youtu.be/osvfavFO2Gs

[Dutch Uncle]

What a lovely interview in its entirety, such a positive person and his personality comes across very well indeed

[LincolnDonny]

He was known to be the best finisher at the club, ( I did post this at the time) unfortunately he never got enough consistent game time with us. The moment he did, he began to show what he was capable of.

Moore didn’t play a style that would accommodate Alfie, so it was only ever going to end in him being released.

Most on here wanted rid of him too!

what a load of Rubbish on the last line especially

[Campsall rover]

Yes Rovers got it wrong obviously. He was not the 1st or the last that Rovers or all Clubs have got wrong about a player.

The fact was we could see potential in him but as Selby said there were players ahead of him in the pecking order when we had him.

His work rate and demeanour was what the fans loved about him.
Most of us just felt he lacked an end product to his game which he did at Rovers. That is an indisputable fact.
Yes he never got the opportunity for an extended run in the team which was obviously detrimental to his progress.

In the last 2 years he would have walked into our team just from where he was as a player when he departed us.

He did though improved immensely under Duff at Cheltenham by getting regular game time.
He has achieved far more than i or let’s be honest, the vast majority of us thought he was capable of at League 1 level.

I am absolutely delighted for him. Shows what hard work and determination can achieve. It didn’t happen by accident.

Very well done Alfie you proved a lot of people and probably a couple of your previous Managers wrong.

[steve@dcfd]

At Cheltenham he played in a front two majority of the time same as Watters did at Crawley. Under all managers recently from GrMc , DM, RW, GaMc and DS we never played with a front two. So that might assisted in Alfie’s improvement because playing regularly in a front position.
Also from Summer 2019 when Marquis left to January 2020 when Alfie was sold he played wide.
When Okenbirhie was bought then he played upfront generally.

[MachoMadness]

Hindsight is 20/20. At the time he was released we were fishing in a much bigger pond with forward players like a fit Fej, Josh Sims, Taylor Richards, Copps, and so on. Before that we had Marquis, probably one of our best-ever strikers - if anyone had suggested May would have a better career post-Rovers than Marquis, or that we should drop Marquis to give May an opportunity as the main man, at the time they'd be laughed out of the city.

Sometimes players just need a move to fulfil their potential, to a different club, coach, way of playing, lower league, whatever. I don't think May would have fulfilled his potential here if we kept him, and to be fair he gambled on himself and made a success of himself. Fair play. But this happens at every club in the country, remember Chelsea binning off de Bruyne and Salah.

Watters to me is more egregious as he never got a chance in the first team, really.

[Drover]

I would suggest the fact we got a fee and a sell on clause shows,the club did see potential in Alfie and we did'nt get it totally wrong.

[5minstogo]

I would suggest the fact we got a fee and a sell on clause shows,the club did see potential in Alfie and we did'nt get it totally wrong.

£5k fee. Any sell in is gonna be minimal I guess

[BillyStubbsTears]

Hindsight is 20/20. At the time he was released we were fishing in a much bigger pond with forward players like a fit Fej, Josh Sims, Taylor Richards, Copps, and so on. Before that we had Marquis, probably one of our best-ever strikers - if anyone had suggested May would have a better career post-Rovers than Marquis, or that we should drop Marquis to give May an opportunity as the main man, at the time they'd be laughed out of the city.

Sometimes players just need a move to fulfil their potential, to a different club, coach, way of playing, lower league, whatever. I don't think May would have fulfilled his potential here if we kept him, and to be fair he gambled on himself and made a success of himself. Fair play. But this happens at every club in the country, remember Chelsea binning off de Bruyne and Salah.

Watters to me is more egregious as he never got a chance in the first team, really.

This.

I'm chuffed to bits that May has done so well. He seems like one of the good guys and I take my hat off to him.

[danumdon]

Hindsight is 20/20. At the time he was released we were fishing in a much bigger pond with forward players like a fit Fej, Josh Sims, Taylor Richards, Copps, and so on. Before that we had Marquis, probably one of our best-ever strikers - if anyone had suggested May would have a better career post-Rovers than Marquis, or that we should drop Marquis to give May an opportunity as the main man, at the time they'd be laughed out of the city.

Sometimes players just need a move to fulfil their potential, to a different club, coach, way of playing, lower league, whatever. I don't think May would have fulfilled his potential here if we kept him, and to be fair he gambled on himself and made a success of himself. Fair play. But this happens at every club in the country, remember Chelsea binning off de Bruyne and Salah.

Watters to me is more egregious as he never got a chance in the first team, really.

It just goes to show that a manager can come into a club and unintentionally,i think, virtually destroy its future potential by releasing or selling off club assets and bringing in short term loans. It may have looked like the road to go down when he was here but Mr Moore placed the club into virtually free fall after his departure and the culmination of his very short term policy of favouring loans instead of trying to develop the clubs assets. The fact that he then fecked off before he could stabilise the club after his failed foray made things even worse.

Whisper it quietly but a certain GM did something equally dangerous for our future wellbeing at the time, but he's back to finish what he started, so that's a free pass from me, for now.

[steve@dcfd]

Quote MachoMadness

At the time he was released we were fishing in a much bigger pond with forward players like a fit Fej, Josh Sims, Taylor Richards, Copps, and so on.

When Alfie was sold we didnt have Fedj he joined in the January.
.
We did loan Jacob Ramsey in that January but COVID shut the league down in March.
We were doing well at that stage of the season.
Look where Sheaf Ramsey and Cole are now.
Watters was on the bench in that period also. Sadlier Ennis and Whiteman all in higher leagues. He didn’t do a bad job with the decreasing funds he had.
Shame the season was curtailed.

Simms and Richards came the summer afterwards

[drfchound]

It can’t have been easy playing with Marquis either who had a habit of throwing his arms up in despair every time a missed place pass was aimed at him, an attack broke down or his attacking partner took a shot on & didn’t score.

Colin, I just think that Marquis set himself high standards when he was here and expected others to do the same.
Yes he was a moaner but lots of players are.

[selby]

  Goole, Tony Book was one of many defenders and mid fielders who in my time have moved from non league to EFL  after being over looked as younger players.
  Brian Stein, Jamie Vardy, and Gary Birtles are some of the very few strikers I have known come through and done well from non league to top flight football, and their careers are spread over about 50 years.
  There will be others but not many and mostly in leagues 1 and two, and mostly from top non league sides such as the Conference.   
  It is the measure of how well he has done, all credit to him he dropped on a club in Cheltenham who took the chance and it came off, its very rare, and now he looks like he is heading for a new test, I hope he does as well at any new club, as you know there are no guarantees in football.
 

[drfchound]

  Goole, Tony Book was one of many defenders and mid fielders who in my time have moved from non league to EFL  after being over looked as younger players.
  Brian Stein, Jamie Vardy, and Gary Birtles are some of the very few strikers I have known come through and done well from non league to top flight football, and their careers are spread over about 50 years.

I played with Tony Galvin, Goole Town when in the NPL and he went straight from there into the Spurs team and even played for The Republic of Ireland.