Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[Liam_SWFC]

Makes sense; and the realistic aim of Champ football.

You've just been relegated to the 4th division with about 5 games left mate, it'll take more than signing James Vaughan to make the championship a realistic aim.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Bit of a blow for Northampton fans that, make a handful of decent (on paper) signings, then sell your captain and best defender to Shrewsbury.

Good 7/10 each game defender, liable to a mistake or two, always put in a good tackle and head on a stick in the box. He also scored a number of vital goals from set pieces. Not a vocal leader but it was noticeable when he wasn't playing, when injured or on international duty.

 

[F!RTHY]

You've just been relegated to the 4th division with about 5 games left mate, it'll take more than signing James Vaughan to make the championship a realistic aim.

Partly tongue in cheek.

However, if you actually knew what the true catalyst was for the reason for our demotion, you’d know the players we had at the level above were enough to challenge for promotion in L1. We’ve strengthen even further, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to see a double promotion - it’s seems to happen quite frequently at all levels of the game.

 

[F!RTHY]

Strange that there only 1 winger is on the shopping list unless he is going to try and utilise Anderson/Woolery there? Or have Bennett as a rudimentary winger if required.

This is now where the fun transfers happen.

I’d love Kyle Bennett back. Very underrated when he was here.

 

[Trapdoor]

it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to see a double promotion - it’s seems to happen quite frequently at all levels of the game.

The double drop also occurs frequently. There's not much difference between top half L2 and bottom half L1. Enjoy your season.

 

[Agombar stool]

I’d love Kyle Bennett back. Very underrated when he was here.

At 28 he is probably now at the peak of his career and apparently he was excellent for Pompey in their promotion season.

Once he settled into our side last season he was generally very good and settled into the side pitching in with goals and assists. He is very slight and nimble but one of those players that loves driving forwards into the box and defenders have to be very careful not to give away free kicks and penalties.

I would definitely have him back permanently.

 

[F!RTHY]

The double drop also occurs frequently. There's not much difference between top half L2 and bottom half L1. Enjoy your season.

Do you hold any predictions for L1 next season; more specifically our credentials?

I sense you think we might exit the trap door to gloom and conference.

 

[hellogregory]

Our opens trials took place this week. Anyone was welcome, bring boots, shinnies and a packed lunch and you play against the youth teams to see how you do.

A lad I know went down, he didn’t get invited back but said there were a few decent prospects that may get invited back for pre season. A transgender guy turned up as well, he didn’t get taken on but fair play for not letting the fact he used to be a woman stop him from trying to achieve his dream of being a footballer.

Quite a few time wasters there though. one was so fat his shorts fell down, there were others pissing about like sparking up cigarettes in the middle of the trial games etc. Pressley had a face like thunder about that, wasn’t impressed at all.

Arthur Gnahoua also turned up as he continues his rehab with a view to possibly earning an invite to pre season, but he apparently got in his car fucked off when he saw some of the fat twats he was having to play alongside.

Heard today that a couple of the lads from these open trials have been invited back and will be with us next week. So appears it wasn’t a complete waste of time even if it was a shambolic embarrassment having lard arses turning up with their beer guts and packs of 20 cigarettes.

 

[AR27]

Vaughan will be a terrific signing for us if we can keep him fit. We just need to sort out our midfield which is still pretty weak and get in an extra winger and then we'll be done.

 

[F!RTHY]

Jimmy Ryan’s name has been mentioned? I know he had a bad injury last year, but does anyone know whether or not he’s still capable of plying a trade in L2?

 

[KeithH]

Where have you heard this?

Talk around the Bury fans and site and FB, normally good source who first brought it up

 

[GodsGift]

Gary must be enjoying having a real budget to spend, unlike the chocolate coins he had with Blackpool.

Bit of a myth this. GB's budget at Blackpool wasn't bad, mid-table in L1 and top 4/5 in L2.

 

[Agombar stool]

Heard today that a couple of the lads from these open trials have been invited back and will be with us next week. So appears it wasn’t a complete waste of time even if it was a shambolic embarrassment having lard arses turning up with their beer guts and packs of 20 cigarettes.

I love the fact that professional football clubs do open trials!

Even better if you manage to unearth a couple of non-league gems that are good enough to make it in the game.

Reminds me of the Samsung win a pro-contract competition we had for a while. None of the winners ever made it for us, but Kayden Jackson has had a half decent career out of it.

Some of the other winners.

Josue Antonio - plays for Eastbourne United
Jordan Pavett - can't find any current club info - was non-league for Heybridge Swifts and Chelmsford
Chris Smith - Now at ChaseTown Fc

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Bit of a myth this. GB's budget at Blackpool wasn't bad, mid-table in L1 and top 4/5 in L2.

How much was it?

 

[GodsGift]

How much was it?

Dunno, not peanuts though. This is what GB does at every club, lowers expectations by telling fans he hasn't got much of a budget to play with. Same thing happened with Blackburn and Blackpool, now he's using the same line with Bradford. The way he talked at Blackpool would lead you to believe their budget was bottom four levels, on par with the likes of AFC Wimbledon, when that just wasn't the case.

Every time you play a club with a big budget, a Mansfield or a Salford for example, he'll make sure to bring it up in his pre-match press conference.

Not a criticism of him btw, just an observation.

 

[Luke Imp]

Partly tongue in cheek.

However, if you actually knew what the true catalyst was for the reason for our demotion, you’d know the players we had at the level above were enough to challenge for promotion in L1. We’ve strengthen even further, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to see a double promotion - it’s seems to happen quite frequently at all levels of the game.

Is 19 times in the last 27 years classed as quite frequent? Or 13 in 19? Ever so slightly more frequent since 2000 and again since 2010.

Plus Tranmere and Salford last season (although the table below doesn't cover NLN or NLS to NL so Salford probably don't need to be included).

There's also an interesting piece, albeit 3 years old, with regards to bouncebackability, promotions and relegations here:

https://www.thestatszone.com/promotion-and-relegation-in-english-football

 

[hellogregory]

I love the fact that professional football clubs do open trials!

Even better if you manage to unearth a couple of non-league gems that are good enough to make it in the game.

Club. I think it’s just us. We have to be creative and different seeing as out of all league clubs we’re 92nd choice for most players.

Problem with open trials is you do get some horror shows turning up. I wish I still had a pic of our open trials a few years ago to illustrate how bad it is, it was some fat guy doing rondo in an orange bib with his fat belly and man boobs hanging out with a cigarette in the one hand. Hilarious.

 

[F!RTHY]

Is 19 times in the last 27 years classed as quite frequent? Or 13 in 19? Ever so slightly more frequent since 2000 and again since 2010.

View attachment 11188

Plus Tranmere and Salford last season (although the table below doesn't cover NLN or NLS to NL so Salford probably don't need to be included).

There's also an interesting piece, albeit 3 years old, with regards to bouncebackability, promotions and relegations here:

https://www.thestatszone.com/promotion-and-relegation-in-english-football

Interesting - but it does happen, though. That’s the only fact you need to look at.

 

[Indian Dan]

Another interesting fact.

Since the 2017/18 season Donaldson and Vaughan have played 132 games and scored 13 between them.

 

[Agombar stool]

Our contribution....

1993/94 relegated from Premier League.
1994/95 relegated from Division One.

 

[F!RTHY]

Another interesting fact.

Since the 2017/18 season Donaldson and Vaughan have played 132 games and scored 13 between them.

Interesting.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Dunno, not peanuts though. This is what GB does at every club, lowers expectations by telling fans he hasn't got much of a budget to play with. Same thing happened with Blackburn and Blackpool, now he's using the same line with Bradford. The way he talked at Blackpool would lead you to believe their budget was bottom four levels, on par with the likes of AFC Wimbledon, when that just wasn't the case.

Every time you play a club with a big budget, a Mansfield or a Salford for example, he'll make sure to bring it up in his pre-match press conference.

Not a criticism of him btw, just an observation.

Don’t know about Blackburn, but a Blackpool supporting colleague at work always said he did a very good job on a small budget. Considering all that went on at that club his version seems plausible, not sure how you can confidently say it’s a top 4/5 league 2 budget in one comment then in the next not actually know how much it is.

 

[SF_]

I thought Gary Bowyer did an good job at shitpool to be honest.

Promotion from L1 at the first time of asking, then solid mid-table the season after.

They still had a decent budget at this level though despite their glory hunting fans not attending games any more.

 

[shoddycollins]

Partly tongue in cheek.

However, if you actually knew what the true catalyst was for the reason for our demotion, you’d know the players we had at the level above were enough to challenge for promotion in L1. We’ve strengthen even further, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to see a double promotion - it’s seems to happen quite frequently at all levels of the game.

I can potentially see Bradford doing that. However it seems that recently every club to be relegated to League 2 has done so with a squad 'that should have been challenging for promotion in L1'.... makes me wonder what's going on up there.

 

[GodsGift]

Don’t know about Blackburn, but a Blackpool supporting colleague at work always said he did a very good job on a small budget. Considering all that went on at that club his version seems plausible, not sure how you can confidently say it’s a top 4/5 league 2 budget in one comment then in the next not actually know how much it is.

He did a very good job at Blackpool, you won't find me disagreeing with that. I'm as big an advocate of GB as any and I expect him to have you competing at the top of L2 this season. On a personal level he's a top guy as well, so I hope he manages to get you back up. But it's just become a bit of a popular myth that he was shopping in the bargain basement during his time at Bloomfield Road, when in reality that wasn't really the case. The club rarely paid out any fees but they still paid decent wages. Mark Cullen was still on a lot from when he signed from Luton for £180,000 in 2015, the season before their relegation to L2. A couple of years later Bowyer signed Jay Spearing after his release from Bolton where he would have been on a huge salary.

It depends on what your definition is of a small budget is. As I said, his budget in L2 would have been among the highest, with players like Brad Potts, Tom Aldred, Mark Cullen, Nathan Delfouneso, Neil Danns, Kyle Vassell, Clark Robertson etc on the wage bill. In L1 it would have been comfortably mid-table. Still, that takes nothing away from him and he did a fantastic job given the shitstorm going off above him with the Oystons, but just thought I'd add some background for context.

FYI, I don't know exact figures for budgets but the ballpark position in the league table came from the club itself.

 

[shoddycollins]

Is 19 times in the last 27 years classed as quite frequent? Or 13 in 19? Ever so slightly more frequent since 2000 and again since 2010.

View attachment 11188

Plus Tranmere and Salford last season (although the table below doesn't cover NLN or NLS to NL so Salford probably don't need to be included).

There's also an interesting piece, albeit 3 years old, with regards to bouncebackability, promotions and relegations here:

https://www.thestatszone.com/promotion-and-relegation-in-english-football

Be interesting to see how many of those were one relegation followed by two promotions. I know ourselves and Bristol Rovers managed that.

Also you're missing Luton L2-Champ 2017-19

 

[Conker]

Dunno, not peanuts though. This is what GB does at every club, lowers expectations by telling fans he hasn't got much of a budget to play with. Same thing happened with Blackburn and Blackpool, now he's using the same line with Bradford. The way he talked at Blackpool would lead you to believe their budget was bottom four levels, on par with the likes of AFC Wimbledon, when that just wasn't the case.

Every time you play a club with a big budget, a Mansfield or a Salford for example, he'll make sure to bring it up in his pre-match press conference.

Not a criticism of him btw, just an observation.

Definitely would have had a right chat about Lincoln budget last season then!

 

[GodsGift]

Definitely would have had a right chat about Lincoln budget last season then!

Funnily enough, he joked about the size of Lincoln's budget with me on more than one occasion! (I write for Blackpool's local paper)

 

[Conker]

Funnily enough, he joked about the size of Lincoln's budget with me on more than one occasion! (I write for Blackpool's local paper)

I completely agree with your Blackpool budget suggestion, but to be fair Lincoln budget the last two season has been massively downplayed.

And yeah I know a lot of it (not all) is helped by the bigger crowds.

 

[GodsGift]

I completely agree with your Blackpool budget suggestion, but to be fair Lincoln budget the last two season has been massively downplayed.

And yeah I know a lot of it (not all) is helped by the bigger crowds.

Not by me it hasn't. It's pretty obvious we're paying decent wages when we were bringing in established L1 players like Michael Bostwick and uprooting Akinde from London.

But I do like our current model, which isn't solely based on a rich owner (although Clive Nates is obviously helping).