Good business....bad business...

[Tezza1889]

The worst bit of business in my time was selling deane and fjortoft. What were we thinking ! Promotion was on a plate and we sold out

Didn't we spunk a semi final up in the process when shearer shitlined one at old Trafford, was that the same year, please correct me as that was a mad time in my life... I always thought we'd have gone to the fa cup final had we not sold out..

 

[pommpey]

It's not happening though is it pommpers? We are buying not selling.

Twelve days.

pommpey wouldn't have even guessed Deane and Fjortoft were going not even three days before they went. Even when the rumours started circulating on Viewpoints, the consensus was, "Piss off. Talking out of your arse. They are staying. Taylor will be the one."

Strange how shit happened.

pommpey would gladly trade no buying for no selling if push came to shove. pommpey would be disappointed that squad reinforcement wasn't taking place, but the core of the squad would be intact.

pommpey

 

[Pinchy]

 

[Bert]

View attachment 22260

It's a common trait in these parts.

 

[Bayingblade]

The worst bit of business in my time was selling deane and fjortoft. What were we thinking ! Promotion was on a plate and we sold out

For years, SUFC have been on the end of countless criticism about those sales so, while not fully defending the club, I'll try and put a little perspective around it. In the first place yes, the timing couldn't have been worse but in both cases, it was the player who chose to move. The club received offers, those were put to the players and it was their decision. Brian Deane was made aware of an offer from Benfica and in his own words said "what do you do when a club like Benfica come in for you?" In other words, he made the choice.

In Fjortofts case, you have to remember it was a world cup year and given his age, it was his last chance to feature in Norway's squad. In those days, the second division didn't get the coverage it does now and to put himself "in the frame" as it were, he needed to be in the PL. Barnsley offered that opportunity so again, the player made the decision. While he had a decent return of goals at Barnsley, it wasn't enough to get him in the Norway squad but he wasn't to know that when he signed.

There will no doubt be those who still deride the club for allowing the players to leave but there is an argument to say they were doing right by the individuals given the offers made and the ambitions of the players at the time. SUFC had no influence over the timing of the approaches either, it was pure coincidence.

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

He paid the price for being a big-time Charlie scumbag with ideas above his station. There will be a similar thread about Che Adams in a couple of seasons.

I'm not a fan of Che's (personality) because of those tweets.

But he's vastly superior to Slew and I'd imagine he will carry on playing in the Championship, for one club or another, for a good while yet.

 

[Bergen Blade]

For years, SUFC have been on the end of countless criticism about those sales so, while not fully defending the club, I'll try and put a little perspective around it. In the first place yes, the timing couldn't have been worse but in both cases, it was the player who chose to move. The club received offers, those were put to the players and it was their decision. Brian Deane was made aware of an offer from Benfica and in his own words said "what do you do when a club like Benfica come in for you?" In other words, he made the choice.

In Fjortofts case, you have to remember it was a world cup year and given his age, it was his last chance to feature in Norway's squad. In those days, the second division didn't get the coverage it does now and to put himself "in the frame" as it were, he needed to be in the PL. Barnsley offered that opportunity so again, the player made the decision. While he had a decent return of goals at Barnsley, it wasn't enough to get him in the Norway squad but he wasn't to know that when he signed.

There will no doubt be those who still deride the club for allowing the players to leave but there is an argument to say they were doing right by the individuals given the offers made and the ambitions of the players at the time. SUFC had no influence over the timing of the approaches either, it was pure coincidence.

I think you're correct regarding Fjørtoft's motivation.

I think I read that we decided we had too many strikers and wanted to sell either Fjørtoft or Taylor. Then Barnsley's offer came in and as Taylor had done pretty well we accepted. Benfica then bid for Deano, meeting a release clause in his contract and at that point the Fjørtoft negotiations had gone too far to stop, hence both left?

 

[Bert]

I think you're correct regarding Fjørtoft's motivation.

I think I read that we decided we had too many strikers and wanted to sell either Fjørtoft or Taylor. Then Barnsley's offer came in and as Taylor had done pretty well we accepted. Benfica then bid for Deano, meeting a release clause in his contract and at that point the Fjørtoft negotiations had gone too far to stop, hence both left?

Our ex manager Steve Thompson told Bert that Fjortoft was nesh (soft/feeble.... for the benefit of Norwegian readers) and because of that they didn't want to play him much in away games. Whereas Roger Nilsen had been in the army and was as hard as nails.

 

[JJBlade]

Nothing since has been as bad.

The Fjortoft/Deane transfer happened mid season when everything looked rosey. Nothing is certain, but if I was a gambling man I'd have bet my mortgage on us going up that year.

It was pretty much the equivalent of us selling Sharp and Duffy on the last day of this transfer window in terms of impact (more so, given the higher stakes). It really took a special kind of stupid to make that decision!

Something that also gets lost in the passage of time; we also shipped out Walker, Tiler and Hutchinson either side of those transfers. Followed by Borbokis, Holdsworth, Stuart, Saunders, Taylor a few months after.

Looking at that period, it's little surprise we went from hanging around the top of the league to being rock bottom.

Have we ever had a fire sale of that magnitude before or since? (yes, we probably leaked more talent 2007-2010, but completely different circumstances!).

Colour me cynical, but I do wonder how much the PLC shareholders made out of that whole period (and I don't mean in dividends!).

We got our customary £1 million for Hutchinson, meaning we lost on the deal
Only for him to make two £5 million moves after that as an old man

 

[I should coco]

The worst business for a long time was hiring the current yoofs working behind the Kop bar, you have to set off at 15:05 to get in the queue for a half time pint.

You pay peanuts.....

My daughter has worked for Compass since she was in the sixth form. They pay minimum wage and even try and cheat on that, by not paying odd half hours here and there or all their travelling time, when they work elsewhere.

Because of this, they struggle to retain the better kids and have a high staff turnover with new faces at every game. Some kids only ever turn up once. My daughter and her boyfriend are students so it still suits them, but Compass run everything on a shoestring. I don't know what the deal is with SUFC or what rake off they get, but it is catering on the cheap.

Not a great surprise then that the 'customer experience' is sometimes found a little wanting.

 

[The Crab]

I'm not a fan of Che's (personality) because of those tweets.

But he's vastly superior to Slew and I'd imagine he will carry on playing in the Championship, for one club or another, for a good while yet.

He'll no doubt make a decent career of being a mid-table Championship player, and it will be decent because the stupid money is there. I think it will be a lack of ability to kick on, rather than any character flaws, that will prevent bigger things. After all, the top of the game is full of bellends.

 

[The Crab]

For years, SUFC have been on the end of countless criticism about those sales so, while not fully defending the club, I'll try and put a little perspective around it. In the first place yes, the timing couldn't have been worse but in both cases, it was the player who chose to move. The club received offers, those were put to the players and it was their decision. Brian Deane was made aware of an offer from Benfica and in his own words said "what do you do when a club like Benfica come in for you?" In other words, he made the choice.

In Fjortofts case, you have to remember it was a world cup year and given his age, it was his last chance to feature in Norway's squad. In those days, the second division didn't get the coverage it does now and to put himself "in the frame" as it were, he needed to be in the PL. Barnsley offered that opportunity so again, the player made the decision. While he had a decent return of goals at Barnsley, it wasn't enough to get him in the Norway squad but he wasn't to know that when he signed.

There will no doubt be those who still deride the club for allowing the players to leave but there is an argument to say they were doing right by the individuals given the offers made and the ambitions of the players at the time. SUFC had no influence over the timing of the approaches either, it was pure coincidence.

Whilst there is a bit of me that says "the club could just have said no" I think you make a very good point. Selling either one would have hit us hard, selling both really hit us below the waterline. Whatever your view on fault, it knackered us.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Our ex manager Steve Thompson told Bert that Fjortoft was nesh (soft/feeble.... for the benefit of Norwegian readers) and because of that they didn't want to play him much in away games. Whereas Roger Nilsen had been in the army and was as hard as nails.

I spoke to Fjørtoft in summer 1997 while United were on tour in Norway, he told me Thompson was a funny guy with lots of one liners. Despite the size of him, Fjørtoft was never the tough type, that is true. Roger Nilsen thought they didn't train enough at Sheffield United, so he (and two other unnamed players) brought in another fitness coach to do extra sessions with.

The video below is from a couple of weeks before Deane and Fjørtoft were sold, Deano and Taylor up front on this occasion:




Fjørtoft and Nilsen had very different personalities, Fjørtoft was (is) very outgoing and social. Nilsen said in an interview that he almost completely stopped socialising with teammates at United - I think excessive drinking sessions was the main reason.

 

[Bladesthorpe]

You pay peanuts.....

My daughter has worked for Compass since she was in the sixth form. They pay minimum wage and even try and cheat on that, by not paying odd half hours here and there or all their travelling time, when they work elsewhere.

Because of this, they struggle to retain the better kids and have a high staff turnover with new faces at every game. Some kids only ever turn up once. My daughter and her boyfriend are students so it still suits them, but Compass run everything on a shoestring. I don't know what the deal is with SUFC or what rake off they get, but it is catering on the cheap.

Not a great surprise then that the 'customer experience' is sometimes found a little wanting.

Funny enough I go to the match to watch the game, have a beer before and after the game. Simple.

 

[Blade82]

Didn't we spunk a semi final up in the process when shearer shitlined one at old Trafford, was that the same year, please correct me as that was a mad time in my life... I always thought we'd have gone to the fa cup final had we not sold out..

Yeah same year. Dane was a big loss too. We ended the season with a weaker first eleven than what started it.

 

[Blade82]

For years, SUFC have been on the end of countless criticism about those sales so, while not fully defending the club, I'll try and put a little perspective around it. In the first place yes, the timing couldn't have been worse but in both cases, it was the player who chose to move. The club received offers, those were put to the players and it was their decision. Brian Deane was made aware of an offer from Benfica and in his own words said "what do you do when a club like Benfica come in for you?" In other words, he made the choice.

In Fjortofts case, you have to remember it was a world cup year and given his age, it was his last chance to feature in Norway's squad. In those days, the second division didn't get the coverage it does now and to put himself "in the frame" as it were, he needed to be in the PL. Barnsley offered that opportunity so again, the player made the decision. While he had a decent return of goals at Barnsley, it wasn't enough to get him in the Norway squad but he wasn't to know that when he signed.

There will no doubt be those who still deride the club for allowing the players to leave but there is an argument to say they were doing right by the individuals given the offers made and the ambitions of the players at the time. SUFC had no influence over the timing of the approaches either, it was pure coincidence.

Yeah I get that, sensible assessment but It just frustrates me! maybe Im naive but we should stand up to players and not fuck up our best interests because they suddenly get a better offer. The income generated from promotion would be greater than the transfer fee. I think if that happened now, with say sharp and Duffy, wilder would have the character to convince them see it through, at least until the end of the season, spackman didn't have that about him.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Lee Morris to Derby had their pants down there.