Greatest Loan Signings

[Tony_Kaufman]

Just now, during the Enda Stevens thread, it got me thinking about Jon Harley, and it reminded me of how good he was when we first had him on loan.

So just for fun, let's have a look a back at other great loan signings and see if we can come up with who was the best loan signing that we've ever had?

Feel free to debate, add others or just bring back good memories. Some players came on loan on more than one occassion so I've highlighted the season when we saw them at their best for us.

 

[Bath Blade]

You’ve missed John Cofie from your list.

 

[FMBlade1]

Greg Halford?

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

It's got to be Hendo or one of the Man City lads. Others had great seasons, but ultimately didn't achieve success.

 

[AgaMonkey]

Special mention for Bobby Davison…but that was really only for one night. But oh what a night…

 

[Bladesince59]

Greg Halford?

Dean Hammond?

 

[AWetFlannel]

It's got to be Hendo or one of the Man City lads. Others had great seasons, but ultimately didn't achieve success.

If ever I've nearly stopped going, it was when we were dire in league 1. Toxic, negative atmosphere and dreadful football.

Brayford made me enjoy going again in dark days, deserves a shout.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Weerz Matty Phillips? One of those rare loanees who looked so obviously above our level that he was basically a human cheat code, was gutted we didn't hold onto him for longer.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

If ever I've nearly stopped going, it was when we were dire in league 1. Toxic, negative atmosphere and dreadful football.

Brayford made me enjoy going again in dark days, deserves a shout.

 

[Old Programme seller]

We had a Steve Wigley I remember him dancing through a crowd of players scoring a wonder goal whilst on loan from Forest then we bought him and he was ….

 

[S17 Blade 1889]

I dont think we would have gone up this year without Tommy Doyle. For me, more important than (helmet on) McAtee as we were desperate for some legs in midfield.

 

[1973Blade]

Loan players used to be a rare thing, in the early 80s Trevor Ross was the only loan player I can recall.

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

What about Glyn Hodges in his loan spell, before we all ended up flogging Grand National sweepstake tickets to help fund his purchase?

 

[steve26272]

It was a loan deal that brought Norwood to BDTBL in 2018, played half a season before becoming perm. For what he has done in 5 years, 2 promotions and a 9th place finish, albeit not whilst on loan, Ollie has to go down as the finest piece of loan business we have ever done

Voted for Hendo on the basis he achieved success in both seasons loans, I could have easily gone for the Man City lads but couldnt split them TBH

Notable mention for
Greg Halford 08/09.

 

[Goodpinchofclough]

Dominic Poleon

 

[Not_a_Cheat]

Glyn Hodges probably

 

[Berkshire Blade]

The man city boys would need to come back and up us to 9th in the league to get close to Henderson and what he did. Losing him and bringing in a shaky to start with Ramsdale got us relegated

 

[AWetFlannel]

The man city boys would need to come back and up us to 9th in the league to get close to Henderson and what he did. Losing him and bringing in a shaky to start with Ramsdale got us relegated

And hold down a starting place in the squad for the full season surely?

 

[ATL Recs]

It's got to be Hendo or one of the Man City lads. Others had great seasons, but ultimately didn't achieve success.

Brayford all day the impact he made when we were in freefall was incredible he lifted the club almost single handed

 

[paidsy]

I dont think we would have gone up this year without Tommy Doyle. For me, more important than (helmet on) McAtee as we were desperate for some legs in midfield.

100% agree. In terms of individual impact I can't pick anyone but him. Hendo was brilliant but don't think the individual impacts are equal.

 

[dazzlingblade]

Andy Reid???

 

[GymClassHero]

I dont think we would have gone up this year without Tommy Doyle. For me, more important than (helmet on) McAtee as we were desperate for some legs in midfield.

Actually can't really argue with that, our upturn in form coincided with him claiming a starting berth in the team. Had he not come in there's every chance our slump would've continued, ultimately meaning Boro would have caught us.

I voted Gibbs-White. Difficult to argue against him being the most technically gifted on that list and he single handedly carried us at times!

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I dont think we would have gone up this year without Tommy Doyle. For me, more important than (helmet on) McAtee as we were desperate for some legs in midfield.

Yes, he made us all forget what a great season Norwood had. Doyle and McAtee were the perfect midfield combination. But every team needs a Tommy Doyle, whereas James McAtee was more of a luxury player.

 

[GymClassHero]

And hold down a starting place in the squad for the full season surely?

There were far more factors than just this which contributed to our relegation.

Off that top of my head:

Poor signings
No crowd
Moose losing his spark
Our system being figured out
Losing JOC
Wilder's stubbornness
Some downright bad luck
Conceding late goals (Brighton, Leicester)

Probably many more!

 

[Teddy]

I dont think we would have gone up this year without Tommy Doyle. For me, more important than (helmet on) McAtee as we were desperate for some legs in midfield.

Is “Helmet on McAtee” his nickname? Must have missed that but my mind is racing (or rather throbbing) on how it may have come about.

 

[dn5 shaun]

Loan players used to be a rare thing, in the early 80s Trevor Ross was the only loan player I can recall.

If you can remember that you must remember us loaning Peter Withe to Birmingham and not only played against us he scored both goals. Its the Blades way.

 

[Revolution]

We had a Steve Wigley I remember him dancing through a crowd of players scoring a wonder goal whilst on loan from Forest then we bought him and he was ….

He was never on loan. He was a permanent signing straight away.

 

[Revolution]

Loan players used to be a rare thing, in the early 80s Trevor Ross was the only loan player I can recall.

1980s loans:

1979-80 Viv Busby, Terry Poole,
1980-1 Don Givens
1982-3 Trevor Ross, Tony Towner
1983-4 Trevor Ross (again)
1984-5 Dennis Mortimer
1986-7 Andy Kennedy, Dean Glover, Mark Dempsey (later signed permanently)
1987-8 Roger Hansbury, Hans Segers, Graham Benstead (later signed permanently), Simon Webster (later signed permanently)
1988-9 John Moore, Vaughan Ryan, John Gannon (later signed permanently)

Glover, Mortimer, Kennedy were the pick of the bunch who didn’t sign permanently.

 

[1973Blade]

If you can remember that you must remember us loaning Peter Withe to Birmingham and not only played against us he scored both goals. Its the Blades way.

Yes, he was poor for us thrn scored two at Bramall Lane against us! Must be a rare example of a loan player scoring against us now that the rules have changed.

 

[1973Blade]

1980s loans:

1979-80 Viv Busby, Terry Poole,
1980-1 Don Givens
1982-3 Trevor Ross, Tony Towner
1983-4 Trevor Ross (again)
1984-5 Dennis Mortimer
1986-7 Andy Kennedy, Dean Glover, Mark Dempsey (later signed permanently)
1987-8 Roger Hansbury, Hans Segers, Graham Benstead (later signed permanently), Simon Webster (later signed permanently)
1988-9 John Moore, Vaughan Ryan, John Gannon (later signed permanently)

Glover, Mortimer, Kennedy were the pick of the bunch who didn’t sign permanently.

I was a fan of Tony Towner, we got him from Rotherham didn't we.