Who frustrated you the most as you knew they had bags of skill if they really put their mind to it, but mostly th skill got left on the training ground

Adrian Randall comes to mind. Super skilfull for the time, and the level we were playing at, but time and time again he never showed up.

Could have been a top player if he'd knuckled down to it

Tony Arins was supposed to be the next Bobby Moore, but it didn't work out.

Wasn't ours but I bet GK ran riot in training but didn't take it successfully on the pitch.

Chris McCann

Injuries didn't help, but bar his good 1.5 seasons, there were only glimpses of how good he could become. Never really got there for me. I know others really rated him, but over the long, long time he was here, showed too little for me.

Graham Lancashire

Graham Branch was our most skillful player for a time, but only in training. Stan used to give him whiskey to battle the nerves apparently.

Toe knee hand cock

Ron Futcher

Croydon Claret wrote:Who frustrated you the most as you knew they had bags of skill if they really put their mind to it, but mostly th skill got left on the training ground

Adrian Randall comes to mind. Super skilfull for the time, and the level we were playing at, but time and time again he never showed up.

Could have been a top player if he'd knuckled down to it

Ady Randall played in the same England u18 team as Matt Le Tissier. He said there were two door out of the dressing room after the game, one was for those with ambition and the other for the rest. He confirmed that he and Le Tissier left through different doors.

Croydon Claret wrote:Who frustrated you the most as you knew they had bags of skill if they really put their mind to it, but mostly th skill got left on the training ground

Adrian Randall comes to mind. Super skilfull for the time, and the level we were playing at, but time and time again he never showed up.

Could have been a top player if he'd knuckled down to it

Ady Randall played in the same England u18 team as Matt Le Tissier. He said there were two door out of the dressing room after the game, one was for those with ambition and the other for the rest. He confirmed that he and Le Tissier left through different doors.

Kevin Young and David Miller.

Above all Billy Rodaway. I thought he was a real talent, however but for a short spell in the First Division it never materialised.

Tony Morley too never fully delivered for us although he was pretty good.

Fretters wrote:Graham Branch was our most skillful player for a time, but only in training. Stan used to give him whiskey to battle the nerves apparently.

Heard this through a couple of different people that Branchy used to run rings round everyone in training but just froze when it came to game time.

Goobs wrote:Heard this through a couple of different people that Branchy used to run rings round everyone in training but just froze when it came to game time.

Brian Miller used to refer to them as Monday morning footballers. He said you move them on as quickly as possible.

Kevin Young and Paul Smith.

Not the most but both Treacey and Bikey have gotta be up there. The way Keith played in that game versus Preston when we signed him I thought he was going to be top class. With Bikey he just had a that lapse of concentration that stopped him from being the best. I guess if he was better though he probably would have been playing for a top side and not for us!

superdimitri wrote:Not the most but both Treacey and Bikey have gotta be up there. The way Keith played in that game versus Preston when we signed him I thought he was going to be top class. With Bikey he just had a that lapse of concentration that stopped him from being the best. I guess if he was better though he probably would have been playing for a top side and not for us!

Keith Treacy’s issues sadly brought a premature end to what should have been an outstanding career.

superdimitri wrote:Not the most but both Treacey and Bikey have gotta be up there. The way Keith played in that game versus Preston when we signed him I thought he was going to be top class. With Bikey he just had a that lapse of concentration that stopped him from being the best. I guess if he was better though he probably would have been playing for a top side and not for us!

Good shouts.

ewanrob wrote:Toe knee hand cock

Was there any potential there ? He was rank bad poor for the fee we paid. Stockport had our pants down.

Can remember going to 1st match he played, cant quite remember the outcome, but think he was moved on sharpish.

Blackrod wrote:Was there any potential there ? He was rank bad poor for the fee we paid. Stockport had our pants down.

Had one good game for Stockport against us. I was at Old Trafford for a cricket match that summer and by chance was dat with the Stockport secretary and a couple more of their officials. They said they couldn’t believe anyone had paid money for him let alone £50,000. Despite suggestions that we got our money back when he went to Preston, he actually went on a free.

He was a dreadful player.

Firstly me, but if I cant choose myself I'd say Michael Owen.
Purely because when he broke on the scene I thought he'd finish with a career similar to that Messi and Ronaldo went on to have.

Treacy a good shout.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Kevin Mac...

Always thought Ashley hoskins would make the big time and I too thought Tony Hancock had loads of potential he looked a good footballer but just bottled it on the pitch

I used to watch the reserves years ago when they played on the Turf, and I saw Branchy have some sublime performances. He looked amazing. He was megging players for fun, doing keepy ups after controlling, flicking balls over player’s heads. I used to tell my mates and they wouldn’t believe me, and a few were definitely in the boo boy club. I used to call him DiBranchio, and have the p*** tipped out of me. I got the song going versus Manchester United (I was quite drunk that evening ) in the League cup in 2002 and the rest is history.

I’m sure it was said that he had an iron deficiency, making him feel weak during matches, and the club worked on it with him?

Ady Randall is definitely up there, as is Paul ‘Smudge’ Smith (rumoured to be worth £0.5m). He had a great left foot did Smith.

And what about a Steve Davis Mk2? He should definitely played in the Premier League for me. In fact I’m convinced another manager once stated that about him, saying he was the best player not to have played in the PL, or one of them?

As earlier Tony Hancock, what a crock of sh1te. Also Ian Moore.

John Mullin.

ClaretTony wrote:Keith Treacy’s issues sadly brought a premature end to what should have been an outstanding career.

Agreed. Gifted player with talent for the top.

You need more.

IanMcL wrote:Agreed. Gifted player with talent for the top.

You need more.

When an illness prevents you getting more there is little you can do to get more.

ClaretTony wrote:When an illness prevents you getting more there is little you can do to get more.

I remember the Preston manager (Phil Brown I think it was) telling the local press that Treacy shouldn't have signed for Burnley as Eddie Howe wouldn’t know how to manage him. Maybe he was right

Paul Smith. As mentioned on another thread it was injury that did for him but what a talent so young.

claptrappers_union wrote:I remember the Preston manager (Phil Brown I think it was) telling the local press that Treacy shouldn't have signed for Burnley as Eddie Howe wouldn’t know how to manage him. Maybe he was right

He spoke at a fans forum at Preston and said the same too. There was a complete breakdown between Treacy and Howe but at least he did start to play again under Dyche, but the lad had real problems and had to leave Barnsley too. Only 30 now.

Howe seemed to have issues managing a number of players. I’m not sure he’ll ever do that well outside of his comfort zone and certainly include England in that.

Mattias Flodstrom

Alan Harper.

Top player in a fine side before coming to Burnley. We needed him to lead us but he was quite poor.

I'm sure there was/is a very good footballer in Tendar Darikwa....But Aidie Randall was so Graceful on the Ball.

Arthur Gnohere and Alan Moore. The latter was our most technically gifted player at the time, just had cba. Scored a cracking goal in a two nil win at Millwall. Arthur needed a different management style than the one he seemed to receive... What a brace at Deepdale!

Kevin McDonald.
I was convinced he would be a superstar for us in a midfield 3 of him, McCann and Cork.

taffy wrote:Always thought Ashley hoskins would make the big time and I too thought Tony Hancock had loads of potential he looked a good footballer but just bottled it on the pitch

Ash was a great player, nippy, tricky and who can forget that goal at Swansea. Suffered a bad injury when Orients John Sitton broke his leg so he never reached his full potential imho. A player who would have been more suited to today's less physical game.

ClaretTony wrote:When an illness prevents you getting more there is little you can do to get more.

True.

Huge pity. I liked him. Huge skill with pinpoint accuracy.

Rouwens_Weapon wrote:Kevin McDonald.
I was convinced he would be a superstar for us in a midfield 3 of him, McCann and Cork.

Me too. Reminded me of Duncan Edward's, of whom I have only watched Old clips.

groove wrote:Ash was a great player, nippy, tricky and who can forget that goal at Swansea. Suffered a bad injury when Orients John Sitton broke his leg so he never reached his full potential imho. A player who would have been more suited to today's less physical game.

Agree with this.

Andy Kilner too perhaps.

groove wrote:Ash was a great player, nippy, tricky and who can forget that goal at Swansea. Suffered a bad injury when Orients John Sitton broke his leg so he never reached his full potential imho. A player who would have been more suited to today's less physical game.

Hoskin had only just got into the team when Sitton broke his leg in the first minute of the game. Sitton was at least sent off.

Peter Simpson.

Besart berisha?

I know he never played in our 1st team,but John Cofie was a prospect,which is why Utd forked out a million for a 14 year-old,he never played a single 1st team game for them either,and nowadays is trawling the non-league scene despite only being 26.

jdrobbo wrote:Alan Harper.

Top player in a fine side before coming to Burnley. We needed him to lead us but he was quite poor.

I don't know much about him, I just remember him being poor like you say. Was his signing seen as a bit of a coup at the time?

Fretters wrote:I don't know much about him, I just remember him being poor like you say. Was his signing seen as a bit of a coup at the time?

He was awful. We would have been better sticking with John Deary

We've had a few down the years that have had a good start to their careers and been highly rated prospects that have ended up here, thinking along the lines of Mark Ford, Danny Karbassion (sp?), Mark Randall, possibly even Chris Eagles.

Another shout for Kev Macdonald, if ever a guy needed a kick up the 'arris. Also Paul Comstive all the attributes.