With Andros Townsend on trial it got me thinking which other well know (famous) players we've had in on trial in the past.

For some strange reason the first guy who pops into my head is Artim Šakiri who scored from a corner vs. England for Macedonia. I may have completely made this one up but I recall him playing in a friendly at Accy.

I'm sure there has been more over the years?

not made it up at all - he did play at Accy, went on tour to Austria with us but we failed with a work permit application.

John Aldridge springs to mind

If memory serves me correctly Arthur Gnohere and Super Scotty Arfield both original came in on trial and won contracts.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:10 am

not made it up at all - he did play at Accy, went on tour to Austria with us but we failed with a work permit application.

Around the time we didn't get a work permit for Luton Shelton. Didn't have much luck in that area did we. Not sure if he played as a trialist for us though.

Did Adrian Heath join us initially as a trialist / non-contract player?

Marlon Broomes

Bambo?!

Artam Sakiri (sp)

Aaron Lennon!

I think Jeff Hendrick was on trial when we signed him.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:39 am

I think Jeff Hendrick was on trial when we signed him.

You missed the S off his name

Certainly not famous, but the two I always remember are the Latvian (I think) duo, Aleksandrs Solovjovs, who looked half decent in the game I saw, and Gatiss Kalnins, who I think even made the squad photo somehow.

J.B.Priestley had a trial at Burnley in his youth. He became very famous, but not for football!

He did write one or two short stories about football, though.

spt_claret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:48 am

Certainly not famous, but the two I always remember are the Latvian (I think) duo, Aleksandrs Solovjovs, who looked half decent in the game I saw, and Gatiss Kalnins, who I think even made the squad photo somehow.

Yes, at least one of them played in 2008(?) when we won at Glentoran and our manager scored a goal.

Pickles wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:17 am

Around the time we didn't get a work permit for Luton Shelton. Didn't have much luck in that area did we. Not sure if he played as a trialist for us though.

He got a hat-trick in a friendly as a trialist.

Kenny Dalglish’s son ……. Can’t remember his first name. (Edit: Paul)

Didn’t we also have Jordi Cruyff or have I dreamt that?!

I think John Mullin’s brother, Paul, also had a trial with us when he was at Accy.

Not famous but an example of a knee-jerk reaction signing - Nathan Peel. Scored two in a home game and the Longside sang 'sign him on' and unfortunately we did. Never judge a player off one game.

sjb wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:16 am

John Aldridge springs to mind

Tried to sign him in 1982 but that was it I think

Pickles wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:17 am

Around the time we didn't get a work permit for Luton Shelton. Didn't have much luck in that area did we. Not sure if he played as a trialist for us though.

The thing is we could have signed him without him needing a work permit but the club's admin cocked up.

There's a sad end to this one, Shelton lost his life to MND in January 2021 aged just 35.

As far as I know he didn't play in any friendlies for us but he did play in a Central League game against Carlisle along with a shed load of trialists all playing under current reserve team players names. We were asked by the club to report the game as per team sheet which we did including striker Rob Turner. I got an email from his dad telling me he couldn't have been playing because he was at home ill. The club were fined for that after Carlisle filed complaints.

Didn't we initially get Guerrero in on trial? I may have completely dreamt this though - my mind plays tricks nowadays

Think Jimmy Case had a trial at Burnley many years ago. Also Seamus Coleman before he made the grade at Everton.

Longford Claret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:06 pm

Think Jimmy Case had a trial at Burnley many years ago. Also Seamus Coleman before he made the grade at Everton.

Coleman had a trial at Burnley but didn't play in a game. He was sat in front of me with Chris McCann at a reserve game when he was here. Coyle opted not to sign him and he signed for Everton not long after that.

Bryan Robson.

Peter Beardsley

Oscar Wilde

Michael Essien trained with the youth team with another African. I was there. He was good but nothing special at the time.

Was Tony Ellis a trialist? Was stunned when we gave him a contract, then he got that winner at Bradford. What a crazy few months that was.

Fretters wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:29 pm

Was Tony Ellis a trialist? Was stunned when we gave him a contract, then he got that winner at Bradford. What a crazy few months that was.

Jobs for the boys that … at one point they had Ellis , Jepson, Phil Gray, Andy Cooke, Payton , Alan Lee , Moore , Taylor , Johnson (loan) all as strikers for the club. Picking up a decent wage playing reserve team football most of them.

blatherwickstattoos wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:32 pm

Jobs for the boys that … at one point they had Ellis , Jepson, Phil Gray, Andy Cooke, Payton , Alan Lee , Moore , Taylor , Johnson (loan) all as strikers for the club. Picking up a decent wage playing reserve team football most of them.

Johnson came in March 2002, I think Cooke, Payton, Jepson and Lee had probably all gone by then (I stand to be corrected).

A few sheepdogs - Jip, Rover, Jack and Bonzo

blatherwickstattoos wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:32 pm

Jobs for the boys that … at one point they had Ellis , Jepson, Phil Gray, Andy Cooke, Payton , Alan Lee , Moore , Taylor , Johnson (loan) all as strikers for the club. Picking up a decent wage playing reserve team football most of them.

They weren’t all there at the same time

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:38 am

The thing is we could have signed him without him needing a work permit but the club's admin cocked up.

There's a sad end to this one, Shelton lost his life to MND in January 2021 aged just 35.

As far as I know he didn't play in any friendlies for us but he did play in a Central League game against Carlisle along with a shed load of trialists all playing under current reserve team players names. We were asked by the club to report the game as per team sheet which we did including striker Rob Turner. I got an email from his dad telling me he couldn't have been playing because he was at home ill. The club were fined for that after Carlisle filed complaints.

I went to that Carlisle game after getting wind there were a few trialists playing.

Shelton and a lad called Sekou Baradji were leagues ahead of anything on the pitch. We offered Baradji a deal but he signed for West Ham instead.

Socrates wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:19 pm

I went to that Carlisle game after getting wind there were a few trialists playing.

Shelton and a lad called Sekou Baradji were leagues ahead of anything on the pitch. We offered Baradji a deal but he signed for West Ham instead.

We did offer Baradji a deal. Looked good but West Ham got him out on loan to Reading and he hardly played for them.

There was a South African too who looked decent. I think his name was Nomvete or something like that.

I think it was the biggest attendance we ever had at Accy for a reserve game.

Didn't we have a goalkeeper from Harrogate training preseason a few years ago called Crook....you've guessed it..a local paper had a headline " Crook on Trial at Burnley"

So nobody famous on trial then.

Ian Rush had trials at Burnley & Wrexham before he signed for Chester

Torsten Boer

TheOriginalLongsider wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:56 pm

So nobody famous on trial then.

JB Preistley is famous.

Bob Ferris's hairdresser

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:26 pm

Torsten Boer

Thanks Dande for this name,i knew Inchy took a German on trial,could have sworm there was a Hansa Rostock connection though,maybe he had a trial there too? After a bit of digging,another player we had on trial at the same time was Walter Nyamilandu Manda a Malawi international [possibly captained the national team],he is currently the president of the FA in Malawi. Not famous here obviously but will be in his homeland

Besart Berisha ? Or did we actually sign him ?

Remember seeing him in a pre season friendly at Stanley but never saw him again.

Funkydrummer wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:53 pm

Besart Berisha ? Or did we actually sign him ?

Remember seeing him in a pre season friendly at Stanley but never saw him again.

Oh we signed him alright, after the England B v Albania friendly at the Turf. And I was absolutely buzzing when we did. Age played a part but I don't think I've felt as excited about a signing as I did with Berisha. Had a good career. All time top scorer in the A League, I think.

Cyril Eboki Poh, remember him having a decent game against Dundee United I think it was. Remember the “sign him on” chants ringing around.

Jambounchained wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 4:21 pm

Cyril Eboki Poh, remember him having a decent game against Dundee United I think it was. Remember the “sign him on” chants ringing around.

That's a blast from the past. I remember him!

Must say - I’ve both enjoyed, and learnt from, this thread.

Funkydrummer wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:53 pm

Besart Berisha ? Or did we actually sign him ?

Remember seeing him in a pre season friendly at Stanley but never saw him again.

Signed after impressing for Albania at the Turf (v England B). Sadly did his ACL not long after and was eventually released/sold. Did score a worldie in the Stanley friendly you refer too, but Coyle never played him after that.

Was once told by Gazza he attended several trials with us as a schoolboy and we rejected him each time.

He said that us and Leeds were the 2 that every young lad were desperate to be taken on by.

I'm not sure he lived his dream when he did eventually sign for us though

Seem to think it being mentioned years ago that Michael Essien had a trial with us.
Just what we need now!