There have been a few over the years the obvious one being Alan Mullery. But there are plenty more Paul Went was an outstanding Centre half. and at the time we never replaced him. Teddy Maybank from Chelsea, only to sell him a couple of seasons later. John Lacy, Tony Gale to West Ham Even Alan Clarke to Leicester. Ivor to Chelsea, Paul Parker to QPR. Ray Houghton a free from West Ham Sold to Bristol City or Rovers.
Malcolm Macdonald. Raised in Finlay Street. Came to us as a non-league fullback who was almost immediately converted to centre forward and looked by far the best hope for goals in what proved our second successive relegation season. But his face didn't fit, he didn't get a look in after a while and wily old Alec Stock picked him for peanuts for Luton....for whom he was instantly a star striker, going on to be an idol at Newcastle and doing OK at Arsenal too.
Not just in retrospect, supporters at the time said we were mad to let him go -- if there had been messageboards at the time, they'd have been in meltdown.
Hopefully we won't be saying the same (albeit in a much more muted way) about Chris David.
Quote from: b+w geezer on October 27, 2014, 10:01:04 PM
Malcolm Macdonald. Raised in Finlay Street. Came to us as a non-league fullback who was almost immediately converted to centre forward and looked by far the best hope for goals in what proved our second successive relegation season. But his face didn't fit, he didn't get a look in after a while and wily old Alec Stock picked him for peanuts for Luton....for whom he was instantly a star striker, going on to be an idol at Newcastle and doing OK at Arsenal too.
Not just in retrospect, supporters at the time said we were mad to let him go -- if there had been messageboards at the time, they'd have been in meltdown.
Hopefully we won't be saying the same (albeit in a much more muted way) about Chris David.
Yes he was our top-scorer, wasn't he.......came from Tonbridge, I never managed to understand how we sold him....
Paul Went a good shout. Absolutely gutted when he and Earle were sold. More recently very sorry to see Dembele go and thought Frei and Tankovic discarded/released a little too easily
Not much ever got past John Dempsey at centre half...
......except his eventual haircut past the style police!
Quote from: Andy S on October 27, 2014, 09:51:45 PM
There have been a few over the years the obvious one being Alan Mullery. But there are plenty more Paul Went was an outstanding Centre half. and at the time we never replaced him. Teddy Maybank from Chelsea, only to sell him a couple of seasons later. John Lacy, Tony Gale to West Ham Even Alan Clarke to Leicester. Ivor to Chelsea, Paul Parker to QPR. Ray Houghton a free from West Ham Sold to Bristol City or Rovers.
Most players chose to go... we didn't let many slip through out fingers without a fee. It's about the money, i'm afraid.
Most recently Steve Sidwell shouldn't v left us to be a Stoke bench-warmer.
Quote from: Barrett487 on October 27, 2014, 11:14:18 PM
Quote from: Andy S on October 27, 2014, 09:51:45 PM
There have been a few over the years the obvious one being Alan Mullery. But there are plenty more Paul Went was an outstanding Centre half. and at the time we never replaced him. Teddy Maybank from Chelsea, only to sell him a couple of seasons later. John Lacy, Tony Gale to West Ham Even Alan Clarke to Leicester. Ivor to Chelsea, Paul Parker to QPR. Ray Houghton a free from West Ham Sold to Bristol City or Rovers.
Most players chose to go... we didn't let many slip through out fingers without a fee. It's about the money, i'm afraid.
Most recently Steve Sidwell shouldn't v left us to be a Stoke bench-warmer.
Perhaps he realized that he couldn't take another day of being our best player but constantly slated on Fulham sites. Or, more likely, there wasn't enough money in the world for him to be around Magath.
Liam Rosenoir swapped with Soul by a man with none ................
And before you say he is crap, seven years on he is playing in the Premiership
Quote from: KCat on October 27, 2014, 11:57:04 PM
Liam Rosenoir swapped with Soul by a man with none ................
And before you say he is crap, seven years on he is playing in the Premiership
but not long after, we had volz, who i thought was better. so is it wrong to sell a player if the replacement is better, not in my eyes
there were with us for and at the same time ..
Volz came in 2004 and left 2008
Liam 2003 to 2007
.....................and Liam is still in the Premiership
Rodney Marsh and Malcolm McDonald. Not only letting them go but letting them go for sweet FA.
Quote from: KCat on October 28, 2014, 12:16:08 AM
there were with us for and at the same time ..
Volz came in 2004 and left 2008
Liam 2003 to 2007
.....................and Liam is still in the Premiership
so you dissapointed that a reserve player was let go because he is playing in a league above us? was you gutted that we let him go when we finished 7th and got to a european final. something we might not achieved had he of stayed
Recently Saha,Steeeeeeed, Sean, VDS
Older players - Barrett, Earle, Conway, Ivor, Finns, Busby, Cole,
And the list will go on: Roberts, Hyndman, David, LVC etc.
houghton went to oxford for around 150,000, but we did never replace him but the club needed the cash i seem to remember
Many of those mentioned went for decent money (Mullery for instance), some (Clarke, Dembele) commanded good fees and we coudn't have done much to keep them anyway, some actually had long careers at Fulham (we got good money for Ivor, he wasn't away long and we got easily the best out of him).
But, after almost fifty years, the Macdonald business still wrankles.
We've seen this old footage before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/FuQ4SyvckVq?v=2#errorVideo not found (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/FuQ4SyvckVq?v=2#errorVideo%20not%20found)
This is Macdonald playing, at 18, his fifth senior game. He scores one excellent goal, goes close twice more, crosses with both feet (not at once), tackles back, makes telling passes, runs all over the place and displays his ultra-long throw. Sensational. Johnny Haynes, apparently, didn't like him (he was always brash and outspoken) and that was it. Very sad.
Saha leaving still rattles me. Was really the turning point between us really trying to push on, and Al Fayed losing interest
Yes but the money we got from Saha paid for the ground improvements. £11m and he was always unfit for man u. I agree about McDonald to Luton though. You could see he was going to be very good as he was strong and hungry.
Quote from: Andy S on October 27, 2014, 09:51:45 PM
There have been a few over the years the obvious one being Alan Mullery. But there are plenty more Paul Went was an outstanding Centre half. and at the time we never replaced him. Teddy Maybank from Chelsea, only to sell him a couple of seasons later. John Lacy, Tony Gale to West Ham Even Alan Clarke to Leicester. Ivor to Chelsea, Paul Parker to QPR. Ray Houghton a free from West Ham Sold to Bristol City or Rovers.
Ray Houghton didn't go to either of the Bristol clubs. Surely he went to Oxford United back in the days when they were in the top division.
Quote from: Tonywa on October 28, 2014, 09:49:40 AM
ughton didn't go to either of the Bristol clubs. Surely he went to Oxford United back in the days when they were in the top division.
Correct. Meanwhile cmg a little above sums it up perfectly about Macdonald. Unfortunately the video he references doesn't seem to be available, but his description of it is eloquent. In the same time span as him, I continue also to find this the standout blunder to beat them all.
Fulham v Blackburn Rovers 1968 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuQ4SyvckVg#)
Give this a whirl - I'm at work so can't cut and paste. I thing I typed the URL wrong
Quote from: b+w geezer on October 28, 2014, 10:01:57 AM
Quote from: Tonywa on October 28, 2014, 09:49:40 AM
ughton didn't go to either of the Bristol clubs. Surely he went to Oxford United back in the days when they were in the top division.
Correct. Meanwhile cmg a little above sums it up perfectly about Macdonald. Unfortunately the video he references doesn't seem to be available, but his description of it is eloquent. In the same time span as him, I continue also to find this the standout blunder to beat them all.
MacDonald may be the only player that we got rid of unnecessarily and cheaply and who went on to be a very good player.
Others went to better themselves and/or because we wanted the money.
Stockdale. To make matters worse we replaced him with a pyjama wearing clown impersonating a goalkeeper.
didnt Ray Houghton go to oxford before he went on to Liverpool and Villa by which point he was considered to be a top class player? We let him go too easily ....
Steve Finnan, Allan Clarke.
I've now viewed that footage of the match 46 years ago. Just as cmg reports above, Malcolm Macdonald "scores one excellent goal, goes close twice more, crosses with both feet" [and what fine crosses they are, both under pressure] "tackles back, makes telling passes, runs all over the place and displays his ultra-long throw."
He has just arrived as a full-back from non-league aged 18 (18 !) and it's the same division we are in now. To say the least it's promising, isn't it. Spectators certainly thought so (Tony Gilroy and I would be among that throng in the Enclosure, pinching ourselves at how the club had landed this young chap out of nowhere).....but he was soon dropped and when the season ended was sold cheaply.
Having managed 5 goals in 13 games for us, MacDonald scored 49 in 88 for Luton, 95 in 187 for Newcastle and 42 in 84 for Arsenal. Point proven. We threw him away. He was even raised around the corner from the ground for heaven sake. It still hurts.
Quote from: TonyGilroy on October 28, 2014, 10:21:14 AM
Quote from: b+w geezer on October 28, 2014, 10:01:57 AM
Quote from: Tonywa on October 28, 2014, 09:49:40 AM
ughton didn't go to either of the Bristol clubs. Surely he went to Oxford United back in the days when they were in the top division.
Correct. Meanwhile cmg a little above sums it up perfectly about Macdonald. Unfortunately the video he references doesn't seem to be available, but his description of it is eloquent. In the same time span as him, I continue also to find this the standout blunder to beat them all.
MacDonald may be the only player that we got rid of unnecessarily and cheaply and who went on to be a very good player.
Others went to better themselves and/or because we wanted the money.
And rodney marsh to QPR was in the same category as Mac.
And the reason both left was because a certasin mr J Haynes disliked both of them. I think, if i recall the folkelore of the time, was that they were boith far to cocky and full of themselves and would not role over and worship the great man. so they left for peanuts and went on to great things elsewhere!
We had poor management then and it has rarely been much different for us.
Regarding saha. I have always thought we stitched up manchester united and in reality got the better end of the deal. We sold him injured and he rarely lasted any number of games without being injured again. he was a great player but i think we had the best out of him. keeping him would have been more of a gamble, replacing him almost impossible. It was a bit like us buying AJ. I loved hiim as a player but how often was he sidelined with injury? seemingly all the time.
Quote from: the nutflush on October 28, 2014, 10:44:49 AM
Stockdale. To make matters worse we replaced him with a pyjama wearing clown impersonating a goalkeeper.
[/quote
:plus one: and Steeeeeed. I would have him back today..
I was disappointed we didn't choose to sign martin djetou permanently after a two year loan spell. I thought he was a very good player.
Boa more but that's only because he was my favourite player, I don't think we've ever replaced him but he probably went at the right time, a bit like Brede the captaincy ruined his game. I'd probably have to say dembele vds or saha.
From players I didn't expect to go because they weren't destined for the big time I'd go for Chris baird. He was a good squad player and achieved a lot with us, we seemed to just dump him without any clubs being interested in him.
Quote from: cmg on October 28, 2014, 10:17:04 AM
Fulham v Blackburn Rovers 1968 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuQ4SyvckVg#)
Give this a whirl - I'm at work so can't cut and paste. I thing I typed the URL wrong
wow! thanks for posting this. Think I saw the peanut seller at the Hammersmith end!!
What about our million pound keeper Stan ?
Less high profile, but not only did they poach supermac but also John Ryan went to Luton, who had shown good potential witbh us and went on with Luton to be a verry good right back.
Quote from: Jims Dentist on October 30, 2014, 07:42:41 PM
Less high profile, but not only did they poach supermac but also John Ryan went to Luton, who had shown good potential witbh us and went on with Luton to be a verry good right back.
An excellent right back. I didn't realize he was also with Fulham. At least I got to see him play. SuperMac was signed right after I left the country and transferred to Newcastle just before I got back.
Quote from: dannyboi-ffc on October 28, 2014, 06:59:59 PM
I was disappointed we didn't choose to sign martin djetou permanently after a two year loan spell. I thought he was a very good player.
Boa more but that's only because he was my favourite player, I don't think we've ever replaced him but he probably went at the right time, a bit like Brede the captaincy ruined his game. I'd probably have to say dembele vds or saha.
From players I didn't expect to go because they weren't destined for the big time I'd go for Chris baird. He was a good squad player and achieved a lot with us, we seemed to just dump him without any clubs being interested in him.
Certainly agree on Djetou. A really top player and one capable of playing in a variety of positions across the back four and also in midfield. One of my favourite players at the time.
Stockdale, Gera, Malbranque, Holtby (buy out his contract), and Etuhu. I loved Dickson Etuhu. Under different manager, he would have thrived. Oh, and Carlos Salcido.
Quote from: Forever Fulham on October 31, 2014, 01:47:20 AM
Stockdale, Gera, Malbranque, Holtby (buy out his contract), and Etuhu. I loved Dickson Etuhu. Under different manager, he would have thrived. Oh, and Carlos Salcido.
So pleased to see the love for Etuhu and Salcido. Dickson played brilliantly under Roy. His job was to protect the back four, win the ball, and get rid of it right away to Danny. He did that in every match and was constantly slated for it on every Fulham forum I ever saw.
Salcido is the best LB I've seen in Fulham colors since I started supporting in the 04-05 season. He was a solid defender and had an excellent left foot on him. When crime drove him out of London, he won a league championship and an Olympic gold medal and retired as a playmaking center mid.
Wayne Routledge seems to have come good wouldn't you say? Even if he was only on loan.
Quote from: Forever Fulham on October 31, 2014, 01:47:20 AM
Stockdale, Gera, Malbranque, Holtby (buy out his contract), and Etuhu. I loved Dickson Etuhu. Under different manager, he would have thrived. Oh, and Carlos Salcido.
I agree with Holtby 100%, buying him out, that guy was great I though. such quality and heart
But would he really have stayed in the championship?
Thank you CMG, thoroughly enjoyed that footage.
Relieved also to find I am not the only one to be aware of the reason young MacDonald left Fulham.
Who also remembers him coming back to haunt us scoring the only goal for Luton? (Was it a cup game?) sporting a quite handsome pair of mutton chops.
No reluctance to celebrate in those days. Luton in Red or Orange shirts..... When was that?
The great Graham Leggatt should get a mention. We let him go far too early and far too cheaply.
Yes and bought Joe Gilroy for £20,000
Quote from: Delboy on October 31, 2014, 11:59:33 AM
The great Graham Leggatt should get a mention. We let him go far too early and far too cheaply.
Great player. Genuinely one of the top 5 Fulham players of all time in my opinion but we let him go when he was definitely past his best.
He did nothing after he left us.
Quote from: TonyGilroy on October 31, 2014, 12:22:34 PM
Quote from: Delboy on October 31, 2014, 11:59:33 AM
The great Graham Leggatt should get a mention. We let him go far too early and far too cheaply.
Great player. Genuinely one of the top 5 Fulham players of all time in my opinion but we let him go when he was definitely past his best.
He did nothing after he left us.
I pretty much agree with everything you say. He was past his best and it's true that he was done after he left us (apart from forging a new career as a pioneering broadcaster in Canada). The fact that he scored 5 goals in his last 2 games for us underlines just how good his 'best' was.
Quote from: AUSFFC on October 31, 2014, 04:00:16 AM
Quote from: Forever Fulham on October 31, 2014, 01:47:20 AM
Stockdale, Gera, Malbranque, Holtby (buy out his contract), and Etuhu. I loved Dickson Etuhu. Under different manager, he would have thrived. Oh, and Carlos Salcido.
I agree with Holtby 100%, buying him out, that guy was great I though. such quality and heart
But would he really have stayed in the championship?
No he wouldn't have. That was never his plan. He only came to us to get more minutes and improve his chance to get on the German team for the World Cup [which didn't happen]. He was never staying past the end of the season. Spurs did us and him a favor, but him staying was never going to happen.
