Tommy Smith - Gazumped by Pompey - Thread

[Mike Hunt]

Published: Wednesday, 26th August, 2009 6:22pm

EXCLUSIVE - Smith snubs Royals
by Anthony Smith
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The one that got away: Tommy Smith looks set to sign for Portsmouth.

ROYALS have conceded defeat to Portsmouth in the race to sign Tommy Smith.

The 29-year-old Watford striker is poised to snub the Royals in favour of a move to Fratton Park.

The deal was cruelly snatched away from Reading at the very last minute after a fee of £1.8 million had been accepted by the Hornets.

But Pompey hijacked the move and Smith is now joining Paul Hart's Premier League outfit for a similar amount.

Royals director of football Nick Hammond told the Chronicle: "I think it's quite clear the deal has gone away from us now and Tommy will sign for Portsmouth.

"It's disappointing but there is nothing we can do about it."

Royals are now looking elsewhere and Hammond added: "Something could happen before the weekend."

For the full story plus all the latest Royals' news, buy Thursday's Chronicle.......

No Hammond you mean you could of done better over the past 6 weeks you idiot

Hammond, you are a cock sucker.

In my books, you are rated lower than Ricky Ponting.

pcunt

[Negative_Jeff]

Wrexham away and Luton at home showed us what Sarr COULD do (if he wasn't too busy trying to out-do our Dazza in the pie-eating departments)

It was the best bit of skill I've ever seen - 2 defenders in front of him he lifted the ball over them and run onto it, leaving said defenders entirely red faced!

In the famous European Cup Final in Glasgow in 1960 Gento of Real Madrid kept trying that trick and couldn`t quite pull it off. I appreciate most people would go for Robin Friday but Mass Sarr really was the dogs bollox.

[working class hero]

the dogs bollox

You are half right.....

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

So now it is all Hammonds fault!!!!!

Glad we have him to blame again.

[One Beer is never enough.]

I can't be arsed to find it, but wasn't Hammond being praised over this deal somewhere in the last 106 pages.

Hey ho, actually glad Smith isn't coming, Stead and Garvan are the way forward....

[loyalroyal4life]

For all we know it would of been peter storrie who instigated smiths move and who now has fallen short with his takeover bid.

conclusion: lets get storrie on board

[YateleyRoyal]

I can't be arsed to find it, but wasn't Hammond being praised over this deal somewhere in the last 106 pages.

Hey ho, actually glad Smith isn't coming, Stead and Garvan are the way forward....

Wouldn't actually be upset if we signed them two. Both handy at this level, but i'd expect them to be shipped out/put in the reserves when (if) we get promoted

[Agent Balti]

Anyone mentions Jon Stead should be shot. HTH.

[Dai Brainbocs]

Andy Legg is still playing - player-manager for Llanelli in the Welsh Premier.

[BR2]

For all we know it would of been peter storrie who instigated smiths move and who now has fallen short with his takeover bid.

conclusion: lets get storrie on board

There is vague talk of Storrie not being at Pompey for much longer.
I wonder if he now wishes he had stayed at Notts County.

[BR2]

Andy Legg is still playing - player-manager for Llanelli in the Welsh Premier.

Didn't see him walking around Llanelli when we went there the other day.
What a rundown place-parts make Oxford Road and East Reading look good.
Golf club was good though-the classic example of the haves and have nots in the same area.

[Terminal Boardom]

Is Tommy Smith having a medical with us then?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

So what exactly could Hammond do?

He's not incharge of the purse strings, he can only bid what JM allows him too.

I'm sure he's banging his head against the wall as much as everyone else.

Until JM said he could match Blades bid Hammond can't just pretend can he? Neither can he come out and say JM trying to save 100k has cost us a signing. Which is what JM always tries to do...

[leww_rfc]

107

[Arnie_Pie]

67449 views

[loyalroyal4life]

how long does it take for a bloody transfer to go through!! hurry up and move

[Scarface]

So what exactly could Hammond do?

He's not incharge of the purse strings, he can only bid what JM allows him too.

I'm sure he's banging his head against the wall as much as everyone else.

Until JM said he could match Blades bid Hammond can't just pretend can he? Neither can he come out and say JM trying to save 100k has cost us a signing. Which is what JM always tries to do...

Whose to say JM didn't sanction the £1.8m weeks ago and Hammond thought he could get a better deal, as he valued the player at less. I would guess JM sanctions pretty much any amount Hammond asks him for, so I wouldn't blame the Madman for this.

[Hoop Blah]

I still think negotiations are a joint effort between Hammond and the manager.

They come up with what they think is the correct price to pay/offer for a player and then Hammond does the rest, including getting Madjeski to sancion the figures involved.

It's a fair ponit about needing the Hunt money in before we could go ahead and up our bid. That's the way the clubs been run even though plenty of us think we need to take a few more risks like this to make sure we get our man.

Still not convinced the timing really allowed Pompey, or anyone else, to come in when they wouldn't have before, but it is crazy that we left it so long in terms of getting the players in we need to be competitive.

[rabidbee]

I think (purely supposition), the manager identifies the players he wants, with the help and advice of his coaching and scouting staff. Hammond and the board have already discussed budgets and financial options at the start of the season. Hammond presumably acts as a conduit between the manager and the board, and so one assumes that Hammond and BR would discuss fees and wages - BR needs to know what is at his disposal, and indicate how important he feels a player will be in the squad - and then Hammond goes to make the deal. In special circumstances, perhaps he will go back to the board to say more money is needed.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

So what exactly could Hammond do?

He's not incharge of the purse strings, he can only bid what JM allows him too.

I'm sure he's banging his head against the wall as much as everyone else.

Until JM said he could match Blades bid Hammond can't just pretend can he? Neither can he come out and say JM trying to save 100k has cost us a signing. Which is what JM always tries to do...

Whose to say JM didn't sanction the £1.8m weeks ago and Hammond thought he could get a better deal, as he valued the player at less. I would guess JM sanctions pretty much any amount Hammond asks him for, so I wouldn't blame the Madman for this.

Hammonds not that stupid and wouldn't care about 200k or whatever it was. He'd knew he'd have to get Smith as soon as he could, as would Rodgers, as would anyone who watched us play this season. JM would have wanted to save as much money as he could, the fact we had to wait to sell Hunt makes you realise just how much there hands are tied. In fact it seems we were forced to wait for the Bikey money too.