Long to WBA

[Wycombe Royal]

Again, I don't think anyones suggesting they make decisions on either, just that as the people that ultimately keep the club going the fans could possibly be afforded a little more insight into what's happening with the club.

You could argue that applies to all businesses. It is their customers that keep them going but does that mean they should get to know about all their financial dealings?

I really don't get this need to know what fees are being paid or recieved. There is no need for it other than to satisfy the curiousity of fans who live in the world of Football Manager.

[Ian Royal]

Personally I don't really care, but you wouldn't think it would be too hard for the club to say they'd bought / sold a player for a fee of £x that could potentially rise to £y depending on performance.

[FiNeRaIn]

I really don't get this need to know what fees are being paid or recieved. There is no need for it other than to satisfy the curiousity of fans who live in the world of Football Manager.

There is absolute need for it. The fans go to watch the players and the team, of course they want to know how much their players get sold for. Thats always been the case in football and has nothing to do with football manager ( this poor example gets an airing again). It allows the fans to see where the money is going and how much of that to realistically spend on replacements. Making it undisclosed is just a way for the club to try and hide the money so they can't feel the force of the fans demanding reinvestment. Fans = customers and ultimately our funds have paid for that players wages and the running costs of the club for donkeys years, we have a right to know when an asset gets removed.

However I've just seen Ian royal roll in here and add him with yourself, melonhead and svlad im not prepared to battle with 4 rtg's at once. I simply can't be arsed.

[Ian Royal]

obviously didn't read what I said then.

[FiNeRaIn]

obviously didn't read what I said then.

No I didn't, but you and I rarely agree and you'll happily join forces with the others to reiterate points...you hunt in packs. Us STG's fight alone.

[Royal Rother]

Make that 5.

But I'm just quietly shaking my head in the background.

[FiNeRaIn]

Make that 5.

But I'm just quietly shaking my head in the background.

All we need is cpyr now and thats the six nations in.

[Royal Rother]

[Ian Royal]

obviously didn't read what I said then.

No I didn't, but you and I rarely agree and you'll happily join forces with the others to reiterate points...you hunt in packs. Us STG's fight alone.

paranoid delusions creeping in there. Like any of us coordinate secretly with others to win arguments.

[FiNeRaIn]

Who said anything about secrecy? I think you are the paranoid one judging by that

[Hoop Blah]

Fans have had an interest in the comings and goings of the squad since football began. How much those players go for is an integral part of pub debate and fan opinion.

That's a pretty fundemental part of the circus that follows the game, sells papers, makes fans get excited and attracted to their clubs. I'm guessing those that don't quite understand that have a pretty dispassionate circle of friends who don't pay as close an attention to the game.

It's pretty illogical yes, but it's still of significant interest to plenty of fans.

[Ian Royal]

Fans have had an interest in the comings and goings of the squad since football began. How much those players go for is an integral part of pub debate and fan opinion.

That's a pretty fundemental part of the circus that follows the game, sells papers, makes fans get excited and attracted to their clubs. I'm guessing those that don't quite understand that have a pretty dispassionate circle of friends who don't pay as close an attention to the game.

It's pretty illogical yes, but it's still of significant interest to plenty of fans.

Agree on the whole, and I don't see how it's particularly difficult to give an upfront fee and a "potentially rising to" fee.

If Madejski wants to get the arse about figures being wrong, publish them. If it's other clubs, or players asking for non-disclosure, pressure them for disclosure. The only time there's an argument for keeping it quiet, is when it's likely to be seen as a sale for too little, a purchase for too much, or a purchase so high it'll put pressure on the incoming player.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

If it is the other club then say that Leicester do not want the figure disclosed for example.

[Wycombe Royal]

is when it's likely to be seen as a sale for too little, a purchase for too much, or a purchase so high it'll put pressure on the incoming player.

So basically nearly every transfer then, as we all know what fans are like.

So basically IR, you have given the answer in a nutshell as to why the majority (that's right, not just RFC) don't disclose transfer fees anymore.

[Ian Royal]

Not really Wycombe, I'm talking extremes. Like when there's at least one zero missing or added.

[Wycombe Royal]

Not really Wycombe, I'm talking extremes. Like when there's at least one zero missing or added.

People on internet forums will quibble and criticise clubs over a lot less than a missing zero. This forum, and all the other football forums on the internet are proof of that.

Interesting to note that before the invasion of football forums disclosing transfer fees was not an issue and it was done with most transfers. Now every little thing a club does is criticised by certain fans on internet forums - again this forum is evidence of that.

You can hardly blame clubs for wanting to keep some things private.

[Mr Angry]

Back to Shane Long; I was told from someone in the game (ok, Steve Kean) that Shane is already very highly regarded at West Brom; no attitude, works hard, gets on well with everyone. Fair play to the lad and good luck to him in the rest of his career.

[The Rouge]

The thing I love about this thread is how silly it makes Wimb and Messiah look on page 1!

[Wimb]

The thing I love about this thread is how silly it makes Wimb and Messiah look on page 1!

does it?

£3million for a player who to that point hadn't scored regularly at Championship level still seems like a good bit of business to me

Fair play he showed he's worth more then that but hindsight is a wonderful thing. By the start of November his value was looking even lower than that.

[Snowball]

The thing I love about this thread is how silly it makes Wimb and Messiah look on page 1!

does it? YES IT DOES

£3million for a player who to that point hadn't scored regularly at Championship level still seems like a good bit of business to me

Fair play he showed he's worth more then that but hindsight is a wonderful thing. By the start of November his value was looking even lower than that.

A few, very few people, can look beyond a ten-game, even a twenty-game run
and see quality, power, bravery, speed, a gradually improving first touch, and remember
that the player, late to football, was the equivalent of about 19 and would get a lot better.

A few (well at least one) put their money where their mouth was and went on record.

Barring a major injury, I think Shane will almost certainly move onwards and upwards from WBA,
and as someone else has suggested, he may well turn out to be a bigger player than Kevin Doyle.