John Buckley

[Blow-in]

18 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I am sure it is at least partly because of the lack of quality in the league, but I am pleased for him that its going well

Anyone know what his salary is? probably 100k tax free.

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, Blow-in said:

Anyone know what his salary is? probably 100k tax free.

He isn't at one of the Saudi monarchy owned clubs (the ones with "infinite money"), so not sure, although I would have thought he has got a sizable bump in salary, and yes, tax free

https://www.spl.com.sa/en/news/759272/ben-harburg-pioneering-owner-plotting-new-era-at-al-kholood

 

Edited September 19 by KentExile

[Mattyblue]

Seen some clips, waking pace and no fans, right up Bucko’s street.

[47er]

22 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Seen some clips, waking pace and no fans, right up Bucko’s street.

We tried and tried with Buckley. He had chance after chance and got worse. Doesn't matter what he does elsewhere and I wish him well. But he was never going to do anything with us.

[KentExile]

 

[philipl]

canned sound?

But good luck to Bucko- he will bee far happier (and gazillions wealthier) there than not making the matchday 20 at Ewood.

[metalrover]

He finally found his league, wish him all the best. Can't help feeling heart wrenching for him after watching his emotional farewell video though.

[riverholmes]

5 hours ago, metalrover said:

He finally found his league, wish him all the best. Can't help feeling heart wrenching for him after watching his emotional farewell video though.

Heart-wrenching is someone wasting their potential and their joy with it. So, this is great for Buckley and decent for Rovers. As someone mentioned, he was getting worse - turning into a plodder with an occasional threaded pass, when he had always been an elegant player with untapped potential.

I remember James Beattie saying he had to get away from his familiar surrounds to make it and maybe it'll be the case, in some sense, for Buckley. (Even if, for Beattie, the reasons were lifestyle related, if I remember rightly).

The focus should really be on getting through the next Buckley, Travis or JRC. That's where the worries grow.

With little to be proud of on the pitch at Rovers, it gives me some pride to think Rovers have fairly recently produced such technically gifted midfield players as Adam Wharton, John Buckley and, from women's football, Keira Walsh.

Edited September 20 by riverholmes

[metalrover]

1 hour ago, riverholmes said:

The focus should really be on getting through the next Buckley, Travis or JRC. That's where the worries grow.

VI seems to like Montgomery very much

 

Edited September 20 by metalrover

[Herbie6590]

https://www.flashscore.co.uk/news/football-saudi-professional-league-exclusive-buckley-talks-wharton-blackburn-and-saudi-pro-league-switch/Y5SLxWCr/

[...]

2 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

https://www.flashscore.co.uk/news/football-saudi-professional-league-exclusive-buckley-talks-wharton-blackburn-and-saudi-pro-league-switch/Y5SLxWCr/

Superb freekick. Glad he's enjoying it. Marking Ronaldo crazy times

[roversfan99]

Went to Saudi for the "project."

[joey_big_nose]

3 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

https://www.flashscore.co.uk/news/football-saudi-professional-league-exclusive-buckley-talks-wharton-blackburn-and-saudi-pro-league-switch/Y5SLxWCr/

Hes a great lad, but he has been standing still or going backwards for years so a move was the right thing.

That said I think we got 1 million for him, and paid 2 million for Tavares. And as far as I can see Tavares is a very similar player to Buckley, but with the same flaws (loose in possession, not physically competitive, doesn't cover enough ground) to a greater degree 

[Tom]

I once scored a hat trick for Langho against Blue Star, think more people were watching to be honest. 
 

[Commondore]

I hope he's happy profiting off slave labor, murdered journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, and women being rightsless wards of their husbands. 

[riverholmes]

7 hours ago, Commondore said:

I hope he's happy profiting off slave labor, murdered journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, and women being rightsless wards of their husbands. 

This argument always surprises me as surely we should look at ourselves first and consider the profits that English football has or is currently making from dictatorships and exploitative corporations. That's not to mention our British governments role. Seems to me, once we have got our house in order, we can go and try to sort out the rest of the world.

[Tomphil2]

Ok so it was time to move on after successive coaches couldn't match what he offered to a team and he didn't step up to what was needed from him.

However it's really odd they then went like for like in his replacement on the payroll presumably just based on this lad being of bigger more athletic build. But cut from the same lacadaisical cloth and still struggling to fit the style of play...whatever that actually is.

[Upside Down]

8 hours ago, Tomphil2 said:

Ok so it was time to move on after successive coaches couldn't match what he offered to a team and he didn't step up to what was needed from him.

However it's really odd they then went like for like in his replacement on the payroll presumably just based on this lad being of bigger more athletic build. But cut from the same lacadaisical cloth and still struggling to fit the style of play...whatever that actually is.

More commission to be had with one player in and one player out.

[Commondore]

On 15/10/2025 at 16:53, riverholmes said:

This argument always surprises me as surely we should look at ourselves first and consider the profits that English football has or is currently making from dictatorships and exploitative corporations. That's not to mention our British governments role. Seems to me, once we have got our house in order, we can go and try to sort out the rest of the world.

We're going off topic, but no one is suggesting Britain or the rest of the western world are in any way perfect, and we are indeed in many ways profiting off the misery countries like Saudi Arabia inflicts on others. I would love for PL clubs and others to show a minimum amout of backbone and say no to money and sponsorships from them, for example. However, Britain and most other places in the western world are not dictatorships with state sanctioned slave labor, murdered journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, and women being rightsless wards of their husbands. In these matters it's morally wrong to stay silent and mumble something about getting out own house in order first, and even worse to help these dictatorships clean up their public image by going there and playing football like it's a nation like any other, just because the money's good. By your logic, when is it accpetable to have an opinion on how other nations conduct their bussiness? I assume you would have had a problem with Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany, for example?

[yellowsubmarine]

Back to football. Buckley just had 2 assists in the first half against Al-Najma Saudi. 

Delighted it's working well for him so far!

[Upside Down]

8 hours ago, Commondore said:

We're going off topic, but no one is suggesting Britain or the rest of the western world are in any way perfect, and we are indeed in many ways profiting off the misery countries like Saudi Arabia inflicts on others. I would love for PL clubs and others to show a minimum amout of backbone and say no to money and sponsorships from them, for example. However, Britain and most other places in the western world are not dictatorships with state sanctioned slave labor, murdered journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, and women being rightsless wards of their husbands. In these matters it's morally wrong to stay silent and mumble something about getting out own house in order first, and even worse to help these dictatorships clean up their public image by going there and playing football like it's a nation like any other, just because the money's good. By your logic, when is it accpetable to have an opinion on how other nations conduct their bussiness? I assume you would have had a problem with Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany, for example?

But Britain arms, supports and enables all of these regimes. Especially Saudi Arabia. In fact the only reason it is Saudi Arabia and not just Arabia is because of Britain and the US. 

I'm hoping this discussion doesn't get nuked because it's a crucial element of this overall discussion here. 

Personally I wouldn't take Saudi blood money but I wouldn't take the US blood money either. My main gripe with players in the Saudi pro league is the same as it is with other leagues of a similar format and that is they are tinpot and Mickey Mouse.

If you don't have proper relegation and promotion then it's not a proper league system in my opinion. 

I am glad to see Buckley doing well though, hopefully he can use this as a platform to get a gig at a proper club and play in a proper league.