A few haven’t seen him play then.

Not many tall players are good in the air. Gally’s really not a good header of the ball in an opposed contest.

If he just ran half his weight he could be devasting. You can’t put the mongrel into players though, they either have it or they don’t.

He never looked happy playing as a No 9. His first touch isn’t good enough and he plays like a ten stone weakling that’s just had sand kicked in his eyes. If Stoke think they’ve got a guy that can lead the line they’re going to be disappointed..

A three year contract ! Christmas came early for Sam.

I saw that, jaw dropping. The lad is a complete creep.

A lot of those goals came early in his career. Last season he didn’t look like scoring one. He wasn’t even getting into positions to miss chances.

I can’t see the point of signing both of Fadz and Batth, unless the plan is to give them 45 minutes each ?

Pickering and Brittain probably, but will they get far enough forward ?

The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin

If you were playing centre half and you had him lining up against you you’d be thinking “ Bloody hell I’m in for a rough old afternoon here “. 15 minutes later the armchair and cigars would be out. 6’ 3” jumps about 5’ 8” - I don’t know how he does it. Just let it hit you on the head !

Last season he wasn’t even missing chances, he just wasn’t at the races .

Sounds like the new Jim Fryatt, hopefully he’s the new Rudy Gestede

He’s what I call “ a manufactured player “, there’s a lot of them in modern football. He’s not a natural. A big athletic looking lad. He looks the part - until the whistle blows. He’s never developed a football brain. How many times do we see a ball come into the penalty area to be attacked and he’s back on his heels.

I had an estate agent around valuing my house the other day. He noticed the signed photo of The Beatles with Pete Best on drums in the Cavern I have on the stairs wall. He said “ Look at this house I valued a few weeks ago”. The owner had converted his cellar into a replica of The Cavern with the famous wall backdrop. He had Cavern era Beatles like they were playing painted life size on the wall. It looked brilliant. He’d got the guy who’d actually painted the replica wall in the modern Cavern to do it. The estate agent reckoned it cost the guys £thousands to do.

I saw the Kinks the week “ You Really Got Me “ went to number one at the same club. John Lee Hooker was another good gig there. I missed out on seeing Little Richard because the tickets were 50p and I couldn’t afford that. Alexis Korner and various hangers on, Long John Baldry, Georgie Fame etc seemed to be on every Sunday night. Elton John, with a band called Bluesology I think, were regulars. The house band was David John And The Mood from Preston. They were in the Stones style and went on tour with them. When they got back off that tour their gear had had a massive up grade. All really nice “ Gibson “ guitars and brand new “ Vox “ amps.

We won’t have to wait whilst Christmas if we don’t get some players signed soon.

Yeah, who know had good he could have been without that first injury.

Every ball from Tugay had a message on it. That one said “ Here, cross this one “.

Not particularly loud , it was a cellar club a bit like images of the Cavern in Liverpool. So you didn’t have to play too loud, I don’t recall my ears ringing like they did after gigs in later years. You could see Clapton was good but we had our own local guitar god at the time - Pete Cowap who played in a 3 piece band called “ The Country Gents “ . Named after the “ Gretsch “ guitar he sometimes played. He was a brilliant player but didn’t make the most of his talents. His band was the first band I ever saw that had a tribute band playing at the same time ! Look him up A local guy called The Tony Auton Band did a good musical tribute to him - “ I Remember Jim “ . Well worth a listen. Check it out on you tube.

He looked really decent when he first emerged at Rochdale but nothing he’s done since has convinced me he’d be a good signing now.

Schrödinger’s signing ?

Walk away then.

I saw him several times back in the early -mid 1960’s at a local club. He had Clapton in tow then.

It’s the only way we’ll be able to sign a player. He’s far enough away in Japan not to really know what’s going on at Rovers.