[Archived] Bellamy

[daren]

hahahahahhaa, great post

[Antgrad]

Greetings all....

Absolutely brilliant first post. And so true.

[1864roverite]

I just cant stop thinking that Bellamy's quotes were similar to those that he gave when he left Rovers for Liverpool, albeit, there is not the usual crap about them being boyhood club etc.

So he is joining a club that is going to challenge for Europe and he wants to play european football regularly ?

Well Craig young lad, your first season will not feature europe until you go on a mid season break as your team seek refreshness after a toiled start to this coming campaign. if your lucky enough you may just scrape through another hard season in the bottom 6.

Season 2 sees renewed optimism as egg head splashes more of his crumbling biscuit pounds on mediocre players whislt still relying on mssr Ferdinand, Dailly and Upson at the back, again, if your lucky you wont feature too prominently in the top 6 simply because your not good enough.

Season 3 wills ee you having moved on yet again. Club number 8 comes knocking and your off to the highest bidder just to save some of the millions your creaming off egghead as the club hurtles back to where it really belongs, back in the championship.

Wham are not even mentioned amongst the second tier of Premierships clubs in the odds stakes, in fact you get down to the bookies and look at the odds for relegation.

[1864roverite]

ssnews during interview said Bellamy also ahd options for Newcastle and Rovers, he never mentioned Rovers himself just concentrated on alan Shearer's alleged comments

[LWX]

ive defended bellamy in the past....obviously, as he blasted us into europe.....but now............(and im not sour that he's gone to WHAM....really id love to see him back in blue n white, honestly i would love it)........now even i must admit having listened to him recently.........he is a right nob head!!!!

[tcj_jones]

Oh come on 1864, West Ham have huge financial backing, have already brought in some very good players and are no doubt going to keep spending. They have Ashton returning from injury along with all of last season's purchases. There is no way in hell they will finish in the bottom six! I wouldn't be surprised if they were challanging for the top four in three season's time.

I don't blame Bellamy for going to West Ham, they are certainly a more attractive option. I'm just bitter because I really think it was more about the money than the club.

[Neil Weaver]

Fine first post Dave! Want to turn your hand to the occasional monthly review (during the playing season) now Bob Fleming has 'retired'?

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

When leaving Rovers last year, Bellamy claimed that Liverpool was the only club in the world he would have left Blackburn for. Now, following his move to West Ham, Bellamy says: "I wanted to make sure that when I left Liverpool it would be to a club that is going to be pushing for Europe. The opportunity to go to an ambitious club like West Ham is very attractive."

West Ham and Craig Bellamy both have something in common. The Hammers were guilty of deliberately deceiving football during the Tevez saga, while Bellamy deliberately deceived Rovers fans when he told them that there wasn't a clause in his contract.

West Ham survived in the Premiership because of a blatantly biased panel ruling which was an insult to all decent football supporters. Some of the reasons given for the Hammers getting away with a just a £5.5m fine were "the fact that the club was under new ownership" - this is surely irrelevant to breaking the rules. Otherwise any club could sign a number of illegal players and then pass it on to another owner and get away with it.

"West Ham's hitherto exemplary disciplinary record" - when actually it was not a first offence as they were previously forced to replay a League Cup tie against Aston Villa over fielding an ineligible player. Other clubs, like Swindon, have had bigger punishments for 'first offences'.

"The huge delay between the 'discovery of the breaches' and the proceedings" - this was largely due to West Ham deliberately concealing it.

"The fact that the new owners pleaded guilty to the offence" - they pleaded guilty the week before the hearing when it became obvious they were guilty.

Then there was the spurious reason given about "consideration of fan loyalty". What about the loyalty of Sheffield Utd fans or don't they count as much as West Ham fans ?

If it wasn't for the linesman's ridiculous decision to give a goal for West Ham which didn't cross the line at Ewood, they may not have survived in the Premiership. That decision by the linesman gave the club a huge (and undeserved) boost.

Craig Bellamy has joined a club which is now reviled up and down the country by decent football supporters. So I don't think we'll see any increase in the Welshman's popularity. But Bellamy wants us to believe that this club, which fortuitously survived by 3 points in the Premiership, is the right team for him because it's going to be "pushing for Europe".

The club has already lost one of it's best players, Nigel Reo-Coker, and look likely to lose Tevez to Man United as well. I suppose that Bellamy's move has nothing at all to do with the 75 grand a week he'll be earning. Oh no, I'm sure that didn't even enter his head. He was far too busy thinking about this "ambitious club pushing for Europe".

Perhaps the two of them deserve each other. They are both loathed throughout the country. It will eventually end in tears and despite Bellamy claiming that he's at Upton Park for the "long-term" - didn't he say the same thing when he joined Rovers and Liverpool - I'd bet a fiver or two that Bellamy is not at West Ham in a few years time.

[RovertheHill]

Agree with everything you say but unfortunately I can see them challenging for Europe. Hope I'm wrong but think if Bellamy stays injury free he'll get them the goals they need.

[RevidgeBlue]

Predictably a lot of scathing comments about Bellamy now we have failed to sign him.

I think you have to balance the high overall cost in context against:

1) the fact we only really needed one player (him) and he would have been the final piece in Sparky's jigsaw. If we had needed to totally rebuild the side, then yes it would have ben completely out of the question.

2) Transfer fees aren't now generally payable up front, more often over the life of the contract.

3) The excitement/bums on seats factor plus the galvanising effect he would have had on his team mates.

Even at the figures being mentioned it shouldn't have been completely out of the question in the light of the new TV money imo. Those figures may become the norm for top players over the next few seasons.

Hypothetically would much rather pay that for Bellamy than 4-5m and 40k p.w. for Santa Cruz who has never played in England and who has only ever scored 33 career goals in eight seasons and who has never scored more than seven in a season, even in Paraguay.

P.S. As much as we all detest them I think it's somewhat naive to pretend West Ham won't do rather well next season.

[dave birch]

P.S. As much as we all detest them I think it's somewhat naive to pretend West Ham won't do rather well next season.

Rev, didn't everyone expect the Whammers to do well last season?

[RevidgeBlue]

Rev, didn't everyone expect the Whammers to do well last season?

Don't think anyone expected them to be worldbeaters Dave, but I agree entirely, no-one in a month of Sundays expected them to be struggling against relegation.

They look bound for the top seven to me though next season.

When they should have been scrapping it out with the Dingles were it not for Mr. Devine.

[ace]

When they should have been scrapping it out with the Dingles were it not for Mr. Devine.

Anyone know if Bubbles Devine is still on the Select Group of Referees Assistants this season?

[Eddie]

West Ham won't be in another relegation scrap, but I don't think that their current squad is that amazing. Many of the players who I expected to have another good season last year made it appear that their first season in the premiership was a flash in the pan, whilst the fact that they will probably lose Tevez and have already lost Mascherano means that they no longer have the world class players that everyone was so excited about. I didn't really want us to resign Bellamy and I don't mind that he has gone to West Ham.

[CAPT KAYOS]

In addition to them also losing Benayoun

LIVERPOOL AGREE SWITCH

[roversmum]

I don't think Santa Cruz was ever an option with Sparky. Didn't Nicko say he was 'offered' to us - meaning presumably that he wasn't on Sparky's list of targets anyway (and given his form why should he be?). In truth I wouldn't be wanting to spend millions on him in any case even though he is rather pretty.

No doubt Bellers was trying to wind certain of our players up by allegedly texting them saying he was coming back to Rovers. Those who didn't get on with him perhaps? We will find out whether Bellers has gone to Wham for his football or the money soon enough. I can't see this particular leopard changing it's spots.

[pleasure]

No doubt Bellers was trying to wind certain of our players up by allegedly texting them saying he was coming back to Rovers. Those who didn't get on with him perhaps? We will find out whether Bellers has gone to Wham for his football or the money soon enough. I can't see this particular leopard changing it's spots.

mum, I understand your views, but I believe he was genuine - when he said he would be coming back.

he didn't only txt/ spk to our players, he still has regular contact with our coaching and medical staff and was contacting them too!

the money west ham offered him has obviously changed things.

maybe he didn't mention our interest on SSN, as not to ruin his chances of a return next summer ? :ph34r:

[Cocker]

Put yourselves in his shoes. You dont support West Ham or Blackburn and West Ham offer you a shed load of cash to play for them - what would you do.

[RoyRover]

Yet further proof that the grass isn't always greener.

[accyrover]

Yet further proof that the grass isn't always greener.

7 clubs in 8 years says it all. Journeyman at best, wasted talent at worst.

[Eddie]

Put yourselves in his shoes. You dont support West Ham or Blackburn and West Ham offer you a shed load of cash to play for them - what would you do.

That would depend really. No matter where he went he was always going to be earning very good money and that combined with the fact that he had enjoyed his time at our club (or at least it very much appeared as if he did) should really be something that he should have taken into consideration. He's in the best position to make that decision and we don't even know for sure whether or not a return to Ewood was an actual option for him, but either way I don't think you can say that money should be the only factor he could use to differentiate.

[78]

3) The excitement/bums on seats factor plus the galvanising effect he would have had on his team mates.

Then how do explain the X number of Season ticket holders who gave up their season tickets when he signed?

Signing players like Andy Cole, didn't do much to boost the numbers either.

Whilst it's always nice to sign the above players, I'm actually find it far more satisfying when players like Samba, Nelsen and hopefully Rigters come from relative obscurity and perform.

The Club have already 'given up' a million quid from the TV deal which already puts us 1m short of other clubs and with probably dare I say, the smallest ST figure of all PL clubs- this is the season we need to get the town back into football and show that Rovers aren't only just a small town in Europe, but a passionate and proud fanbase that deserves a team in the Premier League and we want to progress which means both the fans and the club pulling together in the right direction.

[gumboots]

When they should have been scrapping it out with the Dingles were it not for Mr. Devine.

Anyone know if Bubbles Devine is still on the Select Group of Referees Assistants this season?

No and i forgot to ask my Aunt what his plans were when i spoke to her last week (She's his mother-in-law) I'll ask next time I speak to my family shall I if nobody's found out before then

[RevidgeBlue]

Then how do explain the X number of Season ticket holders who gave up their season tickets when he signed?

Signing players like Andy Cole, didn't do much to boost the numbers either.

Whilst it's always nice to sign the above players, I'm actually find it far more satisfying when players like Samba, Nelsen and hopefully Rigters come from relative obscurity and perform.

The Club have already 'given up' a million quid from the TV deal which already puts us 1m short of other clubs and with probably dare I say, the smallest ST figure of all PL clubs- this is the season we need to get the town back into football and show that Rovers aren't only just a small town in Europe, but a passionate and proud fanbase that deserves a team in the Premier League and we want to progress which means both the fans and the club pulling together in the right direction.

1) There's always a natural flux each season each year of people who don't renew for whatever reason. How much worse would the figures have been had Bellamy not signed?

2) You might say that but hindsight shows that we were 5,000 up on the current attendance figures when Cole was here and we were prepared to make two 7m signings inside six months.

3) Fair comment but you need a balance - bring in the odd "star" as well.

4) Again fair comment but I can't help feeling we're shooting ourselves in the foot and are losing much of the impetus and goodwill derived from the price drops by being so passive in the market.

[Roar of the Rover]

Put yourselves in his shoes. You dont support West Ham or Blackburn and West Ham offer you a shed load of cash to play for them - what would you do.

Your right, money talks.