[Archived] Andy Cole

[AussieinUk]

Has Tris seen this, it was written by Alan Nixon..

Personally I think it is complete rubbish, Cole is staying put, especially with the potential partenernship with Steadinho. Although there may be some true with Flitcroft going to WBA...

Kanu and Kluivert?!?

[chris]

If its true, then we must take action, 2 players who havent got them self a new club. Kluivert & Kanu.

If it´s true that we are paying Cole 60.000 a week then we can have kluivert for 50.000  a week. He was rejected by WBA.

I severly doubt that we are paying Cole 60K per week.

Kluivert and Kanu are about as past it as Yorke. Stay clear.

Kluivert's only about 27 yrs old so wouldn't think we can write him off yet

But anyway this story better be false, if true i honestly think Souness must be going mad. And if this story is false the editor should be sacked.

Edited July 11, 2004 by chris

[greggyk]

Here is the article.

Im sure its a load of BS! The bust up they report is the one we all know about

[chris]

right so the theory is, we are going to release a player valued at 2 million to join another premiership club for notihing, a team that is a likely rival.

And the we are going to pay £30,000 a week so he can play for Fulham for a whole year and have no control over the player, this story is so stupid its almost funny

[Blueboy Downunder]

i have just been reading the news of the world and there is no mention of it anywhere.

[greggyk]

becuase its in the people

[bob fleming]

i have just been reading the news of the world and there is no mention of it anywhere.

It's in the Sunday People Blueboy.

Alan Nixon eh? Same fella who said we had £10million (or was it £15 million?) to spend this summer. Oh well - we'll have to wait and see won't we. Don't be surprised to see all this denied in the LET tomorrow.

Then again - nothing surprises me with football anymore.

[Lathund]

Damn these tabloids are full of crap. Hell, even "respectable" sites such as the BBC tend to write crap when it comes to Rovers, like how Andy Cole isn't likely to play a part in the team, he hasn't played since his fallout etc. No wonder people think that there's two bustups every week at Rovers, when they write about the same one for a month.

[1864roverite]

what a load of crap.

Cole was at training last week when BRFC were on tv with the dickov interviews as was Yorke and Todd.

[Manchester Blue]

It does seem to be Alan Nixon every time. Either he has a real axe to grind or someone is feeding him with these stories. As I said previously the possibility of Cole leaving doesn't surprise me but for him to leave for free while we pay half his wages well sorry but i'll believe it when it's official but not in this rag.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

''Cole wants to know whether he will even get a game, with the arrival of Paul Dickov looking like a further nail in his coffin.''

Your a complete gem Nixon,anybody who believes that wild statement must have had a frontal lobotomy

Just what is your problem with Blackburn Rovers fc fella,you write nothing but negative bullsh1t about our club

Edited July 11, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[rover6]

The fact we turned down a bid from Wigan for Todd proves that we are not just looking to throw players out of the club for peanuts.

Sure, if Fulham bid £1m for Cole, Souness will let him go - but released, I don't believe it for a second.

[herbergeehh]

This is the wildest rumour I've seen all summer, this would be just horrible!

I would rather keep Cole than sell him for two million pounds, and certainly not give him away. AND CERTAINLY NOT PAY HALF HIS WAGES just to attract some club to sign him for free !!

I'm sorry Souey, I support almost your every move, but if this is true..!!

[pussycat]

Even more scary guy's is the same paper reports in a little snippety thing at the back that Flitty may also sign for Burnley after being p**$$ed off at not being told he was losing the captaincy.

WHAT is going on at ewood.

[roversmum]

Sky Sports have put up their own take on the story here.

My first reaction was of horror in that there should be a proposition that we pay half of his wages - amounting purportedly to £1.5million over the year - why should we part pay for him to play for a rival team?

Thinking again, wasn't it said he was due a 'loyalty' bonus of £1mill at the end of his contract if he stayed at Rovers? So that would amount to £4million come the end of next season and should the rumour be true and he went to Fulham that would give us a saving of £2.5million wouldn't it? I'm still not in favour of it though.

For those who are getting uptight about 'fallings out' at Rovers - look at it realistically. We all fall out with others all the time; families; friends; Burnley Supporters - that's life.

We don't know what's going on in the camp but I bet it's no better or worse than any other club, it just suits someone's agenda to leak these rumours, no doubt there are fall-outs but there are passionate people involved so isn't it to be expected?

[percy]

I've read the articles this morning - Nixon and co must be clutching at straws to fill some space with this kind of rubbish...

Despite 'Fired Cole is Rover and Out!' & 'Rovers boot out £3m-a-year Cole on a free' headlines the SP doesn't manage to get a single quote about the situation from player or either club. The closest it gets is 'The SP understands..' before launching into some crazed transfer plot about us giving one of our better players away to a rival club for free AND continuing to pay 50% of his wages.

Weaken our team and pay for the improvement of someone elses? Why not throw a few midfielders in and offer half the profits of shirt sales whilst we're at it?

It doesn't make sense - it's the kind of transfer that only a desperate club Leeds would arrange. Fair enough, Cole's wages and end of contract bonus are looming over us, but unless we sign a replacement (I don't think Dickov's signing was meant as such) then we need Cole playing for us.

As rover6 has said, if someone offers a reasonable price, it wouldn't surprise me to see Cole leave. At least then we'd have more money to look into a new striker (Stead, Dickov, Gally and Jansen wouldn't be enough). Personally, I'd rather he stayed, he's looked good alongside Steadinho and they formed a decent partnership towards the end of last season.

[tchocky]

I took the courtesy of sending the Sunday P an email, sorry if I stole some of your points:

Dear Sunday P,

Just wanted to inform you of a few more details surrounding the Andy Cole situation.

The facts (which you obviously have from a close source of the player or club) are quite correct indeed. Blackburn Rovers have decided to pay up the rest of Andy Cole?s contract (£3million) and let him leave on a free to Fulham FC, where they will also pay 50% of his wages ? spot on there guys! This because Andy Cole has been a bit part player since he joined, scoring a measly 37 goals in his 87 starts and 9 substitute appearances for the club.

But you missed the fact that Rovers are also going to offer the unhappy former skipper Gary Flitcroft to WBA in a similar deal, and pay 50% of his wages AND pay up the remaining part of his contract (£4million ? 2 years) too.

In addidion, both Fulham and WBA will get their pick of one addition player from the Rovers first team (not Andy Todd or Dwight Yorke as similar deals are in the making) and 50% of the profits from the clubs shirt sales over the next 2 years. And in an effort to build a good relationship with the competing clubs in The Premiership Rovers have also offered Fulham, WBA, Norwich and Everton 6000 free tickets to Ewood Park for their clashes with the Rovers. Early speculation that the lancashire club had limited funds for transfers have therefore been squashed as they are now splashing out £7 million on transferring 2 players to competing teams.  And at the same time they are not actually increasing their wage budget so this presents good business yet again from Souness and Williams!

Stay tuned for similar deals for Dwight Yorke and Andy Todd in the near future!

Looking forward to more on the spot news, as they happen, in your excellent newspaper!

Regards,

Daniel *********

[Parasyte]

Someone said earlier it could save us 2.5 million at the end of next year. If that is the case (I dont know much about Coles arrival, contract, etc), then it would seem good buisness. Ish. Dickov scored a fair amount of goals last year, but Steads not proven yet, Jansen is far from former gloroes, and Gally suffers the same problem as Stead. And Yorke, well, goodbye. Unless of course, someone else was targeted as coming in. Still prefer him to stay though, but 2.5 million next year could help bring in some youth - its a fair amount of money in todays market.

[FourLaneBlue]

tchocky - the main worry I would have about sending that letter is that they might be so dumb as to take it at face value.

Maybe we should expect another 'exclusive' from Alan Nixon next week...and, for once, you really did see it here first!

Edited July 11, 2004 by FourLaneBlue

[herbergeehh]

Good one tchocky !

I really needed that one...

[modes98]

Someone said earlier it could save us 2.5 million at the end of next year. If that is the case (I dont know much about Coles arrival, contract, etc), then it would seem good buisness. Ish. Dickov scored a fair amount of goals last year, but Steads not proven yet, Jansen is far from former gloroes, and Gally suffers the same problem as Stead. And Yorke, well, goodbye. Unless of course, someone else was targeted as coming in. Still prefer him to stay though, but 2.5 million next year could help bring in some youth - its a fair amount of money in todays market.

Yeah but it would save us even more money if we sold him for money to any of the line of clubs wanting him and not pay any of his wages! But it won't happen cole will stay this season and then move to america and score plenty over there! Can't see him wanting to let go of his loyalty bonus either?

[Parasyte]

Cant see people actually buying him. DOnt get me wrong, I rate him, and think he is our best striker, but he's 30-odd now. Anyone who wants him will probably not have the moolah to stump up a transfer fee and realistically be able to pay his wages.

[bob fleming]

tchocky - the main worry I would have about sending that letter is that they might be so dumb as to take it at face value.

Maybe we should expect another 'exclusive' from Alan Nixon next week...and, for once, you really did see it here first!

Sunday People 18 July 2004

"A Rovers insider, going under the pseudonym tchocky, understands that...."

It really wouldn't surprise me.

[percy]

Nice one, tchocky ! Shame the sarcasm will be wasted on Nixon and co...

Parasyte: Still prefer him to stay though, but 2.5 million next year could help bring in some youth - its a fair amount of money in todays market.

My concern would be that with disappointing ST sales, lack of player sales and a relatively small prize money income from last season - would the whole total of cash 'saved' by releasing Cole actually be made available?

I'd rather Cole stayed and played 1st team football, than risk releasing him and trying to repalce him with whatever cash is made available. We're going to have to replace him one way or another next season (I imagine he won't be signing an extension to his contract!), let's hope Souey and co take the time to get it right. Another season of him playing alongside Stead/Gally should be a great help to their development as premiership strikers.

[Timmy]

Skysports reporting that Cole could be moving to Fulham this week