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Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

Unlikely, there will be players/has beens/never was's going there but there's this new influx of tv money coming to the premier league so they'll all want here too.

Maybe that was true but that now seems to be changing. Top rated young players are starting to go there and the game is growing fast. Asamoah Gyan is on $350,000 per week and if they are paying that sort of money for a player like him, then god only knows what they would pay for a Ronaldo or Messi.

To counter that though, it's being reported than Man Utd offered £145 million for Neymar in the summer, so the PL is probably still top for now but with the size and wealth of China, if they take to football, there will be no stopping them.

I'm just saddened by it all. There are teams going bust at our level for less than a weeks wages for an average player in the top leagues. The game is a million miles away from where it was when i first started watching and it's not for the better.

I read somewhere the other day that the Chinese president is a massive football fan, so all the wealthy businessmen are investing/spunking money into football basically as a brown nosing exercise.

Brazilians play in every league in the world, no surprise to see them starting to go to China now there's a few yuan floating about.

Apparently part of a long term plan to host/win the world cup. Is this likely, or is it just an Anzhi Mach-a-whatsit fad that'll see Ramires signing for Al Hilal on a free in a couple of years time?

I read earlier in the week that the Chinese top division is expected to soon have the 3rd biggest attendances worldwide (after the Premiership and the Bundesliga), and Ghangzhou Evergrande are getting something like 45,000 each week. While it seems like the money is helping them to get on the map, with those sort of crowds it seems like they'll be there to stay when they do break into the footballing world properly.

I guess Drogba and Anelka went there not long ago though and left pretty sharpish, not sure why but I seem to remember it was something about not being happy with the way the clubs treated them or something.

Can we start sending the Chinese media the Podge 21 video that Les put up the other week ... kerching!!!

Quoted from Tom13

I guess Drogba and Anelka went there not long ago though and left pretty sharpish, not sure why but I seem to remember it was something about not being happy with the way the clubs treated them or something.

I thought a year was pretty good for him ;)

[IMG]http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276369/Gallery/images/28240330/11462231.jpg[/IMG]

Quoted from Manchester Mariner

[IMG]http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276369/Gallery/images/28240330/11462231.jpg[/IMG]

Looks like a load of brown envelopes stuffed up his shirt.

Was Enhua any good ?

I'm not old enough to remember him

Quoted Text

Unfortunately for Grimsby, Zhang’s loan deal expired a few weeks short of the end of the season and he returned to China. A permanent deal was discussed but agreement was always unlikely as the defender was on a reported £10,000 a week during his spell – twice as much as any other player at the club.

Interesting article >> [url=http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/26-the-strange-case-of/7920-zhang-enhua]http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/26-the-strange-case-of/7920-zhang-enhua[/url]

Does our current starting 11 earn that in total a week(Confused)

Quoted from Davec

Was Enhua any good ?

I'm not old enough to remember him

Yes he was good but not worth £10,000 pw.

He wasn't the worst defender I've ever seen, that was Vance Warner.   He definitely wasn't worth £13k a week plus expenses though.

At attacking set-pieces he was a genuine threat with his aerial prowess, even though he wasn't the biggest bloke.  It was just defending, which is quite important for a defender, that he left himself down.

My abiding memory of him is Birmingham at home on a Tuesday night.  He managed to nutmeg himself and let Andy Johnson to steam through unchallenged and fire past Danny Coyne.  At the other end he was an absolute menace at corners, the Birmingham defence couldn't handle him.

I'm lying actually, my abiding memory is that whilst he and Paul Groves, who was a great midfielder but a far lesser centre-half, were the preferred pairing, we had Peter Handyside in his prime sat on the bench waiting and waiting and waiting for a chance.  At that point Handyside was absolutely superb, a classier defender you could not dream of  seeing in what is now the Championship.  Dare I say it, he was Futcher-esque at this point.

Handyside left the following summer on a Bosman to Stoke.  Even though they were a league below us they probably offered far more money than we could and gave him the captaincy but I think a lot of Town fans blame Lennie Lawrence's snubbing of him for his departure.  Handyside was dubbed 'Kaiser' in comparison to Franz Beckennauer by Stoke fans as they won the play-offs.  He then came to Blundell Park quite late in the next season and got torn to bits by Micky Boulding and Chris Thompson.

Can remember around that time we was sat at the top of the Championship, had to play Portsmouth away I think, a young up coming Peter Crouch and Burchill scored I think or was it Prozzynecki or someone, he was another bloody good player.

Then we screwed up against a newly promoted Rotherham side at home and it all went mammaries up after this (apart from nailing Liverpool), similar play style to how Town play now, we lost 3-0 on a Friday night. Rob Scott, Hurst and Monkhouse were playing against us.

That was the season after, Nelly.  The season Enhua was here we stayed up thanks to a 1-0 win on the closing day to champions Fulham.  Paul Groves got the goal.  Challenge was made even harder because Luke Cornwall, who we had on loan from Fulham, wasn't allowed to play.

Season after that (01/02) was when we started like a house on fire, sat at the top of the Championship for less than a day, same day England thrashed Germany 5-1 in Munich.   It fell apart quite quickly after that, win away at Coventry the only bright spot for a bit in the league.

Rotherham came here on a Friday night, hadn't won all season and they tore us apart.  Monkhouse on the left and Chris Sedgwick on the right. Alan Lee and Mark Robins up top.  Ronnie Moore had grown a beard in protest at them not winning so far, I still can see his stupid celebrations in front of the away fans.

Four days later we beat Liverpool at Anfield...

I was at that Pompey game. Burchill and Crouch got a brace each and we lost 4-2. Burchill then went to Celtic I think but his hamstrings went and he was never the same again. If memory serves Prosinecki absolutely ran the game, but I might be wrong and it might have been the Merson season.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Season after that (01/02) was when we started like a house on fire, sat at the top of the Championship for less than a day, same day England thrashed Germany 5-1 in Munich. It fell apart quite quickly after that, win away at Coventry the only bright spot for a bit in the league.

Oh yeah, we beat Barnsley 1-0 or 2-0 at home lol. I kinda remember now, that was a good game, nothing like sending a full Yorky away end home with nothing but gloom on their faces lol. 8)

I hope so , I'd like to see the premiership crushed

Quoted from Nelly GTFC

Can remember around that time we was sat at the top of the Championship, had to play Portsmouth away I think, a young up coming Peter Crouch and Burchill scored I think or was it Prozzynecki or someone, he was another bloody good player.

Abdul's dull fact of the day:

Only man to score in the world cup for 2 different countries.

Quoted from Nelly GTFC

Interesting article >> [url=http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/26-the-strange-case-of/7920-zhang-enhua]http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/26-the-strange-case-of/7920-zhang-enhua[/url]

Does our current starting 11 earn that in total a week(Confused)

As if his kid is named Gary ;D

The Headboys from 1979. Stonking anthem.

#https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjCzfmzg-HKAhUEWxoKHf6hB_UQtwIIXzAJ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5ulYAE_GgnU&usg=AFQjCNFFKP9jGp2Qi5HwGodqvq8rmwAh5g

Quoted from Town Monkey

I was at that Pompey game. Burchill and Crouch got a brace each and we lost 4-2. Burchill then went to Celtic I think but his hamstrings went and he was never the same again. If memory serves Prosinecki absolutely ran the game, but I might be wrong and it might have been the Merson season.

August bank holiday? Roasting hot?

If so, I fell asleep in a booze induced coma on the corner seating/terrace thing. Front side of me streaky brown, back half cool as anything!

Quoted from jock dock tower

The Headboys from 1979. Stonking anthem.

#https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjCzfmzg-HKAhUEWxoKHf6hB_UQtwIIXzAJ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5ulYAE_GgnU&usg=AFQjCNFFKP9jGp2Qi5HwGodqvq8rmwAh5g

Cheers for that Jock; a stonking song indeed that i haven't heard in over 30 years at a guess. Completely forgotten tracks are ace (or sh1te) depending on the song.

Whilst Enhua was a menace in the opposition box, he was just average at defending our own. It was such a waste to see such a talent as Handyside sat on the bench week after week. Unfortunately Lawrence and the board lost the plot around that time throwing fortunes at average foreigners.

Porky

Quoted from diehardmariner

He wasn't the worst defender I've ever seen, that was Vance Warner.   He definitely wasn't worth £13k a week plus expenses though.

At attacking set-pieces he was a genuine threat with his aerial prowess, even though he wasn't the biggest bloke.  It was just defending, which is quite important for a defender, that he left himself down.

My abiding memory of him is Birmingham at home on a Tuesday night.  He managed to nutmeg himself and let Andy Johnson to steam through unchallenged and fire past Danny Coyne.  At the other end he was an absolute menace at corners, the Birmingham defence couldn't handle him.

I'm lying actually, my abiding memory is that whilst he and Paul Groves, who was a great midfielder but a far lesser centre-half, were the preferred pairing, we had Peter Handyside in his prime sat on the bench waiting and waiting and waiting for a chance.  At that point Handyside was absolutely superb, a classier defender you could not dream of  seeing in what is now the Championship.  Dare I say it, he was Futcher-esque at this point.

Handyside left the following summer on a Bosman to Stoke.  Even though they were a league below us they probably offered far more money than we could and gave him the captaincy but I think a lot of Town fans blame Lennie Lawrence's snubbing of him for his departure.  Handyside was dubbed 'Kaiser' in comparison to Franz Beckennauer by Stoke fans as they won the play-offs.  He then came to Blundell Park quite late in the next season and got torn to bits by Micky Boulding and Chris Thompson.

Great work in your posts on this thread diehard. I remember all that well. By my reckoning you'd maybe be about 20 around that time? Some of us were posting on the original 'Electronic Fishcake' in that era :)

Quoted from Abdul19

I thought a year was pretty good for him ;)

A very good point! ;D

I remember Handyside being the best player on the pitch in that Stoke game
thought he was immense - and they let in about 4 goals! The other 10 Stoke players must have been crap

Quoted from Town Monkey

I was at that Pompey game. Burchill and Crouch got a brace each and we lost 4-2. Burchill then went to Celtic I think but his hamstrings went and he was never the same again. If memory serves Prosinecki absolutely ran the game, but I might be wrong and it might have been the Merson season.

In my top 3 individual performances that I've seen live, along with Peter Barnes for wba v gy and Bruno Valero for Villarreal at atletico.
Talking of Luke Cornwall, rhat must've been the season we absolutely fluked a win at wba on good Friday ?

Bloody hell I remember that Pompey game, thinking who's that lanky tw*t. Doesn't look like a foo...oh sodomist he's scored.

Quoted from chaos33

Great work in your posts on this thread diehard. I remember all that well. By my reckoning you'd maybe be about 20 around that time? Some of us were posting on the original 'Electronic Fishcake' in that era :)

Cheers mate.
I would have been late teens when Lennie took over and brought his foreign legion in.  Fresh eyed, full of hope and optimism.  Easy to look back now and say how that era was a farce but I genuinely thought at the time that we were destined for bigger things under Lennie and Huxford.  I think that naive hope made it all that more painful when the wheels came off and towards the end I was very vocal in blaming him for the demise.

For all his achievements Buckley had left a bit of a stale taste at the end of his second spell and it was refreshing to see something different.  I think it was Lennie's first game, away at Crewe possibly, with a 3-5-2 formation.  It was a disaster but it was a sign of things to come.  David Neilsen came in soon after and although he was by far the peak of the foreigners it was fascinating to see the likes of Menno and Knut Anders Fostervold coming to Town.  Of course most of the foreigners were absolutely junk but it was exciting.

Lennie was only spending the money the board said he could and whilst some of his decision making was a bit suspect, Handyside the classic example, the thinking was clear to see.  I remember him saying that he hoped the signing of Enhua would tap into the local Chinese population.  Unfortunately no-one told him it equated to about 200 people.  Another thing he did well was bridge the gap between our youth team and first team.  We were producing a couple of decent players (Rowan and Croudson the ones that spring to mind), but we had nothing in the way of a development side.  In his first full summer he brought in six young lads released by other clubs.  Two were a couple of Dutch lads, one a 'keeper who I never saw, the other a very talented midfielder who just couldn't hack it physically and I think was homesick but we had varying success with the others.  Simon Ford, the aforementioned Chris Thompson, Graham Hockless and Chris Bolder all went onto make first team appearances.  Ford the stand out 'success' of the experiment but Bolder made a number of appearances, Thompson had ridiculous potential but seemed to lack attitude and Hockless was the darling of the Pontoon a couple of seasons later.    What Lennie tried to address was that we didn't give youth lads long enough to develop and we ended up with a massive gap between the 18 man professional squad and then the youth set-up.   That's a problem we've still got today, doubt we're the only club either.

If anyone hasn't read John McDermott's book, it gives a great insight into the changes Lennie tried to bring into the club.  Not a fair comparison but since he left here we've done nothing but go down whilst he's carved out a very good little job for himself as a Director of Football/advisor to Dougie Freedman at a couple of Championship clubs.

Ah yes, the original Electronic Fishcake.  Some great debates on there, at the time when the internet and message boards really exploded but well before social media came along.  I would say it was before internet trolling too but can you remember Mariner Matt was it, or Matt Mariner?  I think he was a Town fan at heart but he could never resist a wind up and loved to remind people of how expensive his flat in Sheffield centre was and how big the TV in his bedroom was  ;D

First time the news seemed to hit the internet before the back page of the local paper too which made it seem even more exciting.  The ability to Google (probably was AskJeeves at that point!) the latest foreigner that Lennnie had taken on trial from the Danish fifth division was incredible.  I seem to remember this site had a young journo 'working' for them who had the scoop on absolute everything, even well ahead of the club at the time.  He went onto one of the national websites I think.

Despite the relegation scrap and a fair few absolute hammerings, good times to be a Town fan.

The whole Lennie Lawrence 'thing' was like a big firework; expensive, glittery, full of anticipation but all over in a flash and ultimately a let down.

Quoted from chaos33

Great work in your posts on this thread diehard. I remember all that well. By my reckoning you'd maybe be about 20 around that time? Some of us were posting on the original 'Electronic Fishcake' in that era :)

I miss the electronic fishcake chat room on match days

Quoted from blundellpork

Whilst Enhua was a menace in the opposition box, he was just average at defending our own. It was such a waste to see such a talent as Handyside sat on the bench week after week. Unfortunately Lawrence and the board lost the plot around that time throwing fortunes at average foreigners.

Porky

I think the highlighted part led to our demise and subsequent fall from grace. The Board seemed to sanction spending silly money on just trying to stay at Championship level. It would always be a struggle at that level and we were certainly " punching above our weight". We ended up owing thousands and still eventually got relegated with a huge debt around our necks. We also deferred paying money owed to HMRC on the prospect of income from Digital TV ( a very stupid strategy ) and subsequently had to depend on JF bailing us out.