CC League 1 Close Season News & Links

[Napoleon Solo]

Thought I'd start this seeing as Komp has started a League Two thread.

Carlisle United

After helping to revive his career, ungrateful little cnut Karl Hawley has decided to leave Carlisle, despite receiving a greatly increased contract offer. (I'm not bitter, honest ).

However, two new strikers have been brought into the club as the club look to push forward after last seasons eighth placed finish. Ex-Middlesborough striker Danny Graham has turned his loan deal at the club into a preferment two year deal. Graham scored 7 goals in 11 games this season and I've got to say I was very impressed by the little I saw of him. He seems like a player that could do a very good job at this level, hopefully helping push the club towards the Championship.

The other striker coming into the squad is 23-year old Danny Carlton. He's signed for us from Morecambe and he's scored 56 goals in the last 4 seasons for Morecambe. Other than that though I know very little about him. Anyone seen him playing recently? Is he any good?

[rcgills]

All I can tell you about Danny Carlton, Rockin, is that he always used to be a great player to sign on Championship Manager if you were in the lower leagues Other than that, can't help you much.

Gillingham have just signed defender Simon King from Barnet for 200k. Most Gills fans are very surprised we've spent that much, for the last few seasons we've mainly been scraping around looking for freebies, it's been a good few years since we spent that kind of money. We're also somewhere between 10-12m in debt, but the chairman has been talking a lot about restructuring the debt and the bank supporting us, looks like he might be right, as I believe the bank would be more than capable of vetoing such a deal if they wanted to.

Also seem set to sign Craig Armstrong from Cheltenham, and there are strong rumours linking us with Simon Royce, who was on loan to us at the end of last season, Delroy Facey and possibly Tommy Black, who's also spent some time on loan with us, although it seems Southend are favourites to beat us to sign him.

[thehandicapman]

who is this Danny Spiller thats just gone to Millwall RC?

THM

[rcgills]

He was our player of the year about 3 or 4 years ago, THM, came through the youth team. Struggled to get into our team of late though, plenty of rumours that he spent too much time in the local nightclubs and not enough preparing for games. He broke back into our team towards the end of this season, although often played out of position up front (he's normally a midfielder), and was actually playing pretty well by all accounts, enough to prompt us to offer him a new contract. Whether the fact he was out of contract was what caused him to start playing well, who knows. Anyway, the talent's there, and things had probably gone a bit stale for him at the Gills. He's got the potential to do well for Millwall, but if he spent too much time in the clubs when he was in Kent, God knows what he'll be like now he's in London . Could be a good signing for them, if he plays the way he's capable of playing.

[Frodo]

Simon King - Recommended to Gills by Hessenthaler. Picked up as a left-back but converted to a centre-back. He's not quick he doesn't look strong but is a very good footballer. Our most consistent performer for the past 3 seasons and won the player of the year with around 85% of the vote. You don't get many centre-backs who are as comfortable on the ball and capable of scoring 25 yarders but King has that capability.

IMO he needs a strong, quick centre-back alongside him but I see no reason he can't make the step up.

£200k is a bit of a staggering price considering next year you could've picked him up for nothing, as he wasn't going to stay. Hope he turns out as good as the other King we sold you, though I guarantee you this one isn't a complete arse. If he's not great the first couple of games though, don't drop him, he's a very quick learner.

From what I can gather Rockin, the Morecambe fans don't seem concerned about losing Carlton.

[rcgills]

Originally Posted by Frodo

IMO he needs a strong, quick centre-back alongside him but I see no reason he can't make the step up.

Hmm, I spy a potential problem there in the fact we've only got 2 other central defenders at the moment (excluding youth teamers), one is Ian Cox, who is now 36 and most Gills fans wouldn't have bothered renewing his contract last month, although Jepson obviously disagreed, and Duncan Jupp, who is very, very slow, and has been played at right-back most of the time anyway.

Cheers for the thoughts, Frodo. To be honest, if this one turns out to be as good as the other King you sold us, I really don't care if he is a complete arse

[thehandicapman]

Cheers RC, I mentioned a few weeks ago how I wanna keep my eyes on Millwall, since feb they lost 4 of 17 league games and looked useful when beating Bristol City at the end of the season. Currently 14-1 with Hills.

THM

[Napoleon Solo]

Originally Posted by Frodo

From what I can gather Rockin, the Morecambe fans don't seem concerned about losing Carlton.

Cheers Frodo, seems like he didn't have a great season this year so that's maybe why the Morecambe fans aren't too disappointed. Hopefully he'll do a decent job for us.

The rebuilding at Brunton Park continues:

28-year-old midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson has put pen to paper on a two year deal that brings him back to Brunton Park for a second time. Bridge-Wilkinson, who has most recently played for Bradford, has already made 7 appearances for United during a one month loan spell under Nigel Pearson, in March 1999, when Derby County sent him North to gain some valuable experience.
He made his debut for us on 6 March 1999, playing a full part in a 2-1 home win over Shrewsbury, with the goals coming courtesy of a young Scott Dobie.
His final game in a blue shirt was as a substitute in the 3-0 victory over Torquay in the April, and he left Cumbria with little inkling of the end of season drama that was to follow for us.


Having started with the Rams as a trainee, the Coventry born all-action player moved to Port Vale in 2000 and went on to make 140 appearances, scoring 36 goals, in a successful 4 year spell with the Valiants. 8 months with Stockport followed before he secured a move to Bradford in February 2005. Valley Parade has seen almost 100 appearances from the committed linkman, and he joins Carlisle on a contract that keeps him here until the summer of 2009.

Assistant Manager Gregg Abbott told us: "I've seen him play and, in fact, I've seen plenty of him, so I know a lot about him. He's going to be a good player for us, hopefully he's going to come here and do what he did at Bradford, and he's another player who will help us to improve our squad."
"He's a player who can get forward," he said, "and I think you'd have to say that is a part of his game we'd look to have here. We'll want to utilise the way he gets in to the box and makes things happen in the final third but, obviously, he has the defensive side of the job to do as well. We'll be bringing him in and hopefully he'll be scoring a few goals as well as getting involved in other ways, and he will give us an extra dimension from midfield."


Marc himself told us: "I know a bit about the club because I came up here on loan from Derby County in the 1998/99 season. That was a busy month, from March until April, and obviously the club was struggling a bit at the time, at the bottom of the Third Division as it was then. It all ended with Jimmy Glass scoring that infamous goal. I have to admit, there were three of us following what was happening during that game back at Derby. There was me, Rory Delap and Richard Knight, who came on loan to Carlisle a week or two after myself, and we were all jumping up and down in the changing rooms when we heard that a goal had been scored. We had sent our best wishes to the Club on a fax beforehand, and we were all hoping for the best. The three of us came in after the game and saw the result, and we were ecstatic. Then to find out afterwards that the goalkeeper had scored the winning goal, you can't believe it, what a story that is. We were really pleased that Carlisle stayed up that year."
"I started my apprenticeship at Derby," he explained, "then I went to Port Vale. I really enjoyed myself there, and it was the first time I had been involved in the first team regularly. I had made one first team appearance for Derby and had made numerous squads without ever getting on to the pitch. There comes a time where you have to go and play first team football, and I found at that age I needed to go and play. It was a decision at the time where I wasn't really sure what to do for the best, but when I went to Port Vale I played virtually every game and scored a few goals there, so it turned out to be an excellent move."
"I did then spend some time with Stockport," he added, "but, for whatever reason, it didn't really work out for me and I ended up signing for Bradford City the following February. Last season, of course, that meant that we played Carlisle three times, including in that Cup game where you beat us on penalties. That was a really good game to play in actually, because there was a lot of football played and it was an enjoyable game. Mind you, we weren't too pleased at the time with the ending but, afterwards, when you look back you realise it was a good game of football."
"One of my main reasons for coming here is that it is a team that likes to play football," he said. "I know that the manager likes to do things that way, and that's the type of player that I am. I can see myself fitting in really easily to that."
"I'd probably describe myself as an attacking midfielder," he told us, "but for the last three or four seasons I've been a little bit more defensive for various reasons. There have been a few injuries in the team, and I have found myself covering that part of the job. I've played left midfield, right midfield, and I even played up front for one game, which was slightly strange, but I've played in all these different positions and I think now is the time to narrow down my playing and go back out and show people what I can do again."


Chipping in with his memories of Marc, club Physio Dolly said: "Bridgey was here in the 98/99 season, and he was very young then. I think he was 18 or 19 years old and he was very slight and slim, and hadn't really developed fully. That's changed as he has a good physique on him now. Having seen him play against us three times in the last year or so, he's improved a lot as a player. He has great energy up and down the pitch and he likes to get in the box and score. He's a decent passer as well, so I've no doubt that he'll be a great addition to our squad."

I'm really looking forward to this season, even more so than the last few. It looks like McDonald is looking to put together a very attacking line-up this year, which we admittedly did struggle with at times last season, especially when Karl Hawley was missing. Now, if he could add a few decent defensive players to the squad as well I feel we could really be pushing for a play-off place or, dare I say it, an automatic promotion place!

[thehandicapman]

I'm already confused by the prices for promotion on betfair.

Luton are a team who lost 11 of their last 13 matches in the Championship and although I've not looked at there ins and outs, but the price of 3.15 for them to get promoted seems far too tight. Its not always easy for teams to get out of the losing mentality and I have a feeling that like many, Luton will need more than one season to get out of division one.

One the Lays on their promotion become a bit more competitive, I might have a dabble

THM

[Kop66]

The other striker coming into the squad is 23-year old Danny Carlton. He's signed for us from Morecambe and he's scored 56 goals in the last 4 seasons for Morecambe. Other than that though I know very little about him. Anyone seen him playing recently? Is he any good?

I've seen him a couple of times Rockin, he was a good conference player and regular scorer but i am a little surprised at Lge 1 Carlisle coming in for him? Good luck to him though and i would imagine that he's not going to have to move from home or far from home, which is usually a positive.

I pondered going in for some Ante Post bets when looking at some odds a few days ago but i'll probably give it a miss, i thought Millwall were very tempting too THM, especially as they started so poor but finished so well last season, i'm sure i see 16's somewhere, i think they could be a great e.w bet.

[kompressaur]

CC League One Odds 2007/08
Leeds 13/2 Expekt
Nottingham Forest 7/1 Ladbrokes, Betfred
Swansea 12/1 Tote, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power
Doncaster 14/1 Paddy Power
Millwall 14/1 General
Southend 16/1 General
Yeovil 18/1 Expekt, Paddy Power
Luton 20/1 Betfred (9/1 in places)
Oldham 201 Victor Chandler
Carlisle 20/1
Huddersfield 25/1 - William Hill
Tranmere 22/1 Totesport
Crewe 33/1
Gillingham 33/1
Hartlepool 33/1 General
Northampton 33/1
Port Vale 33/1
Swindon 33/1
Walsall 40/1 General
Brighton 40/1
Bristol Rovers 40/1
Cheltenham 50/1
Leyton Orient 50/1
Bournemouth 66/1

etc etc

[rcgills]

Four more new signings today for Gills. We've raided Barnet again, so I'd be interested in Frodo's opinions on Barry Cogan, and in THM's views on Aaron Brown, who I believe was at Bristol City, although we've just signed him from Swindon. Also brought in Delroy Facey and Craig Armstrong.

On the down side, however, Matty Jarvis has finally left, signing for Wolves for an as yet undisclosed fee.

[thehandicapman]

Left us ages ago RC and had a pretty bad injury before going to swindon. Got quite a bit of skill about him but can be lazy and go missing for long periods, never one to really get stuck in either without going over the top. He might've changed since I watched him tho.
You'll miss that Jarvis won't you RC?

THM

[thehandicapman]

in error

[rcgills]

We will certainly miss Jarvis, yes, but maybe not as much as we'd originally thought. Of our 11 games from March onwards, he only actually played one (he was supposedly injured, but most people got the impression it was more to prevent him being injured and scuppering any possible transfer). Up until that point, he'd looked pretty much our only real attacking threat all season, and no-one thought we'd cope without him all that well, but in the 10 games he missed, we won 5, including beating Bristol City , drew with Blackpool, and lost 4, including a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Forest.

So it showed we are capable of playing and scoring goals without him. To be honest, we may even be better off without him. He started off excellently last season, but once teams learned how to cope with him (normally by sticking 2 men on him), we struggled - he wasn't good enough to cope with having 2 men on him, and we weren't good enough to take advantage of the gaps that should've given us elsewhere on the pitch.

Good luck to him anyway, he's certainly very capable of playing in the Championship, at a push, with the right coaching, he could go on to play in the Premiership. Seems we got 500k for him anyway, potentially rising to 650k with various clauses, which isn't too bad.