End of Term Report Part 7 28/06/2009
Posted by Matt Rowson in Thoughts about things.trackback
Ha! Sunshine! All afternoon! Whilst the skies were emptying further south! Heartily relieved, I’m ready for everything that the high twenties has to offer…
27. Billy Gibson
Twenty minutes of senior action in the League Cup against Bristol Rovers isn’t a lot to base any kind of judgment on. Dangerous to try, particularly in the case of young wingers (how many such false dawns have there been over the years? Chris Pullan against Spurs? Anthony McNamee against Cov? Rod Thomas against everyone?). Nonetheless, for what it’s worth, Gibson looked bolshy and exciting in equal measure during his brief run-out.
Next Season: Having missed much of the last campaign through injury, Gibson will be hoping to kick on again. A strong candidate for involvement at Barnet, his versatility could see him a regular on the subs bench if, as seems likely, the summer strips us of wide options.
28. Aleksandrs Cauņa
Whilst not having an in-depth knowledge of Latvian football, I’d guess there are easier things to do than step from the Latvian top flight into the English second tier at the age of 21. With the reservation that it might therefore have been unreasonable to expect Cauņa’s best in the handful of runouts we gave him firmly in mind, I must confess to having been somewhat underwhelmed…
Next Season: Having originally been a triallist at Chelsea, loanee Cauņa looked very much like one of Rodgers’ coterie. Of all the candidates to “jump ship” to Reading, one I’d lose less sleep about.
29. Cedric Avinel
Yup, still there apparently, more than two years after his very uncomfortable forty-five minutes of league action, being shredded to bits by Leroy Lita in what nonetheless turned out to be a rare top-flight victory. Having not threatened the first team reckoning since 2007, even in last season’s League Cup run-outs and subsequent periods of defensive calamity, it can reasonably be assumed that Avinel isn’t long for Vicarage Road.
Next Season: Spent the end of last season on loan at Gueugnon, but adding to his Guadeloupe caps seems more likely than further first team action.
30. Mark Tyler
Amongst the many strange decisions that littered Norwich City’s gradual descent to the third tier was the decision to sell Joe Lewis. £400,000 from a fourth division club for a goalkeeper untried above that level must have been tempting, admittedly, but Lewis was clearly destined for bigger things. His arrival at London Road spelled the end of Mark Tyler’s long Peterborough career, and Tyler’s loan with us, as non-playing emergency cover, was one of several as he spent the season flitting around in search of games.
Next Season: After having his contract cancelled at Peterborough by mutual consent, Mark Tyler signed for a non-league side from Bedfordshire.
31. Jordan Parkes
Jordan Parkes has been one to watch since impressing as a fifteen-year-old in the side that got to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup four years ago. Thing is, we’re still watching… it’s nearly three years since his excitable senior debut against Accrington, and his Watford league debut against Ipswich was curtailed at 45 minutes this season. One who’s looked better going forward than defending, you’ve got to be slightly worried about an outfield player being named reserve team skipper…
Next Season: Turning up on the bench a couple of times in the second half of the campaign suggests that Parkes has still got time. But probably not beyond this season…
BHaPPY (not BSaD) 
I understand that Avinel is out of contract this Summer. One wonders just how poorly the various managers we have had during his spell have thought of him. None of them seem to rate him at all, which is suggestive.
My instincts tell me that Cauna has that something about him. The probable sales of Smith and McAnuff would leave us without a left winger anyway. I feel that he could do a job for us, although, as you say, I won’t be tearing up my season ticket if we don’t sign him. Rogers previously suggested that he had a very powerful shot on him.
Kicking the ball very hard definitely a plus Dave.
As for Avinel, Boothroyd thought enough of him to sign him. He’s still on the squad list on the site though, unlike Poom and Kabba so I don’t think he’s been released (yet). Williams is still there too though, admittedly.
”Next Season: After having his contract cancelled at Peterborough by mutual consent, Mark Tyler signed for a non-league side from Bedfordshire”
nicely put
The rule change to seven subs in the football league could give more of our kids the chance to come off the bench, assuming some of them aren’t being thrown in the first eleven in the first place. If ever there is the chance for these kids to show what they can do, it is now.
I really want Billy Gibson to make it into the first team, just because he’s got such a perfect, old-fashioned footballer’s name. I can imagine him in the pages of the comics I used to read as a kid.
The fact that he’s a winger just makes it even better. With Billy Gibson on one wing and Tommy Smith on the other, I reckon we could give Melchester Rovers a game, no problem…
dave, don’t forget harley on the left wing. did a good job last season and probably suffered more than others once ‘mr. Integrity’ started shaping the team.
I agree with Tim…footballers should have proper footballer’s names like you used to get in comics. Names that are simple and British or romantic and exotic. None of this Ashley and Llloyd nonsense. And they should have proper positions, like left-half or inside-right. I hereby have trawled my memory banks for an all-star team of proper footballers with proper footballer’s names. Unfortunately I can’t immediately think of any ex-WFC stars called Sid, Ted or Len and to include Billy Gibson is a bit premature.
Anyway, here goes. I am moving Wilf Rostron back to his original position as a winger, because a full-back pairing of Duncan Welbourne and Bobby Bell cannot be overlooked.
Bert Slater
Duncan Welbourne
Bobby Bell
Ray Lugg
Terry Mancini
Sammy Chung
Wilf Rostron
Luther Blissett
Cliff Holton
Jimmy Bowie
Charlie Woods
sub: There isn’t one. Not allowed.
There was a temptation to include Harry Willis but his degree of awfulness was so spectacular, he can’t even make this side.
Old Git…not too appear churlish, but, and i quote, “simple and British” somehow doesn’t strike a chord with Mancini and Chung…unfortunately I cannot offer up alternatives but just think they don’t quite fit the bill…
Admirable effort Old Git. Dixie Hale & Walter Lees would also count as Scorcheresque….although Walter’s name could just have easily been slipped into a Dennis the Menace strip as an ineffective dog catcher.
I actually wrote ‘simple and British or romantic and exotic.’
You have obviously forgotten that Paco Diaz played for Melchester Rovers. And do you not remember Pierre Gaspard, the French acrobat who played for Rockley Rovers, under the inspired management of Ted Legge, in the story called ‘Legge’s Eleven’?
JC here
hey Old git
What no Jim Lawton !
Come to mind the whole of the 1968 class had proper names
Mick, Duncan, Keith, Brian, John, Ray, Terry, Barry, Stuart, Brian, and Tom,
not a nancy name between them with a Ken as the manager and
and..and..a proper clock with numbers and hands as well!
Albert Jarret has the best old fashioned footballer’s name, just not the ability
If Alan reckons Mancini and Chung are too exotic for this team of quintessential 20th Century Englishness, may I put forward the midfield pairing of Tom Walley and Dennis Booth – fine players with magnificently mundane names
Everyone’s forgetting Albert McClenaghan. One of the two Perrys could be in goal wearing a monocle, we could fetch Bill Baxter (boo) back from Hull to add punch and I’d find places for Billy Jennings, Bernard Lewis and Basil Dyson
Roy Low, I think I am correct in saying, had the shortest ever name of a Watford player. Closely followed by Ray Lugg and Ron Wigg. I remember Roy Low as being, appropriately, quite short whereas Ray Lugg, in contrast to the brickhouse-like implications of his name, was actually quite slightly built and rather skilful.
It must be summer – Albert McClenaghan mentioned on a WFC related webpage. Gasp.
Next week – just where is the Watford Observer clock….. *
* NB – Yes, Sarah, I know !
And what’s wrong with mentioning Albert McClenagahan? He is a folk legend, a character of mythic proportions to any of us who care about WFC. This is a remarkable achievement considering he only played two matches, neither of them of any significance at all. Only Gary Plumley has achieved a similar legendary status with less appearances and his single match was at least a Cup semi-final, so Albert’s feat of getting himself a place in our collective memory is far greater, I think.
JC here
OLD GIT
and dont forget Rodney Green…who left on jet plane
as for Roy Low…ex Spurs ..wow what a signing
ahh the memories of Ray Lugg nutmegging chris lawler before crossing for Barry E to head past Tommy ” it was me who originally ate all the pies” Lawrence
oh happy days..perhaps MR will place a countdown clock n the page to first game
Don’t knock Albert: he’ll always have a web presence as long as I keep my blog going (just click on my name, above, to go there). Though I wouldn’t go looking for up-to-the-minute topical content there right none, because, um, there isn’t any.
Sorry, that should have read ‘right now’. It’s the heat, doncha know.
Thanks for the support chaps, even if OG managed to insert yet another syllable into Albert’s surname…
Just think it’s the quintessential ROTR type name.
Must be summer as someone has used the word quintessential on a WFC related website
Actually NickB, I left a few syllables out. Like many Irish names, Albert’s name has been anglicised in order to make it fit on team sheets.
It should be McCleaghaebhnaoigheabheaoighbhean.
That’s why he fell over taking that throw-in.
Quality response, OG.
Whilst I’m here, I’d like to add Brian Garvey and Terry Garbett and to set up retrospective loan deals for Barnsley’s Eric Winstanley and Skinner Normanton
Where did I say there was anything wrong with mentioning the legendary Throw-in specialist ?!