Shock Signings (2 Viewers)

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
Another from the PL....Leeds Utd. selling a certain Mr. Cantona for peanuts to arguably their most hated rival....and at the time, a relative equal.

Possibly remains the dumbest sale in the history of the PL.
 

Malaka

Well-Known Member
Gary McAllister was perhaps a shock signing, given that he joined little old Cov from the mighty Leeds United where he had won the Premier League and played in the Champions League (or whatever it was called then). Rumour had it at the time that the financial package on offer from us was too good to turn down (!!) and he became a central part of the 'Entertainers' team in the mid to late 90's.

Little did we know at the time that deals such as this were unsustainable and a chain of events started by Big Ron and sanctioned by Richardson would still be felt today.

Spot on. In all my years of supporting City this is the only time I have thought, how the fuck did we get him?
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
Spot on. In all my years of supporting City this is the only time I have thought, how the fuck did we get him?

Although GaryMac was a shock signing his arrival wasn't the great deal that it is being made out to be, he was injured for much of his time here & his mate WGS allowed him to try & recover from a bad injury by strengthening muscles in the knee rather than get the operation he needed, why was that - because if he got the op he couldn't play in Euro 96, as it happened he couldn't recover & the delay meant he wasn't ready to play again until some time into the next season. If WGS had not been a Jock I think the outcome would have been better for the club, because I'm sure GM would have had to get the op ASAP. Admittedly when he was back he finally showed what he could do.

* All this from memory, please correct me if I got it wrong.
 
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Malaka

Well-Known Member
I do agree, to a certain extent, but he did stick around and when he left he was a massive player for Liverpool. He was class and arguably the best midfielder in the country before he came to us
 

Ranjit Bhurpa

Well-Known Member
Although GaryMac was a shock signing his arrival wasn't the great deal that it is being made out to be, he was injured for much of his time here & his mate WGS allowed him to try & recover from a bad injury by strengthening muscles in the knee rather than get the operation he needed, why was that - because if he got the op he couldn't play in Euro 96, as it happened he couldn't recover & the delay meant he wasn't ready to play again until some time into the next season. If WGS had not been a Jock I think the outcome would have been better for the club, because I'm sure GM would have had to get the op ASAP. Admittedly when he was back he finally showed what he could do.

* All this from memory, please correct me if I got it wrong.

Can't remember the injury issue and you could well be right. For me, the 'shock' was that a player of his pedigree - Scotland captain, Leeds captain, Premier League winner and Champions League player - would move from a club like Leeds to Cov. It also sent out a signal that perhaps we could compete with the big boys, and gave us our first midfield general really since Terry Yorath.

As Malaka says, he was a class act for us and also when he moved on to Liverpool.
 

ajsccfc

Well-Known Member
The main ones that spring immediately to mind for me have been mentioned, Juninho to Boro and Tevez (+ Mascherano) to West Ham. Robert Prosinecki swanning around in the Championship or whatever it was called at the time was a bit mad too.
 

Adge

Well-Known Member
Thomas Brolin to Leeds. Remember him having a great world cup for Sweden (or might have been Euro's) and then signing for them but was a massive flop.
For us Gary Mac and John Salako got the ball rolling and Big Ron.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
If we are talking about non-CCFC signings, how about Bebe signing for Man United. Ferguson admitted he had never seen him play before signing him.
 

phildownunder

Well-Known Member
The Argentinian pair Ardiles and Villa going to Spurs was a big surprise as the memories of the Falkland conflict were still fresh at the time.
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
beat me to it ajsccfc......they signed after the 1978 world cup....

...which incidentally was the first game I watched the full 90mins of without getting a bit bored & going into the street for a kick-about half way through.
 

henry the wasp

Well-Known Member
Alberto Tarrantini signed for Birmingham city after the 78 world cup aswell.
Anyone remember Mirandihna, the first brazilian player in english football? Signed for newcastle.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
The Argentinian pair Ardiles and Villa going to Spurs was a big surprise as the memories of the Falkland conflict were still fresh at the time.

Ardiles signed for Spurs in 1978. The Falklands war did not erupt until April 1982. However, Ardiles did leave the UK (on loan) when the war broke out. I agree they were shock signings though as at the time there were no Argentinians in UK football (ok go on find some obscure one in the lower divisions).
 
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vow

Well-Known Member
John Gayle....for obvious reasons!
 

Sky Blue Kid

Well-Known Member
The "City" signing my boyhood hero Ray Pointer. Always followed Burnley second after City(My Grandad played for them about 16 years before Pointer) Went to quite a few games at Turf Moor after my Grandad retired, so being able to watch my hero on a regular basis meant the world to me.
 

phildownunder

Well-Known Member
Not that fresh a memory though mate eh....as both of them joined Spurs way before the falklands war....:cool:

Ardiles signed for Spurs in 1978. The Falklands war did not erupt until April 1982. However, Ardiles did leave the UK (on loan) when the war broke out. I agree they were shock signings though as at the time there were no Argentinians in UK football (ok go on find some obscure one in the lower divisions).

You`re dead right of course. I really shouldn`t have used the word memory in my post :facepalm:

What I was confusing it with I think was the bad feeling some had toward Argentinians like those two and Tarantini after that war when the only country they had personally "invaded" was the UK
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Another one that took me back was Weimann to Derby in the summer. Didn't get that one at all. Was one of Villa's best players last season.
 

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