Did Conor Hourihane returning to the club influence your decision to buy a season ticket

Ever so slightly yes.

Wasn't the main reason I bought one but that, paired with the addition of Roberts showing the board were listening to us wanting a change in the recruitment strategy as well as the great early impressions of Clarke are what ultimately got me to buy one for the first time in a number of years.

But I also haven't been that bothered that he hasn't been playing like a lot of the moaners have been. Would have liked to have seen him on bench a bit more when we've had players out, but when all our midfielders are fit, current Hourihane doesn't get in.

 

Yes they did possibly waste money given his return to not playing. Do you honestly think they would have done that, knowing full well how it would turn out.
Or are they liars.?

 

Some fans knew before he signed that he wouldn’t be getting much game time but plenty of posters on here thought he was the returning messiah

A member of the Derby coaching staff bet me he wouldn’t play more than a half a dozen games this season and that his focus was to concentrate more on coaching

 

I wasn't getting one regardless who signed but as other have said the publicity when he signed was very much based on him playing some part.

 

If we were top of the league and fans didn't already have opinions made up about the 'newer' owners, especially when still associating them with Conway & Lee (who pushed the club back years & years), this wouldn't be such a blown-out-of-proportion topic.

I thought he'd play some, given he played 41 league games for Derby last season and won promotion. Where he got plenty of goals & assists. Then we signed Craig (who looked a superb loan signing and plenty, including myself, were excited about) and Nwakali (who most say should be first name on team sheet), not to mention the emergence of Yoganathan. We also kept hold of Connell, Phillips & Benson. Russell has also drastically improved.

People keep making it out as a lie. But what IF Clarke doesn't rate him? If Clarke sees him as such a good influence from the coaching side, should the club force him to play Hourihane instead? Should we drop Nwakali for him? Take out an in-form Russell? Remove our captain? Take the bloke who has got 40 goals & assists in the last 2 seasons out? Who? Personally, I think initially we had every intention of him playing his part in the team.

The club was always going to serenade Hourihane, he's a club legend, one whom a lot of younger fans remember fondly especially, who don't have many legends other than perhaps Hammill & possibly Hassell. Bored of the same old narrative constantly.

 

Drop Nwakali?
We'd have to play him first!

 

I don't dispute that they used it as a marketing tool, I just don't necessarily think they've deliberately tried to mislead anyone. I'm fairly certain they've used a player signing to drum up interest in the past. They did it with Roberts from memory, and he's played every week when available. I think it's just circumstance that's led to him retiring now instead of in 2 years time. Every interview I heard from him in the summer made it sound like he'd been contemplating whether he'd like to carry on playing or not, so I was surprised that he'd got a 2 year deal.

I wouldn't say you're bashing the club though and you're within your right to question their morals.

 

How many of the 7 voting yes. Would NOT have bought one is more relevant.
Many influences lead to buying one.
Success on the field. Affordability. Or Just plain support the team no matter what. etc.
Signing George Best even if he was coming to the end of his career. Might have tempted some as he was a born entertainer even when pi55ed.

 

I had already bought mine , so no it did not influence me. Lets put things in perspective though.
Was it not in June prior to any major transfer activity that he arrived.
There would no doubt be uncertainty in most fans heads about the final outcome of any future transfer activity so I can understand the player / coach role. Ie he would be cover if we couldn't get ANO.
There may also have been uncertainty about how successful he would be in the coaching role hence the length of time given for him to develop in that role. In view of the uncertain nature of the transfer window I think the club were not wrong to promote a returning hero in the way they did.
However, a number of things have changed since then. The team, coaching staff changes, emergence of midfield options and longer term injuries maybe showed a need for a further reassessment prior to the impending transfer window.
There is a limit on player numbers so the change will also allow for additional recruitment and as he seems to have made great progress in the coaching role I can understand the change.
Also Conor seems to be fully on board with the decision.

I personally dont feel duped but I can understand why some thought he could have played more. That does not justify accusing the club of telling lies.

 

I am one of the ones who bought on the back of the Hourihane signing and the talk of Daniel coming back too. I was all for not renewing and hadn't, until the announcement and did so I think on the last day of the 'early bird'. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I really hope I'm wrong, but don't think I'll be renewing ours for next season based on a number of things including this 'signing' and the clubs 'announcement'.

 

Mine was to see if the TV were switched back on.

 

With respect and I'll stand corrected, Given the info I can source. Via t'net. Hourianne was announced after the early bird in june. And stendl backed out b4 the end. Clarke joined the day before the end. May 23rd.
It had already been extended by a month. And we'd apparantly sold only 130 less than the previous seasons early bird. Just short of 8k.
I'm not 100% sure it didn't get extended again but can't find owt. Except the fact seats were up for grabs the following week.
And may have been extended to claim your own.

 

Does him retiring from a playing role benefit the club in some way?

 

I don't know. If I were to speculate...

Players get paid more than coaches. It's one of the few professions where the managers and team leaders get a much smaller wage than the employees they're training. Conor signed as a player. If he's now deregistered as a player I would imagine he and the club have negotiated a new contract with different responsibilities and a lower wage. You might ask why someone would do that. Professionalism. Honesty. Integrity.

 

I should have clarfied, I was asking because of the timing of his retirement, ie now rather than the end of season.

Not really questioning anyone’s motives or ethics, just a simple query into wether it suits the club financially, ie frees up some wages and a squad place.

Would appear it does, and that’s reflected in the timing.

 

I was pretty disillusioned after Collinsball. My mates who I went with had decided it was their last season so Conor returning was a part of me giving it another go. Not a massive part but it seemed the club had learned their lessons of having an old head in the middle of the pitch to play 20/30 mins when we needed a calmer influence.

I was obviously wrong. I probably still would have bought any way but of course it was a factor.

I suspect if we had signed a promotion winning captain who had played 40 odd games contributing a reasonable number of assists and goals with no previous relationship to us we would have expected them to play.

 

You are definitely wrong.

 

Would be interested to know how many shirts were sold with his name and squad number. Some outlay for him not to play.

 

My memory isn't like it used to be and I honestly can't be bothered to have a look for the actual dates etc, so you are probably correct.

However, after the football on show last season I was genuinely excited at the thought of Daniel back as manager and Connor back in the middle of the park doing what he did before, even if it was only for the last twenty minutes of every game. I do believe the club were disingenuous with the announcement and don't think it was ever the intention for him to play much, if at all this season. All it's done is add to the disconnect between me and the club which will more than likely mean this is our last season of being season ticket holders.

 

I do believe the club were disingenuous with the announcement and don't think it was ever the intention for him to play much, if at all this season.


Correct