Peter O'Rourke says

But we did apparently turn down offers of £2 million, £3 million and even £4 million for Kitching, before we finally accepted an offer. Phillips has to be worth at least as much as Kitching - more, I would say.

 

If memory serves me right Nareev had just taken over that summer as in ousted Conway & Lee and was yet to have to put in money to keep us going, the cost of not going straight back up to the championship has significantly changed the financial picture from 2 years ago

 

I adored Hignett but he was here for eighteen months. That’s it. A cracking debut and a hat trick in the cup in the first part season was the highlight of 98/99, though he was a shining light in a trundling side that first season. The following season is of course a different story.

He was perfect in the Harry Bassett team, which was a bizarre mix of at times unstoppable attacking play mixed with gung ho tactics, the inability to keep clean sheets and bizarre team selections, especially in defence (Keith Brown anyone?), dropping Nicky Eaden was also contentious.

Hignett was unbelievable - but he left at the first opportunity let’s be honest. Not that I blame him, we were skint and desperate for money at that point. (Not that it stopped us spaffing money in sacking Bassett, employing Spackman and signing three million chuffing players. Many of them woeful; though no signing quite so bad of Bassett’s signing of Brown).

Oh sweet Jesus I’ve properly reminded myself of Keith Fecking Brown now.

We paid Blackburn Rovers actual money for him.

In all fairness he was only responsible for five or six Ipswich goals in the playoff final which given they only scored four was quite the achievement. Retired from the game by the age of twenty five after a season in the bottom league in Scotland. Without playing much… The single worst player I’ve seen in a professional football match. Certainly in a Barnsley shirt at any rate.

What an absolute joy it was to watch him ‘play’ when we had an admittedly only half fit Nicky Eaden and a perfectly able Scott Jones on the bench, and Jon Curtis trying to play wing back when he was clearly a defender with little attacking ability. (As well as Matty Appleby laiking in midfield who could have played at the back with Geoff Thomas on the bench who could have played in midfield). Plus god knows what other options not in the matchday squad.

But no, we played someone who genuinely wouldn’t have been an automatic pick for a Sunday pub team, to play in one of the biggest games in our history.

I feel I might have gone off on a slight tangent… anyway, Hignett. Brilliant. Ripped the soul out of the team when he was sold and laughably replaced with Lee Jones.

Phillips isn’t in the same class - but his contributions in terms of numbers more than hold up. If we lose him we get worse. We just will.

No less than £4million-£5million this month - and similar in summer - otherwise don’t bother. Don’t entertain any less.

Keith chuffing Brown. Eeeugh. Those of you too young to remember him, I am more jealous of you not having that trauma than I am jealous of your youth.

 

Sorry, I’ve edited it now. Yeah, was on loan at Morecambe. Nominal fee from Burnley.

And yeah, there’ll be a sell-on clause. There always is these days.

 

Brown was absolutely terrible. The way he performed in that final in particular, my giddy aunt. The way he attempted to stop Mowbray for the equaliser still haunts my dreams. Along with Barnard’s penalty. Who never missed until he did. At Wembley. Oh, what painful memories.

Fast forward a year or so and we were then treated to the likes of Carl Regan, Mike Flynn and Paul Gibbs as defenders. I look back at that period and it’s quite incredible that in the space of about five years I watched some of the club’s greatest and worst players. Across three tiers. Kevin f****** Donovan.

I’m going to bed.