Putting aside. . .

Very true. OK, so after Wigan have we ever sold our best player to a smaller club?

It's getting a bit 'what have the Romans'

 

I’m sure there is but can’t put my finger on them but there’s a few Scottish players gone back home to smaller Scottish clubs . Where did Johnny Kelly go ? My dad says he was the finest footballer ever to wear the red shirt of Barnsley.

 

Think he went back to Scotland, Morton or Falkirk rings a bell. My dad also thought he was the finest player he'd seen, and like your father, he's seen plenty of competition.

 

Yeah, I think the key is the players we made a significant amount of money on, and of late that's been quite a lot of players.

 

He could jump remarkably high, always stayed upright and had an attitude problem.

(not an altitude problem, by jumping high, by the way)

 

Maybe not our greatest player, but we sold Trevor Aylott to Millwall who were still in the 3rd Division after the great 81/82 season. Who I think ended the season on loan at Luton and helped them stay in the first division?

 

But how do you define a small club ?
Blackburn in terms of supporters weren’t all that bigger than Brentford’s crowds now when we sold them Ashley Ward.
For all their History blackkburn have never been a big club imo.

 

I'd say it was already Big Mick. Clarke, Bell, Pugh and Little were also influential players though.

 

Paul Futcher left us in 1990 and signed for Halifax Town. The then Grimsby manager Alan Buckley took
him to Blundell Park for £10k where he enjoyed another five seasons. His consistency was such, that he
won their player of the year trophy twice and in a fans poll, was voted as the best player ever to play for
the Mariners. One of the most cultured defenders I ever saw don the famous Red shirt. Unflappable,pure
class.

 

Dont take football scouting up .

 

There's wasn't though.

 

I thought so

 

Depends how you define ever being a big club.

Winning the FA Cup 3 times in a row and not ever being a big club?

Good luck with your imo.

 

Rightly or wrongly De Zeeuw was not considered our best player and was surplus to requirements so a different situation to this one.

 

One player not mentioned that I was sad to see leave, was Neil Shipperley. Like all
good strikers, you always sensed he could grab us a goal, a trait he continued when
he left us to play for Wimbledon.

 

I did say in terms of supporters but if it suits you can leave it out .

 

In Brentfords case, as well as their small stadium and gates, they've spent two thirds of their history in the lower divisions.

Blackburn very similar to us during the 80s in terms of stadium and gates, and then jack walker happened.

 

Another one honking on the crack pipe tonight. The season we sold them Ward Blackburn were averaging 25,751. So just the 15,000 more than Brentford.

 

I doubt that anyone was around counting the crowds, that long ago.

But by all means if you know where the stadia were really being filled in 1883-6, you can prove your point.

At one time i reckon Blackburn were a big club, and their historical record seems to prove it.

They won the top league too! More than once.

 

Agreed. It's gone off track a little bit.