Wallace, Rossiter and Grezda

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

39 minutes ago, Aubie92 said:

 

I was three at the time so a bit too young to follow these things, but was Woods considered numbed one when he was sold? 

IIRC it was during the 1991 (or 92?) closed season Smith signed Goram and Woods left, again I believe the decision was impacted by UEFA ruling that you could have only so many foreign players -- guys shared a common passport designation yet were considered to be from distinct countries.   BTW Woods joined us for around 500K, peanuts nowadays and he was the England #1 at the time, another Souness masterstroke. 

[Aubie92 1,074]

1 hour ago, siddiqi_drinker said:

IIRC it was during the 1991 (or 92?) closed season Smith signed Goram and Woods left, again I believe the decision was impacted by UEFA ruling that you could have only so many foreign players -- guys shared a common passport designation yet were considered to be from distinct countries.   BTW Woods joined us for around 500K, peanuts nowadays and he was the England #1 at the time, another Souness masterstroke. 

It was in 1991, aye. Partly because of the three foreigner rule and partly because Woods himself admits he still had equilibrium issues from Kenny McDowall clattering him; made sense to free up a space for a foreign player if Walter felt Woods wasn't what he was a few years before it. But despite making sense and ultimately being the right decision, it has to be the most high profile example of us selling our number one keeper. (Would have been eclipsed by Goram being sold during 9IAR if all the times he was placed on the transfer list or told he was done ever resulted in him actually being sold though.) 

[Ozblue 4,331]

14 hours ago, Aubie92 said:

 

I was three at the time so a bit too young to follow these things, but was Woods considered numbed one when he was sold? 

Yes, mate! Woods was our #1 keeper (and the England #1 keeper) when he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in August 1991 for £1.2 million. It wasn't because Woods wanted to leave or that Walter didn't want to transfer him; it was because UEFA had introduced a rule limiting foreign players, meaning that we could only field three non-Scottish players in European competitions (laughingly known in Scotland as the "8 diddy rule") so that's why Walter splashed out £1million to Hibs for Andy Goram  (obviously the ruling wasn't going to affect the spoon burners much).

Chris Woods was a brilliant keeper and financially was a bargain for us when Souness got him from Norwich City for £600,000. If I remember correctly, Woods took over from Nicky Walker, who had displaced Peter McCloy as our #1 keeper.

[Jack The Flipper 5,936]

If people had to choose between one of those three players to keep at the club I wonder who would stay?

Out or favour Wallace

Very skilled but hugely injury prone young Rossiter

Unknown Grezda

I’d choose Grezda

[TopCat 4,511]

3 hours ago, Jack The Flipper said:

If people had to choose between one of those three players to keep at the club I wonder who would stay?

Out or favour Wallace

Very skilled but hugely injury prone young Rossiter

Unknown Grezda

I’d choose Grezda

Agree with all of this but I'm quite excited at the prospect of 100% fit Rossiter.......... if he can stay clear of injury he can be a really valuable player for our squad this season.

 

Let's hope he's turned the corner and can put his injury troubles behind him.

[BlueKnight87 17,286]

16 minutes ago, TopCat said:

Agree with all of this but I'm quite excited at the prospect of 100% fit Rossiter.......... if he can stay clear of injury he can be a really valuable player for our squad this season.

 

Let's hope he's turned the corner and can put his injury troubles behind him.

It's a big if with Rossiter and his fitness.

But I agree if he can stay fit, he's got the talent to be big player for us.