Stockdale OFF ***to Birmingham - Official***

brianwade said:

Harry Bull S**t rides again . He'll spend more than he earns , the team with flatter to deceive and he'll leave them in financial ruin . Collateral we lose the best keeper we ve had in many a year . Shame .

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dazzer6666 said:

Agreed. Could we close the thread with it ?

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Titanic said:

Interesting article in The Argus:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/153...dale_s_exit_was_no_surprise_to_Albion_bosses/

Paul Barber explains why David Stockdale's exit was no shock to Brighton and Hove Albion

Albion knew David Stockdale was on his way when they presented their best offer – and were told it would not be accepted.

Paul Barber has given some insight into communication between the club and Stockdale’s agent Rob Segal which ensured the parting was a civilised one.

The Seagulls’ chief executive said he knew “for some weeks” that a parting of the ways was inevitable.

Stockdale has since joined Birmingham City on a three-year deal as a free agent.

That leaves the Seagulls looking to sign at least two senior goalkeepers with both Niki Maenpaa and Maty Ryan expected to put pen to paper.

Barber said he was pleased with the level of dialogue between the club and agent.

And he has highlighted the pro-active efforts Stockdale made to help try and comfort relatives of those who died in the Shoreham aircrash.

Barber said of Stockdale’s departure: “It was not a surprise in terms of not reaching an agreement with David. We have known for some weeks that was not going to happen.

“You get to a point where a contract is offered and, if it’s your best offer and it’s not accepted, the writing is on the wall.

“We have got a great relationship with David’s agent. I have known Rob for many years and we have a very open relationship.

“We can talk to each other and he can say, ‘If that’s your best offer, we are going to need to look elsewhere’. No problem, we understand that.

“The whole process was conducted without any acrimony, without any problems, without any issues. We all knew where we were at any particular time.”

Stockdale’s choice of destination, as he became Harry Redknapp’s first signing for Birmingham, surprised many people.

Barber said: “Players’ choices of football clubs are very much personal decisions. I was in contact with David on Tuesday night and wished him all the best.

“I worked with Harry so I asked David to pass on my best wishes to him.

“David was fabulous for us over a long period and very popular, not just with the fans but also within the club.”

Stockdale’s efforts after the Shoreham disaster are well-documented.

But Barber highlighted how the keeper made the first move to see how he could help.

He said: “For me personally, during the Shoreham disaster, David was one of the first players to come and ask if he could help, if there was anything he could do, if he could visit the families.

“As soon as he knew Matt Grimstone was a goalkeeper, he felt an immediate connection.

“I will always admire David and Alan Mullery for stepping forward and visiting the families when it was a very tough time.

“I went and I found it probably the toughest experience of my life. I am 20 years older than David and I found it very difficult.

“For a young man to step up and do that, I will always admire him for that and respect him for that.”

Birmingham are not short of glovemen. Ex-Albion favourite Tomasz Kuszczak has just signed a new deal, as has Adam Legzdins, while Connal Trueman is highly rated in the under-23s.

Albion plan to have similar numbers in their goalkeeper department.

Ryan is away with his national team, which has not helped in finalising personal terms, but Maenpaa's agent has told sources in Holland his client will be back at the Amex.

Barber said: “With Niki, work is continuing. These processes are always interrupted by holidays and people having a bit of a break.

“In an ideal world you would have a very rapid decision-making process. But the ideal world doesn’t exist.

“It was great to get Steve Sidwell done but work is ongoing.

“We very much want Niki to stay at the club and we are looking forward to him being here next season.”

Did Maenpaa’s presence push Stockdale to his form of the past two seasons?

It is a popular theory which may well hold water.

What we do know is that Chris Hughton and chairman Tony Bloom both expressed their thanks to the big Yorkshireman as he left – and that does not always happen.
Barber said: “David will always be welcome here and always be part of this football club.

“He will always be part of the folklore that got promotion to the Premier League.

“We really hope he does well at Birmingham City. It is a very good football club.”

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Wilko said:

Just been having the same chat with a mate. When you choose money at a team that just stayed up in the second tier as opposed to pushing yourself at the highest level you can and aiming for a call up for your country it is a very, very sad money-driven sport. I would have totally got it if he signed for Leeds even, his boyhood club but to drop down a league, to play in from of 17K fans to a team in a shit city that just stayed up on the last day because they are paying a few more dollars really is a sad indictment of the mentality of a modern day footballer indeed.

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Tricky Dicky said:

91 pages .... jeez. He chose to go, good luck to him, it's his choice. Hopefully given our new status we can attract somebody equally as good or better.

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Mellotron said:

Also, when will players learn not to play poker against Tony Bloom?

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Springal said:

If he was playing poker against Tony Bloom and as a result is earning more money, would you not say Stockdale has won? Isn't that the aim of poker? To win more money?

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mejonaNO12 aka riskit said:

Now don't take this as any sort of "pro-arry" stance. I find the bloke slimey as anything and wouldn't want him anywhere near our club.

However, I have to defend him and any manager on this issue. It is not the manager's fault if he spends too much money. That is COMPLETELY down to the board who set the budget.

If the manager chooses RUBBISH players then sure, but the financial side is nothing to do with them.

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Guinness Boy said:

True but he'll be in those budget negotiations, insinuating that he can bring in some top top players if he's given the right amount of mullah as, at the moment they're down to the bare bones. "You won't find me turning off my phone on transfer deadline day" he'll insist, "me and my dog will be hanging out of a car window at 10pm for the delight and amusement of Sky viewers and to welcome top top player Carlton Cole to the club for just a fraction of the 200 million you're going to give me this window".

Has that now ticked everyone's Arry Bingo cards?

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Bozza said:

Bizarre all this talk about Stockdale staying with us, playing in the Premier League and possibly getting into the England frame again as I really don't think he'd have played many games, barring injury to the new #1, next season. And he'll have known that too.

He wants to play football. Maybe Birmingham was the best option available to him right now that would see him as a surefire first choice, and also meant he could either remain living where he is, with a long commute, or get closer to "home".

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Mellotron said:

Was it always the idea - to your knowledge - that we get in Ryan, regardless of what happened to Stockdale? I assumed we showed our interest there once Stockdale was stalling.

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Guinness Boy said:

True but he'll be in those budget negotiations, insinuating that he can bring in some top top players if he's given the right amount of mullah as, at the moment they're down to the bare bones. "You won't find me turning off my phone on transfer deadline day" he'll insist, "me and my dog will be hanging out of a car window at 10pm for the delight and amusement of Sky viewers and to welcome top top player Carlton Cole to the club for just a fraction of the 200 million you're going to give me this window".

Has that now ticked everyone's Arry Bingo cards?

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Bozza said:

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

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Bozza said:

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

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5ways said:

I always thought he'd be able to make the step-up (again)

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Bozza said:

To my knowledge, and this goes back a good year or so, we were always likely to get another keeper in who would be first choice, yes.

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