Your biggest Albion underachiever

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1998–2000 Bristol City 7 (2)
1999 → Carlisle United (loan) ? (?)
1999–2000 → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 9 (2)
2000–2001 Brentford 23 (2)
2001 Leyton Orient 11 (2)
2001–2002 Castel di Sangro 19 (5)
2002–2003 Arezzo 20 (4)
2003–2005 Novara 58 (14)
2005–2006 Benevento 32 (12)
2006–2008 Lumezzane 61 (19)
2008 Brindisi ? (?)

From wikipedia (apologies). He escored more than 2 for us. I hated it when we sang 'Italia' at him. We were a small club then . . .

 

[BensGrandad]

For me it has to be either Jason Peake or Mark Farrington

 

[atfc village]

Albert Jarrett.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Pinamonte

...yet not only did we get Zamora because we couldn't sign him permanently, we got the Zamora song from him too. Perhaps his greatest Brighton achievements

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think people are mainly just listing people who were crap for us. When I saw the thread header the first name that came to mind was Nicky Rust. When he made his debut with us at 18 years old I thought he was a really good keeper, England youth international, and he did well under Brady. But he only played two games after he left us in 98 and retired at 24, very young for a keeper.

His was probably one of a few careers hurt by being at Brighton during 96-98

 

[Brownstuff]

Gary Rowell and Alan Biley
Expectations were high with these prolific strikers
Rowell though was blighted with a knee injury and Biley's career tailed off with us

 

[dougdeep]

Mickey Thomas.

This, Didn't he forge a different career when he left us?

 

[Gwylan]

Paul Kitson?

Or perhaps Mark Farrington. Cost a lot of money by the Albion's standards of the day and was hopeless.

It's a bit of myth to say Farrington cost a lot of money. When he joined us we'd just been in the play-offs for the top division, to pay £60,000 for a player was not unreasonable - even then.

I'd say it's a bit unfair to single out Kitson, Farrington, Gall and other players who had injury problems. It wasn't their fault it didn't work out.

I'd agree with Peake and Pitcher though - they genuinely were big money buys who did nothing. And Mickey Thomas was a disgrace - he just didn't want to be here

 

[The Wookiee]

Six goals in 4 games (roughly)? He was a massive flop - but not for us . . . .

That's my point he achieved absolutely monthlong after showing some promise with us, massive under achiever

 

[The Wookiee]

What about dirk Lehman ??

 

[grummitts gloves]

Ashley Neal, Joe O'cearill (bad spelling) and that Hoyte fella from Arsenal. All on loan from big clubs but looked like they would struggle in the Sunday League!

 

[Perkino]

Liam Dickinson. He arrived with such promise but we never saw it and he seems to have faded away

 

[Lenny Rider]

No chance. O'Regan was quality. Pretty much my favourite Albion player of his time.

But that's my point Mr H, he joined as a teenager, played 86 games in 4 seasons and gained 4 international caps, and then joined Swindon, he was quality and I'd wished he had either stayed with us or played at a higher level, hence underachiever.

 

[Twizzle]

An Oxford Utd player name of Branch, if memory serves.
He turned us down, thought himself too good for Brighton.
His talents never rose high enough to prove him right!

 

[Twizzle]

Liam Dickinson. He arrived with such promise but we never saw it and he seems to have faded away

Fancy yellow boots but afraid to play in his supposed position up front.
He got occasional shots in from distance that were easily saved.
Murray goalhangs, often offside, but bagged loads without being startlingly twinkletoed.
Positioning - a striker poncing round 'holding up the ball' in midfield while everyone else got forward, added up to a pisspoor scoring tally.
Not an intelligent lad.

 

[Hillian1]

I am confident that CMS will, given more time, take this particular honour.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

An Oxford Utd player name of Branch, if memory serves.
He turned us down, thought himself too good for Brighton.
His talents never rose high enough to prove him right!

That would be Kevin Brock, whom Mullery wanted to sign and brought down to watch us play Tottenham. After seeing Ardiles and Villa beat us single-handed (well, double-handed) he said he thought he could do better. He went on to play for the England under-21 team and make a hundred or so top-flight appearances with Oxford, Newcastle and QPR, as well as winning the League Cup. So you could say that he did prove himself right, the arrogant little tosser ...

 

[BigGully]

No chance. O'Regan was quality. Pretty much my favourite Albion player of his time.

But that's my point Mr H, he joined as a teenager, played 86 games in 4 seasons and gained 4 international caps, and then joined Swindon, he was quality and I'd wished he had either stayed with us or played at a higher level, hence underachiever.

Interesting, I was speaking to a mate at the weekend that was a young pro when Kieran came to the club.

The discussion was about how youngsters might progress blah blah blah.

His example was how Kieran came and was initially distinctly average, but was initially brought over by Jimmy Melia who was the head scout at the time.

After a short trial and support from the aforementioned Melia he got a short term contract.

Then Melia ended up the manager with George Aitken and Kieran was quickly promoted and to be fair improved and developed and became the 'under achiever' you allude to, whilst actually he had a very good career.

 

[Monsieur Wabee]

Robert Codner. I was mesmerized by his talent. I remember (as a 10 year old) being annoyed by someone shouting "Get stuck in, you big fairy".

Part of me wants to say CKR, but I don't think his ego could handle it (if he read this).

Apologies it sounds like you were standing near me. I was never a big Codner fan, but I think Farrington, Peake and Junior McDougald would makeup my top 3.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I am tempted to say Teddy Maybank. But it was disappointment rather than underachievement. He just turned out not to be as good as we had hoped (or had been promised), and the partnership with Peter Ward never really materialised.