I go back a heck of a long way with Norwich City transfers out. At 60 years of age I guess that’s only natural. I was gutted when Flecky was sold and really disembowelled when Mr Chase dispatched Chris Sutton through the door to Blackburn for £5 million despite his pre-sale denials.
Similarly, I did not want to see Andy Townsend go, or even Tim Sherwood. And when I thought Chippy Crook was going to become a Binner I freaked.
David Phillips was, in his own words, sold to pay for the Carra’s undersoil heating by aforementioned Mr Chase.
I wasn’t exactly delighted when Andy Linighan, Robbie Brady, Ashley Ward and Jon Newsome were moved on either. Nor was I pleased with the sale of Darren Eadie – ironically to Leicester.
But this latest departure is James Maddison and I feel totally different about it.
While I don’t use social media, I keep my tabs on it, and other football links, and I have not come across seemingly a single person who denies Madders his elevation. Okay, if you want to be financially clinical about it we have to sell him. But, equally, James deserves to be in the Premier League and he would not have got there with us. No way.
My wish would have been that he went to Liverpool or particularly Spurs, even if only because the latter are my much-loved second team.
The best thing to me now and surely others who trawl NewsNow or wherever don’t any longer have to read the repeated JM stats, which started to get on my threepenny bits.
Let’s just think back to our wonderful memories and particularly the spectacular strikes. I’m not going to list them as it’s been done to death and James’ father’s excellent video illustrates far more than my words ever could.
Leicester should be a good fit for Madders because he won’t be warming his butt on a bench. I’m glad he’s going to be closer to his family because he’s only 21 after all. But let’s not forget he coped admirably with a loan to Aberdeen. I’ve been there for work and the people are wonderful, but it does have that outpost of the universe feeling to it. James appears to be a very level-headed young professional.
I have to say with the whole saga it’s been a little like waiting for a relative (or indeed a pet) to croak. It’s a sad feeling but deep down you realise the departure is for the best.
I firmly believe that every City fan everywhere wishes Maddison all the utmost best for the future and hopes to see him in a senior England shirt sometime very soon.
I know Jimi wrote this song about an illegal substance, but I find at least the chorus quite appropriate.
How brightly your star shone for NCFC Mr Maddison.
Thanks to you from all of us.
Like you, Martin, I’ve been watching NCFC for a fair few years the last player to make such an impression upon breaking into the first team was Craig Bellamy. I honestly think James Maddison is destined for similar heights.
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I absolutely agree with you. Muscat nonwithstanding, Bellamy went on to hit great heights.
I would imagine Madders was far more popular within the squad than Bellamy ever was back in the day!
Like 99.9% of us I wish JM all the best.
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Regarding his popularity, I never heard of anyone locking JM in the toilet on the team coach, unlike a certain other superstar!
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Good one Jim! Apparently they kept him in there for some considerable time…
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Spot-on, Gary (and Martin)
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Cheers Stewart – I’m sure we all feel the same.
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I think Maddison is a much better player than Bellamy even though he doesn’t have that pace. Maddison is probably the most naturally gifted player I’ve ever seen in a Norwich shirt – if he stays fit he will be in the England team within a year and I can’t see him staying at Leicester for much more than a year or two.
Its an OK price, but not outstanding – £30m would be a better indication of his ability and potential in todays market. His next fee will be at least double that.
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Thanks sgncfc.
I quite agree the price wasn’t outstanding, but it was fair all round. JM will stay fit, believe me. Far fewer thugs in the PL and he’s a tough little sod in any case.
In 2020 we might well read Maddison to Real/Barca for £50 million. I hope so because the boy James will have deserved it.
It’s been a privilege to have watched him week-in, week-out.
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I am not as upset as many others about this move for a number of reasons. With the current financial situation the club needs the cash from the sale of Maddison and Josh Murphy. Maddison has enormous potential of course but towards the end of the season I felt that the team was too much about him and I tired of him taking all of the free kicks and corners. His ball control was superb but often attacks slowed down because he failed to make the simple quick pass that was on and the attack stalled. City have always had more success when they were a team without any big stars and if Maddison is to be the star of the future now is a good time for him to move on. Josh needs a new start to move forward and didn’t have the support of many of the fans.
The key now of course is to use the money wisely and not recruit too many second rate continental replacements. Remi Matthews, Ben Godfrey, Sean Raggett et al have to be given their chance and some reliable firepower found to lead the line.
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Hi Cyprus and thanks for your comment.
I think the whole point about James Maddison’s departure is that NOBODY is actually disappointed. If you love somebody set them free, and we did whilst trousering some much-needed cash for the people in charge.
What they do with the money is beyond my knowledge or control but I am positive very little of it will be spent on new recruits to trot around the newly-laid pitch.
C’est la vie a ce moment.
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I’m not particularly saddened by his leaving. I understand it’s required for the survival of the club and have long been predicting his departure (along with Pritchard and others) due to our dire finances.
What is saddening is that big transfer fees are now lauded as more important than success on the pitch. That the bar for success of our manager is who he can prime to sell.
Let’s not forget we had a poor season with boring football, despite the players we had.
We beat Reading 7-1 with Pinto, Martin, Klose, Tettey, Murphy, Pritchard, Hoolahan, Naismith, Oliveira, and Jerome all playing. Yes, 10 players still available to Farke.
We used to argue about how much ambition we had. I don’t even see people suggesting we have ambition anymore, let alone arguing about it.
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I think you’re right about the head coach David – buy cheap, polish and flog seems to be the prime objective.
As far as ambition goes, the infamous Times interview removed all vestiges of hope for me.
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Spot on. We have become footballs equivalent of a puppy farm.
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Having a pair of young terriers I get where you’re coming from.
But our house is the Webber of the dog world: £150 for a perfect Patterdale from Lord Somerleyton himself and a free Russell Mrs P picked up on Sloughbottom Park as a rescue from an incapable owner who realised she couldn’t hack it.
Signing up the Russell was a bad decision… it’s a sodding nuisance.
One out of two ain’t bad.
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“Signing up the Russell was a bad decision… it’s a sodding nuisance”
Said Mr Webber.
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It’s not called Martin – that’s my name. Or Darrel.
It’s called Minnie, a name Mrs P inherited with the dog.
The Patterdale, being proper, is named Geezer after the bassist in Black Sabbath.
Like your comment:-)
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Hi Martin
A very good read and I like the list of players you regret leaving but I was always sorry to see the back of Kevin Reeves and Phil Bowyer – both excellent players for the club. Reeves career didn’t take off at either Man City or Burnley but did well in his short time at City.
Yesterday Sky announced Coventry had a 10% sell on clause – today it has jumped in their words to “the standard 15%”. Whatever, it is good luck to them for making sure they got as much as possible and I just hope City have the same foresight with all players sold so far in this transfer window.
If Maddison progresses as predicted and Leicester sells on for a greater profit, City I hope will get 10/15% of anything over £24m – so will Coventry be liable for any extra from that?
So far City have been mentioned with departures, mainly Maddison. That distraction is now out of the way so let’s hope we will hear of others departing ie Wildshut, Naismith, Oliveria, Martins, Jarvis and McGovern. It will mean a million or more in the bank and a heck of a drop in wages going out.
Transfers in
So far we have been mentioned as interested in
Henderson Man United He has gone to Sheffield United
Marshall Wolves £1.5m also Millwall interested
Dusch St Pauli €3m no update
Nolan Shrewsbury Ipshite also interested and have the upper hand
Goalie Newcastle loan
Defender Wolves loan
Leitner Ausburg Loan or Permanent no news
Kenndy Chelsea Loan other clubs also interested Swansea and WBA
There may be many more that I have missed but the 2 Germans are interesting but there is no mention of possibly 2 Peterborough players – Maddison or Marriott. Both worth a gamble and know the leagues. When the preseason games start I would like to see Abrahams or Fonkeu given a run-out, also Cantwell, Godfrey, Raggett and if he is to stay at City, Franke could possibly be used in a swap deal to get 1 of the 2 other German’s into the club?
That’s my silly season over.
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In my list of players above that I would like to see given a chance next season I would like to add our own young Goalie Remi Mathews we are having other keepers of similar age being mentioned as first team loans why are we not hearing that the club will use him he had a good spell at Plymouth last season and kept a good few clean sheets.
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Hi Alex
Good choice of lamented releases. I could easily add Dave Watson, Chris Woods and particularly Steve Bruce to the list.
The Coventry add-on business is unclear. Somebody from their club (I think the Chairman) said there are various little perpetual ongoings for stuff like international caps, trophies won etc.
My little mind instinctively tells me all NCFC liability to Coventry should end on the transfer of the player but nothing in football these days surprises me!
If anybody knows the definitive answer, please let us know.
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Martin I fully agree once we sold him and Coventry get their share of that fee all deals should be off otherwise it becomes a perpetual cash cow for them and a bit of a loss maker for city having to continue to pay them a percentage.
Let say thanks for your efforts on cities behalf and hope you have a very successful career, he proved to be a goid buy but other players didn’t step up to the mark last season in some games it seemed the team said give it to Maddison abd let him do his bit, when he was injured in the last game it looked like no one new what to do??????
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It could be we inserted some little extra incentives Martin. As I recall we were up against some stiff competition at the time and I was quite surprised we got him.
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Agree about JM’s quality and potential for even more. As I approach 70 the only players anywhere near his level of natural talent to grace the yellow and green have been Peters and Bellars. In my view Madders is better than both.
The way fees are going his next move could be towards Pogba and beyond. Our future cut would then mean the aggregate fee breaches 30million……..
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Thanks Nick
I rate JM higher than Bellamy – both on and off the pitch.
Your mention of Martin Peters is an interesting one. He was pure quality but when we acquired him he had already, literally, done the lot. It says volumes for young Madders that you mention them in the same breath and I agree with you!
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Martin Peters. Surely the best player ever to wear the yellow shirt?
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Along with Hucks, Ian Crook and Grant Holt I agree. (Crooky was my personal favourite).
Others I would highlight are Jon Newsome, Robert Fleck and particularly Mark Bowen.
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A World Cup winner, signed at the age of 31 by John Bond, who gave 6 years service. Multiple player of the year, ridiculously overlooked by England.
I recall home turning up outside the gates of my school to pick up one of his kids who had been playing football for his team. Martin Peters!
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