R.I.P. Ipswich Town FC....

[Domhide]

The only thing we will not be selling - TICKETS

[Herbivore]

It may be a good deal, not just for the money but the fact he didnt exactly set the Championship on fire last season, apart from the "wonder goal" against a sleeping Sheffield Utd defense.
However, having been told by people in charge at Portman Road that we didnt need to sell etc etc, it just feels like we have been bare face lied to. How can we trust in future what we are being told by our club if secretly they are planning something else?

To be fair they have consistently said that if an offer for any player comes in that is right for the club then they will consider it. I don't feel like we've been deceived at all.

[budgiebasher]

£8m rising to £13m for an 18year old who let's be honest is a rookie, we'd have been mad to turn it down. Let's just hope this money goes to bringing in some new talent. At least the deal was done with jewell in charge and not keane, would have gone earlier and for less if he was in charge IMO

Would Keane have done that though? For all of Keane's faults he thought highly of Wickham, possibly too highly so was holding him back. Plus Keane wouldn't really have had too much of a say on the deal as it seemed Clegg dealt with most of the deals.

[Johannes Hyacinthus]

YOu seen Wickham's smile on his face wearing a Sunderland shirt... the kid's happy. That says it all.. he was destined to move on.

Just think about Bowditch, Clarke, Garvan, Richards, Westlake, etc... players who were going to be big players for us in the future... but never made it. If we had sold when the hype was big, then we would have made a packet.

[hallamblue]

If selling CW for £8.1m actually results in Paul Jewell phsyically being able to spend some of this to build a very good squad here - then Id be happy !

But Im not conviced he will get this money ....nor be able to get in a decent striker replacement. We are now no further forward in terms of strikers than 6/12 ago IMO ! And this is why Im currently so fed up !

[tractorollson]

If selling CW for £8.1m actually results in Paul Jewell phsyically being able to spend some of this to build a very good squad here - then Id be happy !

But Im not conviced he will get this money ....nor be able to get in a decent striker replacement. We are now no further forward in terms of strikers than 6/12 ago IMO ! And this is why Im currently so fed up !

It wouldnt surprise me that all the moey keane wasted as magilton before him, evans wanted some money in to balance it slightly. We are still a long way of being a play off side and at the end of the day its a business which we need to recoup money on despite evans being a millionaire.

[hallamblue]

Ridiculous... such drama!

Its good business.. he would have left in January or next summer at the latest. He was always going to leave... thats why I was pissed of with Rhodes going as he might have been a better long-term player for us.

But I'm more pissed of with Norris and McCauley leaving for free.. that was dopey business.

Wickham.. or the potential of Wickham.. has been over-hyped. He wasn't our best player for last year.. and he didn't play consistently well enough for us to miss him....

We've still got Scotland or Ellington to partner Chopra.... ha .. who cares any more... we've got good pies.

You appear to have agreed with one of my points anyway JH ! (Norris / McA)

as for over hype on CW . He scoredd something like 9 goals in just half a season - once he was actaully given a run in the side . And that was from a wide position , not his natural central striker role. So Id say we have been sold short as fans , in seeing this kid play in his natural position , alongside a enior striker like Chopra for one season. Where I feel sure he would have hit double figures in all honesty ...and you then have doubled his price !

Sunderland may well feel like a kid in sweet shop right now - as they have every reason to be IMO. The add on's over god knows how many years , will see the "effect" of a big transfer , effectively watered down. And as Ive said many times on here , I doubt PJ will see much of this money for new players

[Herbivore]

We'll have to wait and see what happens in terms of our spending, but i think we got a very good price for him to be honest. I also don't agree that the striking area is on a par with or worse than last season, for me Chopra is probably the best out and out striker we've had since Bent. We need someone else to compliment him i'd say, but it's not all doom and gloom. Wickham wasn't the finished product and although his form in the 2nd half of the season was certainly encouraging he was hardly consistently putting in MOM performances.

[KennedysZimmerframe]

http://www.ccmb.co.uk/fudforum/index.ph ... 446ee99b09

Thats a strange one , could be true Bothroyd still has no club and the poster seems to be reliable.

[helen83]

Things do look a little depressing at the moment with us losing another good player, but it could all turn around soon enough. Sometimes having someone like Wickham, who attracts all the attention, can be a negative thing for team spirit.

I think I'm just clutching at a straw that isn't even there

In fact it may even be barbed wire disguised as a straw.

[Johannes Hyacinthus]

Ridiculous... such drama!

Its good business.. he would have left in January or next summer at the latest. He was always going to leave... thats why I was pissed of with Rhodes going as he might have been a better long-term player for us.

But I'm more pissed of with Norris and McCauley leaving for free.. that was dopey business.

Wickham.. or the potential of Wickham.. has been over-hyped. He wasn't our best player for last year.. and he didn't play consistently well enough for us to miss him....

We've still got Scotland or Ellington to partner Chopra.... ha .. who cares any more... we've got good pies.

You appear to have agreed with one of my points anyway JH ! (Norris / McA)

as for over hype on CW . He scoredd something like 9 goals in just half a season - once he was actaully given a run in the side . And that was from a wide position , not his natural central striker role. So Id say we have been sold short as fans , in seeing this kid play in his natural position , alongside a enior striker like Chopra for one season. Where I feel sure he would have hit double figures in all honesty ...and you then have doubled his price !

Sunderland may well feel like a kid in sweet shop right now - as they have every reason to be IMO. The add on's over god knows how many years , will see the "effect" of a big transfer , effectively watered down. And as Ive said many times on here , I doubt PJ will see much of this money for new players

Well.. if he did have a good season then yes his price might be inflated... but thats a big if. I think its more of a gamble to keep him... with Jewell I have more faith with wheeling and dealing.... but we'll see.

if we buy crap... then its a big kick in the guts... if we buy well... then Wickham has done us more of a favour in leaving. Its down to Jewell...and I suppose in how much freedom Evans gives him in spending.

[Bluemike]

I wish Wickham nothing but the best, my only gripe is that I wish we hadnt been fed with the "I will only play for one of the big 4" cobblers, thats what i dont like. yes its bloody good business, potentially 14 million, as long as we invest a fair bit of it in signings/wages, not another 5 Ellingtons of this world, 1 we can get away with but we need some quality in now, in all areas.

[Herbivore]

http://www.ccmb.co.uk/fudforum/index.ph ... 446ee99b09

Thats a strange one , could be true Bothroyd still has no club and the poster seems to be reliable.

If true i'd be very happy with that, but i don't think there's much in it. People putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5.

[tom12481]

Does anyone think Sunderland was a poor choice for CW? not anything to do with Bruce, i think he is in good hands there. But if CW has a poor patch or struggles with his new level you can bet the blackcat fans will give him some stick. Plenty of players in recent years have been on the wrong end of the fans brutal stick. Dont think for a second there going to patient because he is young, last season when Henderson when through a sticky patch (as a 20yr old kid does) and he got booed off the pitch.

[Earl Blue]

Does anyone think Sunderland was a poor choice for CW? not anything to do with Bruce, i think he is in good hands there. But if CW has a poor patch or struggles with his new level you can bet the blackcat fans will give him some stick. Plenty of players in recent years have been on the wrong end of the fans brutal stick. Dont think for a second there going to patient because he is young, last season when Henderson when through a sticky patch (as a 20yr old kid does) and he got booed off the pitch.

To be honest who can really say. Next season Sunderland could be just one of those
teams who come together, they could come down in which case CW would have
at least got one season under his belt in a prem club...

Point is does not look like the Sunderland fans are happy with the purchase anyway.

[phily bon bon]

Does anyone think Sunderland was a poor choice for CW? not anything to do with Bruce, i think he is in good hands there. But if CW has a poor patch or struggles with his new level you can bet the blackcat fans will give him some stick. Plenty of players in recent years have been on the wrong end of the fans brutal stick. Dont think for a second there going to patient because he is young, last season when Henderson when through a sticky patch (as a 20yr old kid does) and he got booed off the pitch.

To be honest who can really say. Next season Sunderland could be just one of those
teams who come together, they could come down in which case CW would have
at least got one season under his belt in a prem club...

Point is does not look like the Sunderland fans are happy with the purchase anyway.

Never really like the Mackems but I´d say Bruce was the main factor in swinging it their way, he does give players a fair crack of the whip. Part of me really wants him to do well,but part hopes they really struggle next season as well.

[hallamblue]

We'll have to wait and see what happens in terms of our spending, but i think we got a very good price for him to be honest. I also don't agree that the striking area is on a par with or worse than last season, for me Chopra is probably the best out and out striker we've had since Bent. We need someone else to compliment him i'd say, but it's not all doom and gloom. Wickham wasn't the finished product and although his form in the 2nd half of the season was certainly encouraging he was hardly consistently putting in MOM performances.

I do agree with all you have said Herb. I just hope and pray that Jewell can get in the players required.

I keep waiting for the Club to reveal all these players we are supposed to be negotiating with.

Talk is cheap as they say !

[truckertrev]

Hallam, that's not like you to be so down.

I think you need to look at it again. This deal could be transformational for us. If PJ gets the funds to spend then we could start the season with a very strong squad indeed. I wold like to remind you of two other factors:

a. International transfer window doesn't open until 1st July. We have heard vague rumours about a couple of players abroad and this could be interesting.
b. I don't care if Connor turns down this deal now. It will have turned his head, no matter how smart and well managed he is. I'm not sure if that might not effect his game with us during the coming season. Can you imagine being his age and having got the offers that this will have entailed and turning it down? He's already a changed man and he won't change back again.

Think positive! I think this could be BIG NEWS for us. We finally have a sensible and experienced manager again after all these years and just at this time we also have a stack of cash. We couldn't have wished for a better meeting of factors.......

My main issue with selling CW is that.

1) PJ may not be able to attract another decent striker to this club , no matter how much wonga he is waving about.

2) Other Clubs will show Town how to hang onto their best players.

We essentially are now no better off than at the end of last season for strikers. We have the ineffective Scotland and Priskin. And the dubious Ellington. Chopra potentially being the only real effective striker. Now PJ has to seacrh all over again for that much needed strike parter for Chopra .

Chopra : Wickham could have been a dream combination at this level and we shall never get to see it !

Have to say that this is excatly what I was feeling....in that I thought it would have been better for connor to get a full season with us under an experienced manager and with chops showing him the way!! playing as the 2 front men I think they could have been fantastic together.

[bluejacko]

Am i missing the point here?
IF he was worth all that has been said £15 or so,why did nobody start a bidding war for him?
i think Sunderland have taken a big punt here and good luck to Connor and lets get on with our own business and move on.

[ipswichtownNo1]

JUST SEEN MR CLEGG REPORTING ON THE CONNOR SALE, DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING ON SPENDING MUCH OF THE TRANSFER FEE ON PLAYERS TO REPLACE AND BUILD A STRONGER SQUAD. THE BLAH BLAH BLAH LONG TERM RECORD WAS PLAYED AGAIN WHILST THE MONEY SITS IN THE BANK AND EARNS THEM A LITTLE MORE I GUESS..... POOR PJ, WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF IN FOR, I HOPE YOU CAN SPOT A BARGAIN ON THE FREES!!

[vaalae]

JUST SEEN MR CLEGG REPORTING ON THE CONNOR SALE, DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING ON SPENDING MUCH OF THE TRANSFER FEE ON PLAYERS TO REPLACE AND BUILD A STRONGER SQUAD. THE BLAH BLAH BLAH LONG TERM RECORD WAS PLAYED AGAIN WHILST THE MONEY SITS IN THE BANK AND EARNS THEM A LITTLE MORE I GUESS..... POOR PJ, WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF IN FOR, I HOPE YOU CAN SPOT A BARGAIN ON THE FREES!!

You tell em phant...err sorry, ipswichtownNo1.

We've already signed three fair wages earners....and had looked to splash out 2 million + on Sharp and Coppinger...so even without CW's sale we were still sniffing around. Don't get so downcast...allegedly linked with Coppinger again. Plenty of time before the season starts!

[arana peligrosa]

JUST SEEN MR CLEGG REPORTING ON THE CONNOR SALE, DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING ON SPENDING MUCH OF THE TRANSFER FEE ON PLAYERS TO REPLACE AND BUILD A STRONGER SQUAD. THE BLAH BLAH BLAH LONG TERM RECORD WAS PLAYED AGAIN WHILST THE MONEY SITS IN THE BANK AND EARNS THEM A LITTLE MORE I GUESS..... POOR PJ, WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF IN FOR, I HOPE YOU CAN SPOT A BARGAIN ON THE FREES!!

You tell em phant...err sorry, ipswichtownNo1.

We've already signed three fair wages earners....and had looked to splash out 2 million + on Sharp and Coppinger...so even without CW's sale we were still sniffing around. Don't get so downcast...allegedly linked with Coppinger again. Plenty of time before the season starts!

heh

take the caps lock off son

Had to be a former scum player that gets our prize player, but apart from that Bruce was a very good player and leader

He (Wickham) did really want a Liverpool move but Premier League soccer is what he has so he'll accept that, he knew damn well it could of taken some years before it happened at Portman Road and wanted to show what he's got on the biggest stage, I wish the kid well

[Domhide]

he just spent a couple of weeks with the England team, listening to all the big spenders must have got to him - his father should have given more guidance. CW will be yet another loaf taken out of the oven before it rises.

[Riviera]

Personally i think its good deal for both Town and Connor, We get a slice of the money thats been wasted on sh*te players over the past few years and CW gets to play in the Premiership where he was always going to end up. my only gripe is that i was really looking forward to seeing what he could do in the Championship this season with (what should be) a much more attacking team providing him with the fire power he and the rest of our strikers have been lacking for about 5 seasons now.

Wether Sunderland is the club for him remains to be seen, but i can only see him playing out wide again which isn't his natural position.

[Bluemike]

JUST SEEN MR CLEGG REPORTING ON THE CONNOR SALE, DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING ON SPENDING MUCH OF THE TRANSFER FEE ON PLAYERS TO REPLACE AND BUILD A STRONGER SQUAD. THE BLAH BLAH BLAH LONG TERM RECORD WAS PLAYED AGAIN WHILST THE MONEY SITS IN THE BANK AND EARNS THEM A LITTLE MORE I GUESS..... POOR PJ, WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF IN FOR, I HOPE YOU CAN SPOT A BARGAIN ON THE FREES!!

Chief executive Simon Clegg has confirmed that the cash from the sale of striker Connor Wickham will be reinvested into Paul Jewell’s squad. The Blues chief also confirmed that as revealed by TWTD earlier this afternoon, the club negotiated a sell-on clause in addition to the initial £8.1 million fee and the other add-ons which could potentially take the deal beyond £12 million.

Speaking in an interview with Talksport, Clegg said Jewell will be given the funds in order to build a promotion-challenging squad: “The money is going to be reinvested into the football club and we’re very clear in terms of where we want to get to.

“We continue to have high ambitions for the club in terms of playing Premiership football again at the earliest opportunity, and Paul made it clear earlier in the summer that he had resources to spend irrespective of whether Connor moved on or not.

“The situation is unchanged - the owner and I continue to wholeheartedly back the manager and he’s proving very savvy in the transfer market.”

The former British Olympic Association boss says that in line with many other deals, the fee isn’t payable immediately in one lump sum but wouldn’t confirm the timetable: “I don’t want to get into the details and the confidential clauses of the contract between the two clubs, but suffice to say as of tomorrow morning I won’t have £8.1 million of new money to spend.”

Clegg says that the cash will allow the Blues greater freedom in the transfer market, not just between now and the end of August but during future transfer windows: “We’ve made three good signings already and the window continues to be open for some weeks going forward, so let’s see where we get to.

“The most important thing is that we’ve got resources now to spend over the coming transfer windows on bringing in new players to help build the squad and take us in the direction we want to go in.”

The chief executive says the deal is the right one for the club and paid tribute to those who honed Wickham's talent since he joined from Reading’s academy in 2006: “He is a huge talent but this is a very good business deal for the football club.

"I’m absolutely delighted with a fee of £8.1 million rising to potentially £12 million, with some additional sell-ons further down the line as well.

“It’s a really good deal but tinged with a degree of sadness that Connor, who has come through our academy here, is moving on.

“And huge credit today to the academy team that have helped him develop since he joined us some years ago and put him into the first team when he was 16 years and 11 days old.”

Just for you oh new inbred.

[hallamblue]

JUST SEEN MR CLEGG REPORTING ON THE CONNOR SALE, DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING ON SPENDING MUCH OF THE TRANSFER FEE ON PLAYERS TO REPLACE AND BUILD A STRONGER SQUAD. THE BLAH BLAH BLAH LONG TERM RECORD WAS PLAYED AGAIN WHILST THE MONEY SITS IN THE BANK AND EARNS THEM A LITTLE MORE I GUESS..... POOR PJ, WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF IN FOR, I HOPE YOU CAN SPOT A BARGAIN ON THE FREES!!

ahhhhhh another 6 fingered (inbred)tossa, with day off school !

[arana peligrosa]

A Bargain on the frees, what, are going to play Chopra up front with some lamb steaks and some strawberry ice pops

oh, thought it said 'freeze'

in all seriousness How can you determine this new person is a rival fan out to cause problems, I couldn't get past the block capitals which I took issue with, it came across very easily as a disgruntled Town supporter not pleased with the recent sale and venting frustrations at those responsible

Maybe It's just a day of not being able to distinguish who is who and unable to sniff out enemy supporters sneaking in

I don't know

[marko69]

A Bargain on the frees, what, are going to play Chopra up front with some lamb steaks and some strawberry ice pops

oh, thought it said 'freeze'

in all seriousness How can you determine this new person is a rival fan out to cause problems, I couldn't get past the block capitals which I took issue with, it came across very easily as a disgruntled Town supporter not pleased with the recent sale and venting frustrations at those responsible

Maybe It's just a day of not being able to distinguish who is who and unable to sniff out enemy supporters sneaking in

I don't know

You are almost correct Manning. At the press conference Cleggy said, quote...."We got Chops and we 'll get even more from the freez. No need for anyone to have Chips on their shoulders so Peas be patient, ok you bunch of beef faggots, that's me well done, cheers"......., was something like that.

[K L Blue]

A Bargain on the frees, what, are going to play Chopra up front with some lamb steaks and some strawberry ice pops

oh, thought it said 'freeze'

in all seriousness How can you determine this new person is a rival fan out to cause problems, I couldn't get past the block capitals which I took issue with, it came across very easily as a disgruntled Town supporter not pleased with the recent sale and venting frustrations at those responsible

Maybe It's just a day of not being able to distinguish who is who and unable to sniff out enemy supporters sneaking in

I don't know

You are almost correct Manning. At the press conference Cleggy said, quote...."We got Chops and we 'll get even more from the freez. No need for anyone to have Chips on their shoulders so Peas be patient, ok you bunch of beef faggots, that's me well done, cheers"......., was something like that.

Your on form today Marko!

[arana peligrosa]

years back we did have some Mariner Pies, Brazil nuts, Terry Butcher offcuts, Allan Hunter scalps, Ray Crawford fine biscuits, Reggie Lambe steaks, McAuley-flowers, John Mcgreal type pilchards, Micky Stockwell with candy bars and Pat Sharkey grilled bites

what