Hird....

[Dutch Uncle]

What a joke this is. If people are saying Hird was Saunders 4th choice cb, who are 1st 2nd and 3rd choice! Martis will be on the injury list all next season again so that leaves us with Beye if he can manage to not be suspended for half the season and Lockwood. At least Hird would stay fit, continue to improve, give 100%, and was proven in League One from our last time there.

1st choice Friend, 2nd & 3rd out of Beye, Martis, Lockwood, O'Connor?

BTW I am undecided on this - I like Sam and am sad he is going, but I think we have to wait to see who we do actually have in August before passing judgement

[DonnyOsmond]

Love how certain people are still trying to put the blame on Saunders for this.

[Mr1Croft]

What I don't understand is if or why Beye is still with us. Wasn't there a release clause when relegated? If we have kept him on relative high L1 wages to offer Hird (a great servant of the club) next to nothing to walk to a club in League Two then yes, I do think that will have been partly Saunders decision. That is my take on the subject anyway.

[Drover]

What a joke this is. If people are saying Hird was Saunders 4th choice cb, who are 1st 2nd and 3rd choice! Martis will be on the injury list all next season again so that leaves us with Beye if he can manage to not be suspended for half the season and Lockwood. At least Hird would stay fit, continue to improve, give 100%, and was proven in League One from our last time there.

Exactly,and If I was Locky,I would look to move on too.

[RedJ]

What a joke this is. If people are saying Hird was Saunders 4th choice cb, who are 1st 2nd and 3rd choice! Martis will be on the injury list all next season again so that leaves us with Beye if he can manage to not be suspended for half the season and Lockwood. At least Hird would stay fit, continue to improve, give 100%, and was proven in League One from our last time there.

he was our 4th choice - only played cos everyone else was unavailable

[danrover82]

Totally Shocking to let Hird slip away.  He porbably want to stay local, no moving etc.

The board again have c***ed up for me. If these 12 or so players are holding us to ransom so to speak, then that was as bad a business decision, as selling Sharp for peanuts and signing Diouf.

You really would have though that the club would have learnt from Greeny!

Good Luck Sam, a great player for the club and didnt deserve the treatment he had. Certainly not a L2 player.  They have got bargain of the century for me!

[drfc1951]

What I don't understand is if or why Beye is still with us. Wasn't there a release clause when relegated? If we have kept him on relative high L1 wages to offer Hird (a great servant of the club) next to nothing to walk to a club in League Two then yes, I do think that will have been partly Saunders decision. That is my take on the subject anyway.

I was told on a thread a few weeks ago that the manager doesnt get involved in contract talks.Its the player his agent and the ceo.

[Drover]

So when Saunders says he wants to have a go with HIS players this season,he was woefully deluded and he will have to put up with whoever the ceo and agents agree to come upwith this year.No different really from last year then is it????
Saunders must have some input though?How does the ceo know how good a player is or how much to offer him?
The other annoying thing is,the club has believed to have made two bids for players?But would'nt it have been better to use some of them funds to make a reasonable offer and hope to keep Sam?

[RoversAlias]

It's pathetic that we have allowed Sam Hird to join Chesterfield in League 2, and I will say no more on the matter as I don't want to get into the blame gam of Board or Saunders.

[Wild Rover]

The "Transfer" situation has not changed at DRFC for last few years. Manager has given a wish list to Director of Football, in terms of positions to fill, choices A,B,C as far as players names, then DF goes out and recruits A,B or C. ( i guess some have actually been D,E and F choices ). Then DF and CEO sit down with player and agent and sort terms. Contract renewals are CEO domain under guidance from above.

Thinking about this fair play thing. DRFC are allowed to spend on wages no more than 65% of gross income.
If DRFC get say 3500 ST holders ( mix of costs ) average £200, the average attendance being say 9000 ( mix of prices ) , then if ST average is £200 = £700,000. Then 5500 pay an average £15.00 thats £1,897,500, total 2.6 million.
65% of that 1.69 million, say 35 pro players etc, would average out at a tad over £900 a week. YES, i know there are other income streams too, but would guess they wont amount to 33% of turnstile take, so that amounts to about £1200 a week average. Thats not bad considering the average for PREMIERSHIP Players is 20K a week. Will players sign on for £1200 a week, yes of course, to coin an old phrase "anything is better than nothing".

Also if the available monies above are seemingly somewhere near accurate, and DRFC are a million overbudget with just 12 contracted players, then each of the 12 deciples must be earning an average 4300 a week. some more of course, some less. Nontheless each would need to drop wages by 2/3 to put DRFC in a good position financially.

Plus, many clubs in L1 and L2 wont have attendances as large as DRFC, so pro rata DRFC should be able to recruit the better staff. Anyhow we wait with baited breath.

[mushRTID]

35 players?

[Wild Rover]

Yes, why not 35. first team pool ( 18), reserve poo( 10)l, thats got to be a minimum 25 to 30, then youth team( Remainder ). Throw in a manager and coaches and its way above 35.

[mushRTID]

You said 35 pro .

[Wild Rover]

I also said etc.

[johnjohnjohn]

Personally I don't think Sam is good enough and will find his level at L2.  Surely the evidence is in the move itself?

[Filo]

Sam dropping to L2 speaks volumes about the lack of confidence he must have in his own ability if he`s not prepared to wait any longer for an offer from either us or another L1 club

[Sammy Chung was King]

An insightful post Wildrover,we built a good team on those sort of wages before we can do it again!!

[DonnyNoel]

Aside from the hows and whys I'd like to wish Sam all the best. Not just a Donny lad but a good pro who went about his business without fuss and was happy to go on loan and play out of position in his early days. Not to mention his control of Freedman at Wembley.

It sounds like a move is good for both parties, Sam for footballing reasons and Deano as he now has a definite name to cross off his list and a bit more clarity on his squad.

[Arsenal Of The North]

he moved because there manager showed alot of interest in him almost a year ago when he came to try get him on loan, then theres also the better money, the managers word he will play every week....and the big one is making sam captain....

now you think he would stay at rovers to be a bit part player, playing in a position that he doesnt really like?

and you wonder why he didnt stay with rovers!

[eastender]

he moved because there manager showed alot of interest in him almost a year ago when he came to try get him on loan, then theres also the better money, the managers word he will play every week....and the big one is making sam captain....

now you think he would stay at rovers to be a bit part player, playing in a position that he doesnt really like?

Got to agree with that , making Sam captain would have been the deal clincher .

Sam being made captain virtually guarantees him a start every week and would give him a much bigger pay packet , without the captaincy i doubt that he would have been paid more than DRFC could have paid him.   

 

[DearneValleyRover]

We have no idea who is being lined up to play in the CH position. Clearly the low wage offer made to Sam indicates that money is being targeted elsewhere and also the role in which Saunders expected Sam to fulfill ie, sub/reserve. Just about everyone on here has moaned about how poor our defense is yet it's the end of the world that one of the components has gone. I hope Beye, Martis and Lockwood follow soon, it's a key area that is long overdue an overhaul and the situation we are in means there is no room for sentimentality. Good luck to Sam in his new adventure and thanks for your service but it's onwards and hopefully upwards. 

[RobTheRover]

I've just had a text from Sam....

" Hi rob. I'm sure you know that I have signed at chesterfield. Just wondered if you could let all the fans who voted for me on the forum that I am very grateful for them voting me as their player of the year, and that I have thoroughly given my all for the rovers and as a fan I wish them every success. However at this moment in time I feel like I need a new challenge especially considering the offer I was made and the ambition of the chesterfield manager matched my own. Obviously didn't see myself dropping to league two but I have enough confidence in my own abiltity to come back up better and stronger. Thanks."

I'm sure all Rovers fans will join me in wishing Sam all the very best after years of solid service for our club.

[Barmby Rover]

Good luck to you Sam, always trying, it is not very often you get a supporter/player, it is a pity he could not stay.

[Thinwhiteduke]

I'm sure all Rovers fans will join me in wishing Sam all the very best after years of solid service for our club.

Absolutely. Im absolutely gutted he's gone, but fully understand his reasons why. Good luck to him.

[Dutch Uncle]

All the best to Sam from me too

[RedJ]

That's decent of him, he had no obligation to do that. Cheers Sam for great service to the club, maybe see you back some day (hopefully on the losing side).