BSA

[r0ckpaperscissors]

Interesting to read this.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news ... for-Rovers

I figured we were as dead to him as he is to us... especially after the way he celebrated Blackburn scoring that goal against us a couple of seasons back.

I'm also interested by his 'lack of ambition' tag. I'd say we were a club with a boat-load of ambition but only limited finances, which were all underpinned by one man who stood to lose everything and who probably had the Leeds story on his mind.

As a side note - I see the BSA formula of spending all your money on your son's agency business is still working a treat with 4 million going that way last year. I sense another Panorama investigation.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting difference in attitude there.

On the other point, last season Football League clubs spent £21.7m on agent fees; of that, West Ham accounted for nearly a fifth (£4.31m) – on 69 (!) transactions. Swindon spent 43% of all Fourth Division agent payments, whereas Crewe spent nowt and still went up. Details

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

[Puskas]

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

Doen't Curtis also represent everybody's favourite Ginger Genius, Gary Megson?

Ah, the loveable world of football.

[Leyther_Matt]

I feel the club is in a great position to continue its upward trajectory, with a talented squad supported by an excellent Academy programme under the guidance of a highly-skilled management team.

The foundations for the next phase are well and truly in place. It is with this knowledge that I feel confident that I am moving on with my life, content with a legacy that I have tried to create for this special club.

Seems the "lack of ambition" only developed once he'd left.

[Bruce Rioja]

I wonder what Idan Tal's doing with himself nowadays?!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

Doesn't Curtis also represent everybody's favourite Ginger Genius, Gary Megson?

I believe Mr Gartside was at pains to point out that there was no conflict of interest therein whatsoever.

[BWFC_Insane]

What was his ambition then? Sacked by Newcastle and Blackburn before spending a season in the championship?

Brilliant manager for us, best IMO I've seen. And to be honest part of me hopes he'll come back and repair the damage he did.

However, a complete and utter deluded arse all the same. Perhaps I can see why he and West Ham may be a good fit!

[Worthy4England]

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

Doesn't Curtis also represent everybody's favourite Ginger Genius, Gary Megson?

I believe Mr Gartside was at pains to point out that there was no conflict of interest therein whatsoever.

As, at the precise moment that the Bolton hunt for a new manager was on-going, Mr Curtis, was not formally Contracted to his good friend Gary Megson.

[BWFC_Insane]

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

Doesn't Curtis also represent everybody's favourite Ginger Genius, Gary Megson?

I believe Mr Gartside was at pains to point out that there was no conflict of interest therein whatsoever.

As, at the precise moment that the Bolton hunt for a new manager was on-going, Mr Curtis, was not formally Contracted to his good friend Gary Megson.

I don't think it was dodgy in "that way". Gartside knew Megson (through Curtis???) and years before had said that he would be his choice to replace Allardyce if he ever left (of course before there was any mention of him leaving) at the time West Brom were doing well in the championship.

Now the interview process was probably a sham all along as Gartside knew his real target.

Am sure Curtis pulled some strings as is the agents job.

But I don't believe Megson was anyone other than Gartside's choice.......

[Worthy4England]

What was his ambition then? Sacked by Newcastle and Blackburn before spending a season in the championship?

Brilliant manager for us, best IMO I've seen. And to be honest part of me hopes he'll come back and repair the damage he did.

However, a complete and utter deluded arse all the same. Perhaps I can see why he and West Ham may be a good fit!

Let's try the question a different way. You turn the table at 1 Jan 2007 in third place. What would your ambition be for the remaining 17 games?

Mine would be to seek some sort of investment and have a tilt at trying to finish top 4 - which is what Allardyce did and which is when Garty (not unreasonably) said we're not in that league, we can't afford it.

You really are a dork when it comes to talk of Allardyce. Yes he was sacked by Newcastle and Blackburn - both of whom got relegated not too long after his sacking, and both of whom he'd kept pretty safe whilst he was there.

Let's be honest, getting sacked by Ashley and Venkey's probably doesn't count as a blot on your CV.

[Worthy4England]

In related news, look who's the (personal) agent of Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll - your friend and mine, but possibly not Graeme Souness's, Mark Curtis...

Doesn't Curtis also represent everybody's favourite Ginger Genius, Gary Megson?

I believe Mr Gartside was at pains to point out that there was no conflict of interest therein whatsoever.

As, at the precise moment that the Bolton hunt for a new manager was on-going, Mr Curtis, was not formally Contracted to his good friend Gary Megson.

I don't think it was dodgy in "that way". Gartside knew Megson (through Curtis???) and years before had said that he would be his choice to replace Allardyce if he ever left (of course before there was any mention of him leaving) at the time West Brom were doing well in the championship.

Now the interview process was probably a sham all along as Gartside knew his real target.

Am sure Curtis pulled some strings as is the agents job.

But I don't believe Megson was anyone other than Gartside's choice.......

I'm not suggesting it was "legally" dodgy, but I can understand Souness thinking "Not much fcuking point here".

[BWFC_Insane]

What was his ambition then? Sacked by Newcastle and Blackburn before spending a season in the championship?

Brilliant manager for us, best IMO I've seen. And to be honest part of me hopes he'll come back and repair the damage he did.

However, a complete and utter deluded arse all the same. Perhaps I can see why he and West Ham may be a good fit!

Let's try the question a different way. You turn the table at 1 Jan 2007 in third place. What would your ambition be for the remaining 17 games?

Mine would be to seek some sort of investment and have a tilt at trying to finish top 4 - which is what Allardyce did and which is when Garty (not unreasonably) said we're not in that league, we can't afford it.

You really are a dork when it comes to talk of Allardyce. Yes he was sacked by Newcastle and Blackburn - both of whom got relegated not too long after his sacking, and both of whom he'd kept pretty safe whilst he was there.

Let's be honest, getting sacked by Ashley and Venkey's probably doesn't count as a blot on your CV.

Look Allardyce was great for us, but clearly he was always going to struggle to manage a "big club" with his style of play and his image. He should be aware of that.

As for investment, I don't see why when you're at a club with limited resources, all of which come from one man, you can necessarily expect investment (and there was money available in January, remember David Dunn?). You may feel you've earned it, but if the club owner feels its not necessary or not affordable then you can't really expect it. He'd already had 11M that summer. Now its perfectly understandable if Allardyce had at that point or in the summer said "I've taken things as far as I can here, I'm leaving to further my career". No issue. But he tried to blame the club, rather than just say he'd done what he could, and it was time to move on. It was all about him and his career, no thought for the club or the fans. Ultimately of course his priority is HIM as it is for everyone, but a simple "thanks its been great but now I've got to try bigger things..." or words to that effect.

Yes Gartside's drunken antics on the last day didn't help and clearly there was some bitterness there, the full story of which I doubt we'll ever know.

But Allardyce saying he wanted a break from football, then pitching up at Newcastle, then saying he left because the club had no ambition, was all a bit much really, given the unprecedented amounts he'd had to spend here........and made worse that the club had backed him through what had been a difficult year, when others might have cast him aside....

None of that earned my respect.

[Worthy4England]

Who said he "expected" investment? He asked for investment, it was refused. He asked for it in light of the fact that we were 3rd in the Prem with 17 games left. I have no problem with someone thinking they might have a chance to do X or Y and asking for the financial support to back that. I don't really have too many issues with them being a bit miffed at not getting the backing.

I equally have no problem with the money provider saying "understand, but we haven't got it".

As for expressing somone's career as being "all about him" - well yes, so's pretty much every footballer who plays for us. There aren't too many I can think of who given the opportunity of a "better Club", "better chance of winning stuff", "better chance of doubling your bunce", would turn it down. My view when he left was that I don't think we owed him anything, I don't think he owed us anything.

The break from football bit was probably not good, whilst I don't concur with his "no ambition" statement, I think it is fair to say there is a limit to our financial backing (rather than our ambition). Allardyce really didn't get a decent deal when weighed against say Megson - who, not very long after Allardyce hadn't been backed - suddenly got somewhere in the region of £30m.

So I think it cuts both ways - personally I think both parties did what they thought was right for them, and I don't hold it against either of them.

[Lord Kangana]

I'll sort this out.

Straight out four-way fight to the death, Gary Megson, Mark Curtis, Sam Allardyce, Graeme Souness.

Who do you want to see still standing at the end?

[BWFC_Insane]

Who said he "expected" investment? He asked for investment, it was refused. He asked for it in light of the fact that we were 3rd in the Prem with 17 games left. I have no problem with someone thinking they might have a chance to do X or Y and asking for the financial support to back that. I don't really have too many issues with them being a bit miffed at not getting the backing.

I equally have no problem with the money provider saying "understand, but we haven't got it".

As for expressing somone's career as being "all about him" - well yes, so's pretty much every footballer who plays for us. There aren't too many I can think of who given the opportunity of a "better Club", "better chance of winning stuff", "better chance of doubling your bunce", would turn it down. My view when he left was that I don't think we owed him anything, I don't think he owed us anything.

The break from football bit was probably not good, whilst I don't concur with his "no ambition" statement, I think it is fair to say there is a limit to our financial backing (rather than our ambition). Allardyce really didn't get a decent deal when weighed against say Megson - who, not very long after Allardyce hadn't been backed - suddenly got somewhere in the region of £30m.

So I think it cuts both ways - personally I think both parties did what they thought was right for them, and I don't hold it against either of them.

If every manager left every time they were denied money to spend..............

Look he did his time here, there were times he got money and times he didn't. I think asking for money when you've spent 11M in the summer and to chase a champions league dream is different from spending money to rebuild a side, when you're selling several players in the process and losing a lot more on frees.

Completely different situations.

And Eddie Davies no doubt looked and the merits in the "business cases" for both situations.

I didn't particularly like the way Allardyce left.

But putting all that aside, putting aside the success he had here....

The man is still a complete arse IMO. Thats not to say I'd not want him as manager. But I'd have Ferguson as manager any day of any week, doesn't mean I don't think as a bloke that he's an arse.......

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Let's be honest, getting sacked by Ashley and Venkey's probably doesn't count as a blot on your CV.

Indeed, he's had some right knobs to work for. Ashley bought Newcastle (all of a sudden, on the quiet) about a fortnight after Allardyce arrived; Venky's showed him the door about a fortnight after *they* arrived; and now he's in the three-ring circus with the porn-pedlars, although he knew that before he went there.

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

Here are both my legs; can we have Sam back in a swap, please?

[bobo the clown]

Here are both my legs; can we have Sam back in a swap, please?

Just so you can run the 400m ?!?!

[Puskas]

The man is still a complete arse IMO. Thats not to say I'd not want him as manager. But I'd have Ferguson as manager any day of any week, doesn't mean I don't think as a bloke that he's an arse.......

Have to disagree, at least partly, with this.

Allardyce is an arse. True. But, like you, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

Mr Alex Ferguson, however, isn't an arse. He's a cvnt. And I wouldn't want him anywhere near the club.

These distinctions are important to maintain.

[Jez]

Glad to see he cares for the club because he did incredible things for us. A Bolton legend and imo the best manager we've had (to be fair I'm too young to remember Bruce Rioch).