Foreign Transfer Policy

[Fuber]

As im sure many of you lot have noticed that since the 'flops' of players such as Styvar, that City seem to have developed this seemingly 'British-Only' policy, but I can't help but feel that is what has bitten us in the arse. I mean, how many British players do we have in comparison to the rest if the championship?

The point that I'm trying to make is that, in my opinion which others may not agree with, is that I reckon we should open up our scouting networks into Europe, and have a peek for another Dziekanowski (*sp?) I mean, Saborio added a different dimension to our play but yes he only had limited impact, and I liked Evander and enjoyed watching him move, seemingly in slow motion with his dreads waving a foot behind.

I reckon ts would get us the extra flair that we've been missing, as British players are no longer (as many can tell) very technically gifted, and are generally just grafters, which seem to be the only thing people sitting around me in the dolmon appreciate, maybe excluding a few from our academy and Albert (before ACON).

I just wondered what other people's opinion on this would be, as I for one would support a scouting forage across the channel or the Irish Sea???

[herman]

i agree with you

ironically, watching the manchester derby supports the point. you can go british and find yourself technically limited players like milner who will "graft", or you can go abroad for technical ability

if you look at players who have arrived in the championship over the years for reasonable fees from abroad, and compare it to the huge money spent by clubs such as us on british flops, its something you have to look at if you have the contacts.

[spudski]

Pay £40,000 + expenses to 10 scouts across Europe to watch games and attend training games each week. £400,000 + a year. I wouldn't say that's a lot for a Championship side to pay, if it finds cheap, young talented players. Could save a lot of money in the long run.

Or something along those lines....

[Harry]

I completely agree.

I think it was foolish of the previous board to close off the 'foreign' route simply because we signed a couple of flops.

Spudski is right in that those flops were not correctly and thoroughly scouted - they were recommendations from agents and a bit of youtube thrown in. We need to have a network of scouts across Europe (and as the OP rightly says in the League of Ireland too).

An extended scouting network is the fundamental piece of the jigsaw in the new recruitment philosophy of signing u-24's as future assets. They're not just gonna turn up on our doorstep - we gotta go out and find them, watch them, watch them, watch them, watch them, and then, once we've watched them enough and think they're good enough, watch them again. Then sign 'em up.

For this the club needs an extended scouting network. Things are improving in this area (they couldn't get much worse - I think we only had about 5 official scouts at the beginning of this season, but change is happening, first under McInnes and now even more so under SOD).

[fka dagest]

I concur with others. I don't want to see a team full of foreign friends, but we really should be tapping into unscouted areas through old players. We should be asking Dzkiekanowski, Titimetanu and Sebok, for example, about promising young players in their countries, How hard can it be to ask them to recommend three young players with potential and offer them a trial over here for the summer. Many overseas players are often so desperate to play here they'll often pay their own fares.

In the past Barnsley made very good progress in signing unknown foreigners and retaining their Championship status for year after year.

[ciderbeans]

We need to hit Spain. Look how Swansea have faired

[Barrs Court Red]

Pay £40,000 + expenses to 10 scouts across Europe to watch games and attend training games each week. £400,000 + a year. I wouldn't say that's a lot for a Championship side to pay, if it finds cheap, young talented players. Could save a lot of money in the long run.

Or something along those lines....

Its not that simple

[Harry]

We need to hit Spain. Look how Swansea have faired

Spain are already hitting us if you judge by the number of Spaniards in and around the BS3 area in the past 6 months.

Tonnes of young Spaniards are coming over here due to the unprecedented youth unemployment in their own Country.

Now, if somehow City could embrace this new community, get them supporting their new local team, and maybe tapping into their knowledge of youngsters from their own regions back home..........

Same with the amount of Poles we have in BS3. Surely we need to get these guys on board with their local club and see if they can link us to some talent from back home?

[Harry]

Its not that simple

But it's also not that difficult to set up.

Whether you get any success out of it is the difficult bit.

[spudski]

Its not that simple

Actually it is that simple... It's just being pro-active and finding the right people.

Football is a small world. If the club are actively looking for scouts then word will get out and people will come forward and offer their services or offer recommendations.

Most scouts don't work full time and may work for different Clubs.

You'd be suprised how many player Scouts many teams have.

One club in Spain has over 600 on it's books...Globally...seriously.

[Jon atyeo is my dad]

Adomah Ghana

Elliott Jamaican

Cunningham, Maloney Ireland

Kilkenny Australia

Pearson different planet!

[Harry]

Adomah Ghana

Elliott Jamaican

Cunningham, Maloney Ireland

Kilkenny Australia

Pearson different planet!

Tenuous.

Adomah and Elliot both born in South London and only qualify for their respective national teams via distant parentage.

Cunningham & Maloney - 2 of very few players I'd like to see us keep.

Cardiff - Kim & Gunnarson

Hull - Koren, Elmohamady, Faye

Watford - too many to mention

Palace - Parr, Dikgacoi, Jedinek

Forest - Moussi, Jara, Majewski, Geudioura

Brighton - Orlandi, Ulloa, Lopez, Calderon

Leicester - De Laet, Knockaert

Bolton = Alonso, Ngog, Lee

Boro - Emnes, Ledesma, Arca

A lot of good foreignerz in that top 9 teams in our league.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Spain are already hitting us of you judge by the number of Spaniards in and around the BS3 area in the past 6 months.

Tonnes of young Spaniards are coming over here due to the unprecedented youth unemployment in their own Country.

Now, if somehow City could embrace this new community, get them supporting their new local team, and maybe tapping into their knowledge of youngsters from their own regions back home..........

Same with the amount of Poles we have in BS3. Surely we need to get these guys on board with their local club and see if they can link us to some talent from back home?

Indeed it said on RB recently that 13,000 young Spaniards had settled in Bristol in the last year or two.

That's about equal to City's average home gate.

May be a player or two amongst that lot, either way this influx of new long term residents are potential new supporters for their now local team.

I wonder what City are doing to try and entice them down to Ashton Gate?

[Mendip City]

Indeed it said on RB recently that 13,000 young Spaniards had settled in Bristol in the last year or two.

That's about equal to City's average home gate.

May be a player or two amongst that lot, either way this influx of new long term residents are potential new supporters for their now local team.

I wonder what City are doing to try and entice them down to Ashton Gate?

Great post. I've got a rough idea what City are doing to attract new supporters..............not a lot

[Fuber]

Tenuous.

Adomah and Elliot both born in South London and only qualify for their respective national teams via distant parentage.

Cunningham & Maloney - 2 of very few players I'd like to see us keep.

UPDATED

Cardiff - Kim & Gunnarson, Kiss, Velikonja

Hull - Koren, Elmohamady, Faye, Olofinjana, Gedo, Aluko, Proschwitz

Watford - Almunia, Cassetti, Ekstrand, Neuton, Franchone, Pudil, Forestieri, Abdi, Battocchio, Mujangi Bia, Vydra, and Geijo.

Palace - Parr, Dikgacoi, Jedinek, Speroni, Bolasie, Kossoko, Moritz.

Forest - Moussi, Jara, Majewski, Geudioura, Ayala, Moussa, El-Rashidi.

Brighton - Orlandi, Ulloa, Lopez, Calderon, Brezovan, Bruno, Vicente, Kuszczak, Lua-Lua. K, Agdestein.

Leicester - De Laet, Knockaert, Schlupp, Futacs.

Bolton = Alonso, Ngog, Lee, Bogdan, Ream.

Boro - Emnes, Ledesma, Arca, Zemmama, Williams, Haroun.

A lot of good foreignerz in that top 9 teams in our league.

Other examples including :

Leeds Utd - Austin, Diouf, Poleon, Habibou, Somma.

Brum - Lovenkrands, Zigic, Ibanez, Packwood, and Spector.

Charlton - Kermorgant, Fuller, Kerkar, Evina, Dervite.

Sheff Wed. - McCabe, Holden, Johnson, Helan, Semedo, Pecnik.

Blackpool - Sylvestre, Grandin, Martinez, Noguera, Bruna.

Compare these to us!?

Bristol City - Killkenny is realistically the only one legitimately from outside UK, w/ Albert and Marv being born in the UK.

[havanatopia]

Indeed it said on RB recently that 13,000 young Spaniards had settled in Bristol in the last year or two.

That's about equal to City's average home gate.

May be a player or two amongst that lot, either way this influx of new long term residents are potential new supporters for their now local team.

I wonder what City are doing to try and entice them down to Ashton Gate?

Paella and Chips next season.. luvvly jubbly.

[GrahamC]

Forest - Moussi, Jara, Majewski, Geudioura

Presumably all scouted by Keith Burt?

So even allowing for a budget reduction this could change now.

Like the idea about asking Dziekanowski and Sebok for recommendations too, as both their countries are EU members so the players don't need to be internationals to join, whereas much as I liked Ivan, there would be real work permit issues with signing Moldovans, as they are not..

[Kid in the Riot]

Presumably all scouted by Keith Burt?

So even allowing for a budget reduction this could change now.

Like the idea about asking Dziekanowski and Sebok for recommendations too, as both their countries are EU members so the players don't need to be internationals to join, whereas much as I liked Ivan, there would be real work permit issues with signing Moldovans, as they are not..

Unfortunately O'Driz is on record as saying he wants 'characters' as well as players and as such prefers signing British players. Though he has also already stated he will be scouting League of Ireland this summer.

Whilst I'm sure he'd be open to a foreign signing providing they spoke good English etc I fully expect O'Driz to concentrate on British/Irish players. His signing history seems to support that theory.

[TRL]

Other examples including :

Leeds Utd - Austin, Diouf, Poleon, Habibou, Somma.

Brum - Lovenkrands, Zigic, Ibanez, Packwood, and Spector.

Charlton - Kermorgant, Fuller, Kerkar, Evina, Dervite.

Sheff Wed. - McCabe, Holden, Johnson, Helan, Semedo, Pecnik.

Blackpool - Sylvestre, Grandin, Martinez, Noguera, Bruna.

Compare these to us!?

Bristol City - Killkenny is realistically the only one legitimately from outside UK, w/ Albert and Marv being born in the UK.

Even Killa was born in the UK

[Mendip City]

Unfortunately O'Driz is on record as saying he wants 'characters' as well as players and as such prefers signing British players. Though he has also already stated he will be scouting League of Ireland this summer.

Whilst I'm sure he'd be open to a foreign signing providing they spoke good English etc I fully expect O'Driz to concentrate on British/Irish players. His signing history seems to support that theory.

Yeah SODs got it right there. There are no foreign players with strong characters and the will to win. I asked Di Canio, Cantona, Vidic and the entire Spanish squad - they told me so.

[bcfctim]

Tenuous.

Adomah and Elliot both born in South London and only qualify for their respective national teams via distant parentage.

Cunningham & Maloney - 2 of very few players I'd like to see us keep.

Cardiff - Kim & Gunnarson

Hull - Koren, Elmohamady, Faye

Watford - too many to mention

Palace - Parr, Dikgacoi, Jedinek

Forest - Moussi, Jara, Majewski, Geudioura

Brighton - Orlandi, Ulloa, Lopez, Calderon

Leicester - De Laet, Knockaert

Bolton = Alonso, Ngog, Lee

Boro - Emnes, Ledesma, Arca

A lot of good foreignerz in that top 9 teams in our league.

Agree with the OP, but wouldn't say we are particularly lagging behind the rest of the Championship in this regard. Of the players you listed, most of them are just foreign players signed from other english clubs.

It's only really Watford and Brighton that have utilized the foreign market as the OP suggests. But when you look at the league table that's all the more in favour of the idea.

[Harry]

Agree with the OP, but wouldn't say we are particularly lagging behind the rest of the Championship in this regard. Of the players you listed, most of them are just foreign players signed from other english clubs.

It's only really Watford and Brighton that have utilized the foreign market as the OP suggests. But when you look at the league table that's all the more in favour of the idea.

Fair enough point - however, aside from Watford & Brighton, about 10 of those I mentioned were signed from abroad by their current clubs.

Look at someone like Anthony Knockaert - picked up for about £650k from French League 2 (En Avant Guincamp). He probably wasn't even spotted by an official scout - Guincamp play in a big tourist area and I know folks who pop along to watch them when they're in town. Could have come from a fan recommendation?

[Pickle Rick]

Spain are already hitting us if you judge by the number of Spaniards in and around the BS3 area in the past 6 months.

Tonnes of young Spaniards are coming over here due to the unprecedented youth unemployment in their own Country.

Now, if somehow City could embrace this new community, get them supporting their new local team, and maybe tapping into their knowledge of youngsters from their own regions back home..........

Same with the amount of Poles we have in BS3. Surely we need to get these guys on board with their local club and see if they can link us to some talent from back home?

All sensible stuff.

The club should address how to encourage the foreign locals to attend games.