The Semenyo Thread - Now a Bournemouth Player. Deal Confirmed

[chinapig]

38 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Always been intrigued by this foot race term

It just means he got on his bike

[Tinmans Love Child]

1 hour ago, bexhill reds said:

Dave Smith, there was a player from my youth, he made a career out of knock it past, run then cross. Loved watching him play

I’m sure he was the quickest player I’d ever seen!  Loved him!

[Tinmans Love Child]

47 minutes ago, TDarwall said:

Dave Smith is one of the few times I've really admired an opposition player, we've signed him & he turned out ad good as I'd hopes.  A pretty basic player, but quick as a whippet & foot like a traction engine. 

He was also involved in 1 of my fave all time goals at the Gate, home to Blackburn, 1st game of the season after promotion, a fantastic left foot cross headed home with aplomb by Nicky Morgan.

 

 

That Blackburn game was great, really sunny, we played great, 4-2 was it?  Lots of goals anyway!

[downendcity]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

I honestly don’t know why quick, strong players bother trying to beat an opponent with skill on counter attacks…just knock it past them and win the foot race.

IIRC that seemed to be Alan Skirton's tactic back in the day.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, billywedlock said:

Always been intrigued by this foot race term. It always used to be a sprint, is there another version now, egg and spoon, on your knees, on all fours, or your hands. Where on earth did it come from ? Do feet actually race ? It's one for @Major Isewatermethinks. 

Just looked it up, it has been in use in English since at least the 13th century & is mentioned in the ballad of Robin Hood.

Therefore nothing to do with those across the Atlantic.

[Sheltons Army]

23 minutes ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

I’m sure he was the quickest player I’d ever seen!  Loved him!

What always struck me was that he literally had gears, he’d suddenly turn the afterburners on....and ‘Bye’

That left foot too !

Like @TDarwallsaid , I remember watching him play against us  for Gillingham and thinking how I’d love to see him in a City shirt, and it actually came to bear

People talk about players getting you off your seat , and he did that so often for us - fantastic player to enjoy 

Edited August 16, 2022 by Sheltons Army

[gornagain]

There are many words and phrases that crossed the Atlantic and then fell out of use here. They are mistaken for Americanisms.

[cityal]

7 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

What always struck me was that he literally had gears, he’d suddenly turn the afterburners on 

Like @TDarwallsaid , I remember watching him GP for Gillingham and thinking how I’d love to see him in a City shirt, and it actually came to bear

People talk about players getting you off your seat , and he did that so often for us - fantastic player to enjoy 

I remember thinking the same - being amazed at his pace when we played Gillingham the season before he arrived. It was very exciting to read in the post he had signed for us,

Loved watching smudger and Mark Gavin. That front four including also Taylor and Turner was almost unbelievable to watch

 

Come to think of it many years later had the same feeling about Ryan Kent - a player who had torn us to shreds the season before coming to City - very exciting - pity how that one turned out!

Edited August 16, 2022 by cityal

[PHILINFRANCE]

6 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

What always struck me was that he literally had gears, he’d suddenly turn the afterburners on....and ‘Bye’

That left foot too !

You did it on purpose, didn't you ?

Annoying things people say in football chat on otib.. 

[Curr Avon]

From Bristol World: Bristol City’s stance on Antoine Semenyo transfer amid Everton and Crystal Palace interest | BristolWorld

Bristol City’s stance on Antoine Semenyo transfer amid Everton and Crystal Palace interest

Antoine Semenyo has yet to play for Bristol City this summer but Premier League clubs are reportedly lining up for him

By Jordan Jones

Tuesday, 16th August 2022, 11:30 am

Bristol City do not need to sell Antoine Semenyo but may not stand in their way if a Premier League club came in and they stressed their desire to leave.

That is the stance based on the comments of the Robins owner Steve Lansdown from last week, amid reports of an incoming bid from Crystal Palace and new interest from Everton who are managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.

As of last week, City hadn’t received a firm offer for Semenyo but things could change this week with the days ticking down on the transfer window.

The 22-year-old is under contract for the next year at least with the ability to extend his deal through a one-year option. City do not ‘need’ to sell Semenyo or his highly-rated teammate Alex Scott.

Last week Steve Lansdown admitted any potential sale could be reinvested back into the rest of the squad, but there is still no offer on the table.

Should any sale take place, it may have to be player-driven and so far, Semenyo has not spoken publicly about wanting to depart the club. Things could change however as Lansdown admitted that once Adam Webster stated he wanted to leave despite the club’s desire for him to stay, they were able to recoup a club record fee of £20.00m for him.

Brighton were of course in the Premier League at the time and that is the only market that will be explored, perhaps ruling out Scottish Premiership winners Celtic.

He said: "I think the transfer market is only with the Premier League sides. They have the capital to do it and the owners who can put the money in to do something but strictly speaking, I don’t think that’s there anymore.

"Why would Alex or Antoine want to go to someone else in the Championship? They have fantastic facilities here, it’s a great club to be a part of, great team-mates and a progression that they can see in their own careers but when a Premier League club comes in for them that’s when it’s difficult to turn down and I wouldn’t stand in their way."

According to Transfermarkt, a total of £1.3bn has been spent by all 20 Premier League clubs this summer with newly promoted Nottingham Forest one of the biggest spending clubs, spending an outlay of £106.70m.

The interested parties like Everton have already spent £32m this summer whilst also receiving £52m whilst a potential sale of Anthony Gordon to Chelsea could almost double that, leaving them with the resources to buy Semenyo.

Palace meanwhile have spent £30m on just two players, Cheick Doucoure and Chris Richards. Newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth have just started spending their money after a slow start to the window but again the riches of the television deal make any deal a possibility.

The Daily Mail reported that Palace want to bid £12m for Semenyo but that the actual valuation of the player is £15m, though that would surely be on top of add-ons given the vast potential of the player.

An injury earlier this summer may have deterred an immediate move as interested clubs await the severity of the situation but that may not hold out too much longer.

Semenyo is injured at the moment but is stepping up his recovery as he hopes to force his way into the Ghana national team. That does not mean however he would 100% fail a medical with the final decision being at the potential purchasing club.

No medical is the same and it’s more down to the interested clubs medical team making an assessment of the player and whether they will benefit them in the long-term. The interested party would speak to the selling club to get some information regarding their injury history.

As it stands, any news of a departure from Semenyo remains at speculation, but there have been enquiries and that can later transpire to a bid.

It will be interesting to see if City can hold their resolve to keep one of their prized assets or whether they’ll eventually have their valuation met by either club who should have no struggles by a league that has been unaffected by the financial impact over the last few years.

[red kev]

2 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Always remember the Gillingham game the season before we signed him, Chris Honor (now an excellent pundit) was tasked with marking him & on one occasion Smith simply booted the ball about 30 yards forward into space down the wing & basically challenged Honor to a foot race to it.

Unsurprisingly he beat Chris to it by absolutely miles, I’ve never seen it before or since in a pro game.

Alan skirton did it all the time, even at 6 foot 2 and with a beer gut!

[sh1t_ref_again]

watching this, just shows how important is to us

 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

43 minutes ago, gornagain said:

There are many words and phrases that crossed the Atlantic and then fell out of use here. They are mistaken for Americanisms.

Absolutely.  Like ‘soccer’ for one!

[Tinmans Love Child]

22 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Absolutely.  Like ‘soccer’ for one!

Actually soccer is not an Americanism, we called it that before Football! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-we-start-calling-football-soccer-180951751/

[chinapig]

53 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Absolutely.  Like ‘soccer’ for one!

Never watched Soccer Saturday with Jeff Stelling?

[slartibartfast]

1 hour ago, red kev said:

Alan skirton did it all the time, even at 6 foot 2 and with a beer gut!

And a Brian Ferry quiff !

[slartibartfast]

1 hour ago, Curr Avon said:

From Bristol World: Bristol City’s stance on Antoine Semenyo transfer amid Everton and Crystal Palace interest | BristolWorld

Bristol City’s stance on Antoine Semenyo transfer amid Everton and Crystal Palace interest

Antoine Semenyo has yet to play for Bristol City this summer but Premier League clubs are reportedly lining up for him

By Jordan Jones

Tuesday, 16th August 2022, 11:30 am

Bristol City do not need to sell Antoine Semenyo but may not stand in their way if a Premier League club came in and they stressed their desire to leave.

That is the stance based on the comments of the Robins owner Steve Lansdown from last week, amid reports of an incoming bid from Crystal Palace and new interest from Everton who are managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.

As of last week, City hadn’t received a firm offer for Semenyo but things could change this week with the days ticking down on the transfer window.

The 22-year-old is under contract for the next year at least with the ability to extend his deal through a one-year option. City do not ‘need’ to sell Semenyo or his highly-rated teammate Alex Scott.

Last week Steve Lansdown admitted any potential sale could be reinvested back into the rest of the squad, but there is still no offer on the table.

Should any sale take place, it may have to be player-driven and so far, Semenyo has not spoken publicly about wanting to depart the club. Things could change however as Lansdown admitted that once Adam Webster stated he wanted to leave despite the club’s desire for him to stay, they were able to recoup a club record fee of £20.00m for him.

Brighton were of course in the Premier League at the time and that is the only market that will be explored, perhaps ruling out Scottish Premiership winners Celtic.

He said: "I think the transfer market is only with the Premier League sides. They have the capital to do it and the owners who can put the money in to do something but strictly speaking, I don’t think that’s there anymore.

"Why would Alex or Antoine want to go to someone else in the Championship? They have fantastic facilities here, it’s a great club to be a part of, great team-mates and a progression that they can see in their own careers but when a Premier League club comes in for them that’s when it’s difficult to turn down and I wouldn’t stand in their way."

According to Transfermarkt, a total of £1.3bn has been spent by all 20 Premier League clubs this summer with newly promoted Nottingham Forest one of the biggest spending clubs, spending an outlay of £106.70m.

The interested parties like Everton have already spent £32m this summer whilst also receiving £52m whilst a potential sale of Anthony Gordon to Chelsea could almost double that, leaving them with the resources to buy Semenyo.

Palace meanwhile have spent £30m on just two players, Cheick Doucoure and Chris Richards. Newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth have just started spending their money after a slow start to the window but again the riches of the television deal make any deal a possibility.

The Daily Mail reported that Palace want to bid £12m for Semenyo but that the actual valuation of the player is £15m, though that would surely be on top of add-ons given the vast potential of the player.

An injury earlier this summer may have deterred an immediate move as interested clubs await the severity of the situation but that may not hold out too much longer.

Semenyo is injured at the moment but is stepping up his recovery as he hopes to force his way into the Ghana national team. That does not mean however he would 100% fail a medical with the final decision being at the potential purchasing club.

No medical is the same and it’s more down to the interested clubs medical team making an assessment of the player and whether they will benefit them in the long-term. The interested party would speak to the selling club to get some information regarding their injury history.

As it stands, any news of a departure from Semenyo remains at speculation, but there have been enquiries and that can later transpire to a bid.

It will be interesting to see if City can hold their resolve to keep one of their prized assets or whether they’ll eventually have their valuation met by either club who should have no struggles by a league that has been unaffected by the financial impact over the last few years.

£20 m ,A record ? Thought Webster went for a tad more ?

[pongo88]

4 hours ago, bexhill reds said:

Dave Smith, there was a player from my youth, he made a career out of knock it past, run then cross. Loved watching him play

The original Billy Whizz

[pongo88]

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Always remember the Gillingham game the season before we signed him, Chris Honor (now an excellent pundit) was tasked with marking him & on one occasion Smith simply booted the ball about 30 yards forward into space down the wing & basically challenged Honor to a foot race to it.

Unsurprisingly he beat Chris to it by absolutely miles, I’ve never seen it before or since in a pro game.

I remember in that game he shot past one City defender and was through on goal when he was brought down in the penalty area. Everyone in the ground thought it was a dead cert penalty except the referee who waved play on. I had some sort of hospitality that day and was in the players’ bar after the match where everyone was talking about the incident.  Luckily, I said it was an obvious penalty and the ref was blind, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said “You’re right it was me who was fouled”. It was Dave Smith who was a very nice chap. Good job I didn’t say it was a dive 

[GrahamC]

2 minutes ago, pongo88 said:

I remember in that game he shot past one City defender and was through on goal when he was brought down in the penalty area. Everyone in the ground thought it was a dead cert penalty except the referee who waved play on. I had some sort of hospitality that day and was in the players’ bar after the match where everyone was talking about the incident.  Luckily, I said it was an obvious penalty and the ref was blind, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said “You’re right it was me who was fouled”. It was Dave Smith who was a very nice chap. Good job I didn’t say it was a dive 

Remember that as well, stonewall penalty.

[Peter Coles]

31 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Remember that as well, stonewall penalty.

Can remember him playing against the rovers I think the full back was alexander correct me if I am wrong he went past him as if he wasn't there and got sent off for chopping him down, I think this happened more than once, memory starting to go but he was a hard man to get near.

[GrahamC]

3 minutes ago, Peter Coles said:

Can remember him playing against the rovers I think the full back was alexander correct me if I am wrong he went past him as if he wasn't there and got sent off for chopping him down, I think this happened more than once, memory starting to go but he was a hard man to get near.

Alexander was definitely sent off at least twice against us at AG.

Handball on the line, Tinnion scored the penalty (his first ever goal for us) the year they went down.

He was also sent off for stamping on Smith when he was on the floor.

Probably was a third, Alexander’s whole game was based on kicking his opponent, terrible, dirty player.

[Peter Coles]

Just now, GrahamC said:

Alexander was definitely sent off at least twice against us at AG.

Handball on the line, Tinnion scored the penalty (his first ever goal for us) the year they went down.

He was also sent off for stamping on Smith when he was on the floor.

Probably was a third, Alexander’s whole game was based on kicking his opponent, terrible, dirty player.

Thanks

[CyderInACan]

49 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Probably was a third, Alexander’s whole game was based on kicking his opponent, terrible, dirty player.

Nasty piece of work and also of course part of the moustache squad the sags collected in the late 80s/early 90s 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

2 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

Actually soccer is not an Americanism, we called it that before Football! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-we-start-calling-football-soccer-180951751/

Yes, that was my point, that it isn’t an Americanisation!

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

59 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Alexander was definitely sent off at least twice against us at AG.

Handball on the line, Tinnion scored the penalty (his first ever goal for us) the year they went down.

He was also sent off for stamping on Smith when he was on the floor.

Probably was a third, Alexander’s whole game was based on kicking his opponent, terrible, dirty player.

The handball on the line was hilarious.  Having virtually caught the ball, Alexander then stood motionless for a second or two until the Rovers goalkeeper quite clearly suggested to him that he might be well advised to throw himself on the ground clutching his face.  Alexander duly threw himself on the ground clutching his face.  The ref waited for him to stop rolling around and get up, and then sent him off. Fantastic!

[GrahamC]

18 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

The handball on the line was hilarious.  Having virtually caught the ball, Alexander then stood motionless for a second or two until the Rovers goalkeeper quite clearly suggested to him that he might be well advised to throw himself on the ground clutching his face.  Alexander duly threw himself on the ground clutching his face.  The ref waited for him to stop rolling around and get up, and then sent him off. Fantastic!

Yep, a thug and a cheat.

Anyone who knows about him off the field will know it didn’t change there, either..

 

[SecretSam]

2 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Alexander was definitely sent off at least twice against us at AG.

Handball on the line, Tinnion scored the penalty (his first ever goal for us) the year they went down.

He was also sent off for stamping on Smith when he was on the floor.

Probably was a third, Alexander’s whole game was based on kicking his opponent, terrible, dirty player.

Deffo two, that I remember seeing: the Tinman penalty one (I'd just yelled at Alexander that he should hurry up and get sent off...I kid you not). The other was after about 15 mins, first he cleaned out Smith a couple of times - literally put him into orbit - got booked, clattered him again, ref gave a FK and Alexander picked up the ball and literally hoofed it 60 yards down the pitch. The ref looked at him like he was taking the p155...and sent him off.

[SecretSam]

3 hours ago, pongo88 said:

The original Billy Whizz

Smith was quicker than that. Like Roadrunner on amphetamines. Replaced the legendary Alan "Shuffle" Walsh on the left, similar build but totally different player. Possibly the quickest City player I've ever seen - although Keith Curle pre-injury was seriously rapid - but his all round game was nothing like Walsh's. Half of Smith's crosses ended up catching a bus over the back of the stand. Mind you, on his day he was unplayable.

[Rudolf Hucker]

8 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

Smith was quicker than that. Like Roadrunner on amphetamines. Replaced the legendary Alan "Shuffle" Walsh on the left, similar build but totally different player. Possibly the quickest City player I've ever seen

Ivan Sproule was pretty rapid too (not a lot else, sadly!)