Most random signings?

[SCIAG]

Baseya and Wieser are the two best shouts imo. I do think there’s a difference between Marcus Williams, who we signed for a clear logical reason but he just turned out to not be up to it, and the randomers signed on a hunch who had no real path to the first team. Aaron Brown falls in between them.

There are quite a lot of foreign 16-20 year olds we have signed as long term prospects and who have fizzled out. Think I blame Long and Gylfi. But again, there is at least a logic behind the Sweeney/Urbancic/Ji/Dvali/Onen types.

Other complete randomers:

- Brett Williams - vague “he could be the next Kitson” idea but never got a look in.

- Alan Bennett - seemingly signed just because he was from Cork but was never even close to the first team.

- Karl Sheppard- at least David Mooney played a few cup games and in theory could have brought some stature up front that we were missing, but Sheppard didn’t even manage that.

- Rowan Liburd - I oxf*rd love Rowan Liburd. Basically he’d dropped out of Chelsea’s academy to pursue a scholarship in the US, we signed him largely to use him as an overage player in our U21s and he was far too good, undermined the integrity of the competition. Made a few sub appearances for the first team and was rubbish.

- Felipe Araruna - rumour is that he’s still at the club. He has been here two years. Nobody is quite sure whether he is supposed to be a midfielder or right back.

- Saeid Ezatolahi - aka “Iranian guy”, seemed a bit random given we had just signed David Meyler but people were quickly calling for him to be in the first team. Looked really good - shame about the injury.

- Leo Roget - signed on loan, made one appearance, then was confined to the bench for the rest of the season.

[Snowflake Royal]

Baseya and Wieser are the two best shouts imo. I do think there’s a difference between Marcus Williams, who we signed for a clear logical reason but he just turned out to not be up to it, and the randomers signed on a hunch who had no real path to the first team. Aaron Brown falls in between them.

There are quite a lot of foreign 16-20 year olds we have signed as long term prospects and who have fizzled out. Think I blame Long and Gylfi. But again, there is at least a logic behind the Sweeney/Urbancic/Ji/Dvali/Onen types.

Other complete randomers:

- Brett Williams - vague “he could be the next Kitson” idea but never got a look in.

- Alan Bennett - seemingly signed just because he was from Cork but was never even close to the first team.

- Karl Sheppard- at least David Mooney played a few cup games and in theory could have brought some stature up front that we were missing, but Sheppard didn’t even manage that.

- Rowan Liburd - I oxf*rd love Rowan Liburd. Basically he’d dropped out of Chelsea’s academy to pursue a scholarship in the US, we signed him largely to use him as an overage player in our U21s and he was far too good, undermined the integrity of the competition. Made a few sub appearances for the first team and was rubbish.

- Felipe Araruna - rumour is that he’s still at the club. He has been here two years. Nobody is quite sure whether he is supposed to be a midfielder or right back.

- Saeid Ezatolahi - aka “Iranian guy”, seemed a bit random given we had just signed David Meyler but people were quickly calling for him to be in the first team. Looked really good - shame about the injury.

- Leo Roget - signed on loan, made one appearance, then was confined to the bench for the rest of the season.

Great shouts. Although by the time we signed Ezatolahi Meyler had already proven himself to be incapable of playing football.

[From Despair To Where?]

Jim McIntyre was a decent signing.

Struggling to name the other 6

Fleck
Brayson
Kelly
Stuart Gray?
Some Irish fella from Newcastle who was born in Chicago ?
Howie

Crawford. Jimmy?

Whenever people ask me for the worst signing in our history I always plump for Robert Fleck.

Received Norwich's Player Of The Year Award on our final ever game at Elm Park - (TBF I keep getting told I made this up in my head about him but oxf*rd it I'm sticking to it.

Dancing on the tables in the Turtle with James Lambert after we got relegated against Forest.

Contributed absolutely nothing positive to the club apart from the Fruities at Shooters where he spent far more time and effort than the Training ground or Matchday.

Your not imagining it, he definitely was awarded Norwich player of the season at our final league game at Elm Park. A very youthful Craig Belamy scored the only goal IIRC.

[Millsy]

Baseya and Wieser are the two best shouts imo. I do think there’s a difference between Marcus Williams, who we signed for a clear logical reason but he just turned out to not be up to it, and the randomers signed on a hunch who had no real path to the first team. Aaron Brown falls in between them.

There are quite a lot of foreign 16-20 year olds we have signed as long term prospects and who have fizzled out. Think I blame Long and Gylfi. But again, there is at least a logic behind the Sweeney/Urbancic/Ji/Dvali/Onen types.

Other complete randomers:

- Brett Williams - vague “he could be the next Kitson” idea but never got a look in.

- Alan Bennett - seemingly signed just because he was from Cork but was never even close to the first team.

- Karl Sheppard- at least David Mooney played a few cup games and in theory could have brought some stature up front that we were missing, but Sheppard didn’t even manage that.

- Rowan Liburd - I oxf*rd love Rowan Liburd. Basically he’d dropped out of Chelsea’s academy to pursue a scholarship in the US, we signed him largely to use him as an overage player in our U21s and he was far too good, undermined the integrity of the competition. Made a few sub appearances for the first team and was rubbish.

- Felipe Araruna - rumour is that he’s still at the club. He has been here two years. Nobody is quite sure whether he is supposed to be a midfielder or right back.

- Saeid Ezatolahi - aka “Iranian guy”, seemed a bit random given we had just signed David Meyler but people were quickly calling for him to be in the first team. Looked really good - shame about the injury.

- Leo Roget - signed on loan, made one appearance, then was confined to the bench for the rest of the season.

Great shouts. Although by the time we signed Ezatolahi Meyler had already proven himself to be incapable of playing football.

Meyler incapable of football?? You know nothing Ian you nincumpoop. He was an absolute pro, would frequently destroy other players 1v1 or even , 2v1. Way better than my 14 year old cousin and he plays it literally 18 hours a day.

(Referring to FIFA/XBOX controversy btw)

[Forbury Lion]

Anton Ferdinand, signed for our then owners club in Thailand, possibly called something like Thai Police but they registered him too late to take part in the season so he ended up with us.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Royston Drenthe, Daniel Carrico, Paulo Hurtado (can probably include all the other loan signings in that season), Ayub Masika, Sandro Weiser from the more modern era.

[Forbury Lion]

- Leo Roget - signed on loan, made one appearance, then was confined to the bench for the rest of the season.

Reminds me of Kevin Lisbie, signed from Charlton on loan, got injured and sent back IIRC.

Keith Scott from Wycombe - Didn't make much sense at the time.

Paul Brayson - Allegedly scored hundreds for Newcastle reserves/youth team, might have got 1 for us. Didn't look like a footballer, but top marks for effort.

Bas Savage - Had one good game as a right winger when Kevin Dillon suggested it to Coppell. Signed from non-league I believe and maybe jumped up too may levels, I recall Mr Angry (if you don't know Mr Angry you must be new around here) saying one of his best ever lines form a newspaper match report was "Bas Savage, a player who attacks the ball like it's his mortal enemy", that is to say he didn't have a light touch, also described as Bambi on ice.

Initially Murty/Gurney signings didn't make sense, I believe Murty was a right winger and we played him at right back and Gurney a right back who we played on the wing, although not sure Gurney was actually a football player. I also recall Murty allegedly was only good a Yotk as they had a sloping pitch and he had one leg longer than the other so it helped him out - Must have been fake news.

Scott Murray - Signed from Bristol City, Sold back to Bristol City in the same season I believe - we may made a profit, A left footed right winger, as such cut in from the wing alot. Might have made sense to try him on the left wing! Don't think he was homesick, just a case of the manager changing his mind/not fitting in despite being a hit with the fans and having some good games.

Mark Reilly - Tommy Burns signing Got homesick, sent home to Scotland, don't think he played for us

Pavel Pogrebnya - Random in so much as Brian McDermott was called to the owners office and told this is Pavel, he's your new striker.

[Dulwich Royal]

Michael Dobson - either signed or a loan from Brentford for part of 05/06 season and made just one appearance once promotion assured

[wally bassoon]

- Leo Roget - signed on loan, made one appearance, then was confined to the bench for the rest of the season.

Reminds me of Kevin Lisbie, signed from Charlton on loan, got injured and sent back IIRC.

Keith Scott from Wycombe - Didn't make much sense at the time.

Paul Brayson - Allegedly scored hundreds for Newcastle reserves/youth team, might have got 1 for us. Didn't look like a footballer, but top marks for effort.

Bas Savage - Had one good game as a right winger when Kevin Dillon suggested it to Coppell. Signed from non-league I believe and maybe jumped up too may levels, I recall Mr Angry (if you don't know Mr Angry you must be new around here) saying one of his best ever lines form a newspaper match report was "Bas Savage, a player who attacks the ball like it's his mortal enemy", that is to say he didn't have a light touch, also described as Bambi on ice.

Initially Murty/Gurney signings didn't make sense, I believe Murty was a right winger and we played him at right back and Gurney a right back who we played on the wing, although not sure Gurney was actually a football player. I also recall Murty allegedly was only good a Yotk as they had a sloping pitch and he had one leg longer than the other so it helped him out - Must have been fake news.

Scott Murray - Signed from Bristol City, Sold back to Bristol City in the same season I believe - we may made a profit, A left footed right winger, as such cut in from the wing alot. Might have made sense to try him on the left wing! Don't think he was homesick, just a case of the manager changing his mind/not fitting in despite being a hit with the fans and having some good games.

Mark Reilly - Tommy Burns signing Got homesick, sent home to Scotland, don't think he played for us

Pavel Pogrebnya - Random in so much as Brian McDermott was called to the owners office and told this is Pavel, he's your new striker.

Saw Mark Reilly play away at Chesterfield, one of the worst players I have ever seen for Reading, he looked bad in a terrible team.

Remember Scott Murray have a great start, didnt he get a couple in a 3-0 away win at forest early season. I think he is groundsman at BCFC now.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Going out on a limb here - Danny Drinkwater. Premier league winner, FA cup, league cup and England capped. On paper wtf is he doing here.
Screaming out for width / pace / goals and we get Drinkwater.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Going out on a limb here - Danny Drinkwater. Premier league winner, FA cup, league cup and England capped. On paper wtf is he doing here.
Screaming out for width / pace / goals and we get Drinkwater.

It seemed like a good signing on paper, vastly experienced and wanting to play football to get his career back on track, I thought it would be a win-win for both clubs.

I don't know whether I expected too much given his playing history, but then also disregarded his off-the-field issues that he has suffered since he moved from Leicester.

He was very much a random signing given his playing history but in fairness, if he wasn't with us this season, I'd have thought he'd have been somewhere else in the Championship, like a Bournemouth or Fulham.

[John Smith]

Mathieu Manset

[Royality creeps In]

Bod, Pog and Puscas

[Snowflake Royal]

Going out on a limb here - Danny Drinkwater. Premier league winner, FA cup, league cup and England capped. On paper wtf is he doing here.
Screaming out for width / pace / goals and we get Drinkwater.

And further more, he's been shit.

[Fezza]

Greg Halford - played 3 times
Emerse Fae - played 8 times, contracted malaria - bellend

[Sutekh]

Paul Franklin came in as a replacement for Steve Wood. 2 months later the club bought Keith Curle.

[fartdad]

Greg white lines Halford

[Lower West]

Danzell Gravenberch.......

[tidus_mi2]

Greg Halford - played 3 times
Emerse Fae - played 8 times, contracted malaria - bellend

I wouldn't say players who turned out to be shit for us count as random.

Both seemed like solid signings at the time.

[linkenholtroyal]

Danzell Gravenberch.......

One word legend