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The Gumbs situation left a nasty taste. He was a full international but because he played for a 'minor' nation he was refused a work permit despite two appeals and Arlene McCarthy the Euro MP getting involved. Similar cases involving bigger clubs had been passed with no problems at all. Once again a smaller club had been shat on from a great height by both the FL and the Govt.

That was Stott's excuse mate, Sharvey wanted to sign him.

We had him on trail when Graeme Sharp was boss, he impressed sufficiently for Sharp to ask Stott and co. to offer him a deal, guess what the answer was..........................???

Got them all apart from Malawi. His dad should be shot for not passing on tales of Ian Marshall's brace, probably the most important goals in the clubs history!

I think our poor (on paper) home form has been a mixture of bad luck and poor finishing. Swansea W2-1 Distinctly 2nd best yet won! Bristol Rov L0-1 Looked toothless but still managed to hit the woodwork through Chris Taylor Sarfend L0-1 Again toothless yet again hit the woodwork through Eardley Crewe W3-2 Unlucky to be 2-0 down, looked toothless subbed the big useless turd and hey presto bag two late goals! Leeds L0-1 Unlucky to lose but deserved a draw at most after failing to test the keeper Northampton L0-1 Poorest performance of the season Port Vale D1-1 Lucky to get a point but did look more of a threat than the Northampton game Luton D1-1 Kicked off the park, if it had been a boxing match it would have been stopped. Luton got what they come for, Hughes should've had a hat-trick Donny D1-1 Dominated from start to finish, poor finishing again, Hughes could've again had a hat-trick. Robbed by a of a ref! Realistically we should have at least another 7 points from our home games, hopefully we'll strat burying some our chances at home as we are back to level of creating opportunities that we were at this stage last season.

moving on from the players we thought would be ledge's and turned out downright ordinary, which past loanees did you wish we had been able to sign permanently? My offerings are as follows Lee Grant Leon Clarke Luke Beckett Simon Webster Michelle Vonk Paul Wilkinson (yes he was a tart, but just the type of player we needed at the time) Aaron Wilbraham Paul Rachubka Mike Pollitt Neil Thompson Glynn Snodin Danny Boxall Tommy Wright (2nd spell, not strictly on loan but would've liked him to have got a deal) Tomasz Cwyka Neil Kilkenny Lee Croft

Seeing as we're using loan players as examples and the calibre has markedly diminished over the last 24 hours, may I offer the following:- Peter Litchfield, absolutely dire! Nicky Spooner Ian Maclean Ronnie Jepson Phil Starbuck John Morrow Mark Foran Ian Ironside Ndiwa Kangana Rodney Jack David Lee Ian Thompstone (from City) Wayne Heseltine (From Man Utd) Alan Blayney Anthony 'The Judge' (PMSL) Grant Rob Scott Asa Hartford (could barely walk, never mind run!) Orpheo Keiszerweerd Nick Everingham (was supposedly the next best thing when a schoolboy, never made it!) Craig Mawson I'm sure there's some names that'll bring back terrrible memories there, remember it is only a game so don't have nightmares!

Seriously? Cost us £350k missed sitter after sitter whilst 32 goals in all competitions in 90 starts looks a decent return he went on to score 52 in all competitions for Wigan in an almost identical number of games. (93) Then he scored 27 for Tranmere in 74 starts, he was supposedly in his pomp at BP, I think for the money we paid out in transer fee and wages he underachieved.

stuart barlow anyone ? In all his glory, yet he moves to Wigan and becomes a frickin' goal machine!

The most frustrating thing about Whitehall was he was our number 9 yet was the only one who could take a decent corner. He still scored some belters, the late winner vs Millwall stands out and he was always a threat in the air, its a shame our crossing was generally non-existtent under Ritchie apart from occasional quality balls from Reid or Adams, and I agree a couple of years younger and he would've been superb, we signed him three years too late, and how then hell did that shot stay out vs Chelsea!?

Yeah agree re: Adams being Joe's scapegoat. Yes he could go missing, particularly away from home but he was on a one man survival mission during Feb-April '93 scoring priceless goals vs Chelsea, a brace at Everton, the legendary winner vs United, a last minute equaliser at home to QPR and a goal in the hammering of Wimbledon, however once we were tonked at Spurs Joe decided to drop him for a sweeper (Redmond), it paid off in the long run but was harsh and then the season we succumbed to relegation he hardly got a look in before being shipped out to Norwich. That was my only beef with Uncle Joe, players who questioned his team selection or asked why they weren't being picked were invariably transferred in double quick time, as was Neil Redfearn amongst others.

The most disappointing thing about McGinlay was he was quite clearly finished and crocked when he got here, yet on one leg he was head and shoulders above the strikers we had at the time. Shows how poor people like Whitehall were

Ok he's scored 21 goals (24 inc this season so far)but how many were penalties? I'll tell you, 13 were penalties and there's been a few free-kicks too so whilst 1 in 4 doesn't look too bad his goals from open play is actually very poor. Whilst people rightly bleat on about his assists ratio I think the problem I've had with him in the past is he often goes missing and looks like he couldn't give a monkeys's whilst constantly pointing at thin air. Shez has missed a trick with Lidds though, Ronnie played him as part of a forward three for the most part and he looked threatening, on the right he often looks like an old man whose legs have gone. His crossing ability is second to none but often he turns back as his creaking body fails to take him past the last man. Personally I'd play him in the hole, he's often looked good there when switched there on rare occasions. The biggest let down for me was how often we saw Liddell play for Wigan and what a cracking player he looked scoring all types of goals, we've only seen glimpses from a guy that is winding down at the end of his career. Perhaps i'm being harsh but I expected a lot more from Liddell when we signed him.

If you watch the ITV highlights closely, Davies sprints for the ball with his arms out whilst Hughes obviously demands the ball too. What was pleasing to see, is that Davies was the first to congratulate him after scoring, so perhaps he's found his dummy afterall.

Agree totally. When signing carss and Eyres on the same day I remember thinking Carss Who? And Eyres I though WTF he's 38 what good is he going to be!!!!!??? Club From To Fee League FA Cup League cup Other Oldham 12-10-2000 08-05-2006 Free 181 (25) 33 15 (2) 5 8 (0) 2 8 (2) 4 Eyresy LEGEND! Probably one of the cleanest strikers opf the ball I've seen at Latics. Shame Joe Royle didn't sign him before Blackpool in '89 when he had the chance. Doh!

Appleby looked decent until his injury, Clegg was pants but did ok in 03/04 when we had no-one else but to seeing as he had a pedigree at Man Utd and played quite a few games deputising for Mr. Neville he was poor!

Actually he scored his 4 in 2000/01, my mistake. 9/9/00 Wrexham 3 Latics 1 (Corazzin) A Certain Mr. Killen scored his first ever League Goal for Rectum whilst on loan from Citeh 10/2/01 Latics 5 Wrexham 1 (Corazzin 4, Rickers) 11/8/01 Wrexham 3 Latics 3 (Allott, Eyres, Corazzin) 19/1/02 Latics 3 Wrexham 1 (Murray, Shez (Pen), Corazzin)

Shame we didn't play Wrexham 'every game'!

Made more of an impact in the return game. Scored 4 and missed a pen!

Betsy was infuriating, everyone knew technically he was a class above but often he didn't want it enough. A bit like Liddell............

Rickers like Scott McNiven was harshly criticised imo, especially as he was often played out of position on the right when his best position was centre-mid. He was also good for a few goals every season, his goals at Bramall Lane and Glanford Park stand out as screamers and his clincher v Bolton in his debut season was a great moment too. McNiven S and Rickers were Like players such as Smalley, Eardley and Trotman they are/were being educated and growing up playing first team football. As for McNiven D.........................

He's gone from below average to distinctly average. He's doing the bare minimujm of what's expected. Just a shame Marlon got injured. I think Crossley is slowly getting fitter though and once Skippy is fit he'll have someone breathing down his neck and that can only be good news.

Think we all knew Crossley would be distinctly average if we're all honest.

Only my opinion, I was so excited when we signed Liddell as I thought we were getting a player that would light up dreary afternoons at BP. Instead we got a player who plays when he feels like it ok he's provided assists but it is no coincidence in his two long absences coincided with our best runs of the season Feb - April '06 and the run we are currently on.