Hometownclub

I don't consider Motherwell to be in anyway a better club than us, they've no money and don't get big crowds. I can't think that they can offer him anything we can't except a signing on fee as the'll avoid a transfer fee. I consider Scottish football to be a joke even at SPL level.

Davies is only 21 and hasn't had a full season playing yet (he was on the bench more often than not at Wolves) he will score goals in League 1. As for Hughes I have absolutely no doubt that when we get him fit and up to speed (which I think will be well before Christmas) he will run riot at this level (he was a top scorer at championship level before his incarceration). Also if Porter goes we are sure to bring someone else in, target man I would think. I am still happy long term with Hughes and Davies as the clubs strikers.

I don't realistically see how he can stay after all that has gone on over the last few weeks/months, his agent has totally soured both the club and the fans against him. The club need to put him and this whole sorry episode behind them and move on. I am more than happy with the signing of Davies and Hughes as next seasons strikers at the club.

I see nothing wrong with the article whatsoever, all it does is state the facts as they are. He suffers badly from 'Porter's knee'. Let Motherwell know what they are getting. Although he still hasnt' passed the medical yet.

I understand what your saying about a big target man but I think we also need to be careful, as I think bringing in a big lump like Hubertz would be a mistake. Being a big target man is one thing but they have to be able to play some football as well, otherwise you end up playing long ball stuff and just punting it high upfield all the time hoping that he will win all the headers.

I'm getting the impression from one or two posts that not getting a fee for Porter is no big deal, and will not have a knock on effect to the clubs potential plans. I think the loss of between £350,000 and £500,000 is a massive deal to a club like ours, the TTA dont have a bottomless pit of cash they can keep dipping into. That money whether used for player fees, salaries or re-development will have to now be found from somewhere else. I cannot believe that this will not be viewed as anything but a major kick in the teeth.

To me the loss of Porter is not the important issue here as I think most of us were resigned to losing him anyway. It's the not getting a fee that is far more important, we must have been looking at £350,000 to £400,000 by way of a tribunal as a minimum figure. That is massive money to a club like Latics. The money spent on building up the squad in terms of a fee for Davies and salaries to Crossley, Thompson, Kalala and Hughes must now be really hurting the club. We could really do with Micah Richards moving although that seems highly unlikely now with a new owner and manager at Citeh. A very sad state of affairs for the club and fans alike.

Just to add my twopenneth to this ongoing debate. I personally don't see Liddell as a regular starter next season with the players we have brought in. I think we will play differently and I really only see Liddell as a squad player. I think he still has a role to fulfill at the club but can see him only on the bench for much of the season unless we have quite a few injuries. His corners were poor last year (often failed to beat the first man). As Bigfin says Hughes will take the penalties.

Most of this has already been said and debated on this thread, I would just like to say the initial point made about racism is a valid one. Unfortunately some sections of society are racist and some small sections of Latics fans are racist, that doesn't mean that all black players are booed and subjected to racist chants. You will always get the idiot element of society and unfortunately a small number of these are Latics fans. I think generally players who pull on the Latics shirt are supported by the vast majority of genuine Latics fans, regardless of their colour.

I don't think so as there's been no mention of a fee in the Bigfin transfer, maybe it will be undisclosed

You are not basing that comment on what you have seen of either Lee Hughes or Leon Clarke as footballers, as there is absolutely no comparison between the two. Lee Hughes was a proven top Championship player. Leon Clarke is nowhere near to being a top Championship player. I suspect you are just trying to be controversial as we are all already aware of your thoughts on the Lee Hughes issue.

I would re-sign Porter rather than taking Davies, he is proven. Having said that Porter and his agent are really messing the club around, if he won't go to Plymouth then there is no chance of him even considering an outpost like Dundee. They are just trying to squeeze the club for every penny they can, his agent wants shooting.

Difficult call between 2 and 3 but in the end I went for 3, Michelle more than sweetened the deal.

To be honest I'm not a big fan of Clarke, I think we could do better for the wages we would have to pay him. He looked lazy at times and was always offside (I really don't think he understood the offside rule - seriously ). In his loan spell I dont think he showed us enough to want him as a permanent striker at the club, his wages will not be cheap coming from the Championship, and we would have to pay a fee for him.

Hang on a minute, whats happened to the well used phrase on here "rarely wrong Chron"

Totally agree, the club simply cant win with some fans.

Tremendous coup for the club if we can pull this off, waiting until it's a done deal though wouldn't want to jinks it by celebrating to early.

If we are branching across other sports then:- England - any sport especially football, cricket. Lancashire - Cricket (LL I to hope to see us win the County Championship in my lifetime) I get down to OT whenever I can and incidentally I'm going on Friday to watch the first 20/20 game against Durham. Cycling - any English/British involvement in the Tour de France etc.

Latics first, No one second, It's that simple for me, I have absolutely no allegence to or soft spot for any other football team.

Great link to an excellent site Stevie_J

Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC Doctor Doctor - UFO Seven Seas of Rhye - Queen Then is Now? - The Smiths Temptation - Heaven 17

Of all the legends featured Bobby Johnstone is the first one I can actually say I really knew as a person. I never saw him play as he was before even my time, although having heard many tales about him as a player and heard many peoples tributes to him, he must have been some player. He played at the very top level in his time and came to Latics later in his career, even so by all accounts he was one of the best we have ever had. I did get to know him very well long after he had retired from the game. Him and his wife had settled in Hollinwood (he used to live in a maisonette flat on Withens Road) after he retired. His daughter Nicola was in my class at school althrough my schooling from Infant to Juniors and then Secondary School. I got to know him relly well as he used to go in the same local Bookies as me in the eighties and nineties. He was a very quiet but really nice guy, not a big punter just a small flutter, more to occupy his time than anything else really. We had some good chats about Latics and football in general. He did tell me that he enjoyed playing at Citeh more than anywhere else he played, but he conceded that he obviously did like Oldham as that is where he settled after his retirement from the game. I also remember he did like a drink as well, he moved back to Scotland in the late nineties before his death. A really nice guy, and a tremendous player, I would have loved to have seen him play. True Legend.

Very happy with the signing of this guy, better and far more versatile than Haining. Good solid defender who did have other options and chose the Latics. Get in. Shez will get it right.

His height is listed as 6'0" on the soccerbase website, I had a feeling he wasn't as tall as 6'4" as I once saw him at a Greyhound meeting at Belle Vue.

At nearly 38 I think he is certainly past his best. Having said that he was a Premiership keeper in his day and is now dropping to League 1. If he is also coming in coaching capacity as well, his experience and class should help Pogs and the young keepers at the club.