Ron Rant

[Tangled up in Blue]

Just finished reading the chapter on SUFC in Steve Wignall's autobigraphy which has the catchy little title YOU DO RANT RON RON,YOU DO RANT RON.
Seems like everyone else (apart from Wignall himself of course) was responsible for his downfall at Roots Hall.This chiefly includes coach Stewart Robson the "snake" in the Roots Hall grass.
Also his "ranting" Chairman RM said to suffer from "Little man syndrome" and a "servile" Tilly who couldn't keep discipline in the the yoof team.
Even secretary Helen Giles comes in for some stick -for wanting Stan the Man to take over as manager.About the only person who comes out of this account not smelling of poo(apart from Saint Steve)is, perhaps rather suprisingly, Geoffrey King.
About the only thing I could agree with in Wignall's account is that Michael Kightly was "definitely destined to have a Football League career" though personally I didn't think Kites had it in him during his time at the Hall.
File this under fiction methinks.
Apart from signing Gower did Wignall do anything for our football club?

 

[Napster]

Apart from signing Gower did Wignall do anything for our football club?

Yes. He got rid of a lot of dross from Newman, and signed players with a good work ethic, the majority of which helped us to the LDV Final later that season.

But apart from that, what has he done?

 

[ldnfatso]

Fancy buying that scumbags book!

 

[maninasuitcase]

I have to say he did. He signed some decent players (and some flops) but couldn't mould them into a team. It took Webby to sort them out, and Tilly to carry on the good work.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Yes. He got rid of a lot of dross from Newman, and signed players with a good work ethic, the majority of which helped us to the LDV Final later that season.

But apart from that, what has he done?

Fair point(s).

 

[WolfieSUFC]

If we kept Wignall, we would still talking about our next away game at Forest Green Rovers, instead of planning a trips to Huddersfield on Sat 4th April. Before Wignall got the sack, I was accepting an life in Non-League and look forward to like of Canvey, Accrington and Tamworth etc!

 

[WolfieSUFC]

York City who went down, after Southend picked a runs of form to escape the drop in 2004, now find its difficult to get out of the conference and could end up playing Workington, Eastwood and Hyde in Conference North!

 

[Lester Bangs]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Wignall responsible for bringing in a good few of the names that went on to get promotion the following season.

I don't have any evidence to back this up but I'm sure I've read/heard/been informed that it was Wignall that brought the players in during his short tenure at Roots Hall, however, he was so bad at tactics that they had no chance of flourishing.

 

[Beefy]

Wignall brought in a few of the players who would go on to get two successive promotions (Gower, Wilson, Jupp come to mind) and other fringe players (Broughton, Corbett), but his biggest contribution, as Napster said, was writing off Rob Newman's side and starting again. The Wignall Revolution, as it was described on here at the time, needed to happen and without it I don't think we'd have had anything like the success that we went on to enjoy.

 

[grassroots]

Just couldn’t understand what happened at the time. Wignall did clear the decks and signed virtually the side that 'Tilly took to Cardiff and promotion! Probably needed to aim his bitterness at the players tho who let him down badly, in spite of Wignall showing faith in them. I seem to remember his last game, where Bramble, Constantine and Smith all missed ‘sitters’…………….what if they had scored………but that’s another story!

 

[Blueshrimper]

It makes me laugh that he has a moan about Tilly! Wignall is about a 100th of the manager Tilly is! If Wignall was still in chage we would be in the Blue Square Premier.

 

[Neil_F]

I would consider our strongest eleven during the promotion campaign as:

Flahavan - signed by Webb (released by Robson and then brought back)
Jupp - Wignall
Prior - Tilson
Barrett - Tilson
Wilson - Wignall
Maher - Alvin Martin
Bentley - Tilson
Guttridge - Tilson
Gower - Wignall
Eastwood - Tilson
Gray - Tilson

It was Tilson's side. Wignall's only signing of note was Mark Gower

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I would consider our strongest eleven during the promotion campaign as:

Flahavan - signed by Webb (released by Robson and then brought back)
Jupp - Wignall
Prior - Tilson
Barrett - Tilson
Wilson - Wignall
Maher - Alvin Martin
Bentley - Tilson
Guttridge - Tilson
Gower - Wignall
Eastwood - Tilson
Gray - Tilson

It was Tilson's side. Wignall's only signing of note was Mark Gower

That's exactly the point I was making Neil though I think Jupp was a pretty useful player too.
Let's see if this has got legs.Anyone know/remember:-

1)which Newman players Wignall culled?(13 players)
2)which players from the Newman era were retained by Wignall?(Leon Cort, Maher,Jay Smith and who else)?
3)which players Wignall signed?(11 brought in)

To set the ball rolling in 1)Mark Beard-arguably one of the worst players ever to wear the shirt and(as you say Neil), one of the best,Flavahaven who was out of contract,let go and later re-signed IIRC on a monthly contract at first.Incidentally Darryl gets quite a lot of stick from Wignall for not being appreciative enough that Saint Steve resurrected his career.

In 3)Wignall signed Emberson(!), Jupp,Jamie Stuart,Mark Warren,Jimmy Corbett(!),Jamie Fullarton(!),Leke Odunsi(!),Drew(legend for some)Broughton(!) and Michael Husbands(!) along with Che Wilson,Mark Gower and eventually Darryl again. of course.
I seem to have answered my own question 3 -though there is an awful lot of dross in that list.What about questions 1 and 2 though?

One final question.Which FA Cup game was Wignall sacked just before?
Was it that awful defeat against Kingstonian(Beard's return)or the Scarborough game where Drew missed chance after chance to give us a game against ....Chelsea?

 

[Napster]

one of the best,Flavahaven who was out of contract,let go and later re-signed IIRC on a monthly contract at first.?

Darryl was more than likely let go because of his behaviour at the awards ceremony.

 

[MK Shrimper]

What I can see from Soccerbase, Wignall was sacked on the 3/11/2003 and the game previous to that was a 1-0 loss to Northampton in the League. That shambolic tie with Scarborough was yet to take place.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Darryl was more than likely let go because of his behaviour at the awards ceremony.

Good call Napster.This is mentioned in Wignall's account:clap:

 

[Napster]

Good call Napster.This is mentioned in Wignall's account:clap:

was it? what did he say? I was there that night.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

What I can see from Soccerbase, Wignall was sacked on the 3/11/2003 and the game previous to that was a 1-0 loss to Northampton in the League. That shambolic tie with Scarborough was yet to take place.

So it WAS Scarorough.Cheers MK.Thought so but the old Short term memory 's not what it used to be:cricko:

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

I think Kevin Maher, surprisingly enough, was sent off. And then a Borient fan came on here crowing that we lost to 10 men.

Afterwards, Chipper and I were in the queue for FA Cup tickets, which was snaking around the car park. Leon Cort came out, shook Chipper's hand, had a look at the hundreds of people still backing a bottom 2 side and said something to him along the lines of 'This is unreal. Don't worry, we'll turn it round. We have to for support like this.'

Ah, happy days.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

was it? what did he say? I was there that night.

Doesn't go into much detail.:censored:?
but "he got ****ed at a clubfunction and started shouting out from his table."
What do you remember about it?
This was ofcourse not too long after Daryll's bereavement so allowances can be made.