Grant Holt

[blue nige]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/kings-lynn ... -1-5266577

This makes an interesting read !

[Suffolk Blue]

Actually know somebody on the Norwich City staff who still works out with GH at the local gym in the city. His view (before any talk of BAFC came up) was that GH was quite happy and settled living in Norfolk having just bought a new gaff. Probably explains the Kings Lynn episode.

However I've also heard from some who know him that he does get rather homesick and tends to find ways of getting back as close to Carlisle as often as possible. He also I believe does want to give management a try and from brief chats with him in the past I know he has always had a soft spot for BAFC after leaving all those years ago. As others have pointed out his career has covered an unusually broad geographical range. So whilst it might sound a stretch , it could actually work out well for him. I certainly don't think we would have found it difficult to prise him away.

For the record I believe that he scored after 10 minutes in his debut for KL and this emphasises how valuable he could be in the short term for us in a number of ways. I don't expect him to feature much for us as a 90 minute player as he is 36. However his experience at the highest level will certainly means that he understands where the goal is and he aint no shrinking violet when it comes to box behaviour. I saw him play last at an East Anglian derby the season Norwich got promoted. Norwich won 5-0 at Portman Road and he was awesome. Didn't score a goal but held the ball up so well that Ipswich couldn't get it off him (reminded me of Cowperthwaite in his prime actually). He laid the ball off for at least three assists. I was sat in the Ramsey stand surrounded by dozens of Town fans venting their spleen at him all night. Not a peep out of me - just a big smile on my face as he played them like a fiddle. I also remember Paul Jewell (Ipswich manager at the time) saying after the game that he was going to make his players view the replay the following day specifically so they could watch how Holt controlled the game. So I think that he could also be very influential in enabling Adi Yuseff and particularly Byron Harrison.

Pennock and Holt. Marriage made in heaven or disaster about to happen? Who knows? We are now in unchartered territory and recent developments seem very un-Casson like. However, it might the case that we have tended to be a little too sensible over past couple of years and ultimately it has only got us so far. Things will be far from boring now and we'll inevitably be making a few headlines. Lets hope there the right ones. Oh and FFS if there was ever an appropriate time for bodies to get down to HS now is it.

[Tommylad]

Sounds like we've stitched them up a bit. Although if he was that important to them then they should of offered him a contract

[blue nige]

I never believed that under Cox we would ever go up but with these two in charge I think we have the right dynamic, I at last feel that we will make a good fist of it for next season.
I also believe the players will respond accordingly and as for us same as Aldershot, Macclesfield are such a horrible lot (can't forget about those ridiculous racist allegations! ) we owe them one!

[Hitthebar22]

Actually know somebody on the Norwich City staff who still works out with GH at the local gym in the city. His view (before any talk of BAFC came up) was that GH was quite happy and settled living in Norfolk having just bought a new gaff. Probably explains the Kings Lynn episode.

However I've also heard from some who know him that he does get rather homesick and tends to find ways of getting back as close to Carlisle as often as possible. He also I believe does want to give management a try and from brief chats with him in the past I know he has always had a soft spot for BAFC after leaving all those years ago. As others have pointed out his career has covered an unusually broad geographical range. So whilst it might sound a stretch , it could actually work out well for him. I certainly don't think we would have found it difficult to prise him away.

For the record I believe that he scored after 10 minutes in his debut for KL and this emphasises how valuable he could be in the short term for us in a number of ways. I don't expect him to feature much for us as a 90 minute player as he is 36. However his experience at the highest level will certainly means that he understands where the goal is and he aint no shrinking violet when it comes to box behaviour. I saw him play last at an East Anglian derby the season Norwich got promoted. Norwich won 5-0 at Portman Road and he was awesome. Didn't score a goal but held the ball up so well that Ipswich couldn't get it off him (reminded me of Cowperthwaite in his prime actually). He laid the ball off for at least three assists. I was sat in the Ramsey stand surrounded by dozens of Town fans venting their spleen at him all night. Not a peep out of me - just a big smile on my face as he played them like a fiddle. I also remember Paul Jewell (Ipswich manager at the time) saying after the game that he was going to make his players view the replay the following day specifically so they could watch how Holt controlled the game. So I think that he could also be very influential in enabling Adi Yuseff and particularly Byron Harrison.

Pennock and Holt. Marriage made in heaven or disaster about to happen? Who knows? We are now in unchartered territory and recent developments seem very un-Casson like. However, it might the case that we have tended to be a little too sensible over past couple of years and ultimately it has only got us so far. Things will be far from boring now and we'll inevitably be making a few headlines. Lets hope there the right ones. Oh and FFS if there was ever an appropriate time for bodies to get down to HS now is it.

Yes, it’s exciting.
Not great if we did do the wrong thing by Kings Lynn. I suppose some might say “it’s football”, but I don’t really go along with that.
Cassons have done well “on paper” recently. Can’t be knocked thus far for getting Pennock and Holt in. They deserve a modicum of credit on here because they’ve been villified by many on here since Cox left. Maybe with some justification with Moore. OK so no one knows how we will do, but going in the right direction - at least this month.
Seems to me just now we need 3 or 4 top quality (at this level) players.

[Suffolk Blue]

Re the contract situation HTB - I've long since given up feeling sorry for virtually anybody involved with legal issues or contracts in football. Its not that I cant drum up any sympathy for KL, its simply that legally speaking the football pyramid is set up so that teams with more muscle, clout or money can violate those that are weaker. Charles Darwin would've been proud. Even where contracts are in place they are more vehicles for establishing a current value rather than a proper framework for regulating behaviours. As a result, football clubs and players do not play by normal contractual rules and virtually every one has both suffered and probably benefited as a consequence. Not too long ago we would ourselves have been victims of seven day notice requests and we'd have received little sympathy for not being willing or able to put players on contracts.

In the case of KL, Holt and Simon Lappin both Norwich City premiership old boys signed for KL with a right royal fanfare (in these parts) about a month ago. Now it may be that the KL Chairman genuinely went to bed that night with visions of these gladiators leading KL up the slippery pole. However, neither were properly contracted it would appear meaning that either they could not afford to put these guys on contracts or and probably more likely, both Holt and Lappin did not want to be tied to a contract. Not that it is particularly relevant, but each of them probably has a greater net worth than the entire assets of KL multiplied several times over. So the decision making clout lies very much with them should they be waiting for their next bus to come along. I would actually stick my head above the parapet and suggest that Grant Holt has had reason to at least suspect that he might get some form of call from BAFC almost since Cox left. I'm also convinced that informal communication channels between the club and GH were established at the time and were probably never totally cut.

So I don't think we've really done much wrong here in the sense that both club and player have been on the same page and all that BAFC has done ultimately is to follow the rules even if the outcome has already been determined. The noisy stuff has come from KL probably because that's the only outlet available to them to vent their frustration. By the way I think the same would happen to us were Carlisle Utd to come looking for him at some point in the future (i.e. if he proves a success) because Carlisle is his home and old elephants always return home. Even if he were on a contract.

[Middleton Nick]

I for one was against Holt coming in as manager when the vultures were circling due to his lack of experience. However, alongside Pennock they could prove to be a formidable partnership.
As for him playing I think he needs to step up his training going by the picture on Blue Nige's post.
Looking forward to saturday.

[Bigfathoss]

I just heard this on an Everton podcast and it made me think about the changes at BAFC.
"Hard work beats talent, when talent fails to work hard."

If/when Holty is in place as coach I think we will see our 'talent' working harder.

[mall]

Re the contract situation HTB - I've long since given up feeling sorry for virtually anybody involved with legal issues or contracts in football. Its not that I cant drum up any sympathy for KL, its simply that legally speaking the football pyramid is set up so that teams with more muscle, clout or money can violate those that are weaker. Charles Darwin would've been proud. Even where contracts are in place they are more vehicles for establishing a current value rather than a proper framework for regulating behaviours. As a result, football clubs and players do not play by normal contractual rules and virtually every one has both suffered and probably benefited as a consequence. Not too long ago we would ourselves have been victims of seven day notice requests and we'd have received little sympathy for not being willing or able to put players on contracts.

In the case of KL, Holt and Simon Lappin both Norwich City premiership old boys signed for KL with a right royal fanfare (in these parts) about a month ago. Now it may be that the KL Chairman genuinely went to bed that night with visions of these gladiators leading KL up the slippery pole. However, neither were properly contracted it would appear meaning that either they could not afford to put these guys on contracts or and probably more likely, both Holt and Lappin did not want to be tied to a contract. Not that it is particularly relevant, but each of them probably has a greater net worth than the entire assets of KL multiplied several times over. So the decision making clout lies very much with them should they be waiting for their next bus to come along. I would actually stick my head above the parapet and suggest that Grant Holt has had reason to at least suspect that he might get some form of call from BAFC almost since Cox left. I'm also convinced that informal communication channels between the club and GH were established at the time and were probably never totally cut.

So I don't think we've really done much wrong here in the sense that both club and player have been on the same page and all that BAFC has done ultimately is to follow the rules even if the outcome has already been determined. The noisy stuff has come from KL probably because that's the only outlet available to them to vent their frustration. By the way I think the same would happen to us were Carlisle Utd to come looking for him at some point in the future (i.e. if he proves a success) because Carlisle is his home and old elephants always return home. Even if he were on a contract.

Yes,and old elephants have good memories as well.
Carlisle never wanted him !.

[Suffolk Blue]

Ah but hate turns to love so quickly. And football CEOs are so wonderful at re-inventing history aren't they?

If we rocket up the league I'd be very surprised if we didn't hear a senior official at Brunton Park quoted in a few months as saying with a lump in his throat and a weepy eye ".....actually we've monitored Grants career for many years and always had a deep admiration for him. We think it would be wonderful if we could provide an opportunity to bring the lad home".

But frankly if we rocket up the league I wouldn't care too much.

[McMark]

Ah but hate turns to love so quickly. And football CEOs are so wonderful at re-inventing history aren't they?

If we rocket up the league I'd be very surprised if we didn't hear a senior official at Brunton Park quoted in a few months as saying with a lump in his throat and a weepy eye ".....actually we've monitored Grants career for many years and always had a deep admiration for him. We think it would be wonderful if we could provide an opportunity to bring the lad home".

But frankly if we rocket up the league I wouldn't care too much.

Very good, and very true.

[mall]

Ah but hate turns to love so quickly. And football CEOs are so wonderful at re-inventing history aren't they?

If we rocket up the league I'd be very surprised if we didn't hear a senior official at Brunton Park quoted in a few months as saying with a lump in his throat and a weepy eye ".....actually we've monitored Grants career for many years and always had a deep admiration for him. We think it would be wonderful if we could provide an opportunity to bring the lad home".

But frankly if we rocket up the league I wouldn't care too much.

Yep, I agree.

[Big E]

I guess only time will tell if it will be a successful partnership, but what it is, is a clear statement by the owners of an intent to progress and taking the steps to try and ensure that.

Never any guarantees in football, but as long as people go about things the right way I hope folk will get behind them and stay behind them!

[Bluebarrowman]

I guess only time will tell if it will be a successful partnership, but what it is, is a clear statement by the owners of an intent to progress and taking the steps to try and ensure that.

Never any guarantees in football, but as long as people go about things the right way I hope folk will get behind them and stay behind them!

This

[Hitthebar22]

I guess only time will tell if it will be a successful partnership, but what it is, is a clear statement by the owners of an intent to progress and taking the steps to try and ensure that.

Never any guarantees in football, but as long as people go about things the right way I hope folk will get behind them and stay behind them!

Yes, a proper perspective in that post.
A new manager with impressive credentials. A knowledgable player/coach with popular ties to the club. An experienced fitness coach.
This is real. It can’t be cheap but it’s happening, a definite statement of intent by the Cassons. I can’t think how any supporter could ask them to do more at present, so hats off - that includes you Pedro (where have you gone recently?)
If it doesn’t work - hey ho it’s football, but my only point is that it’s obvious that they are trying. Can’t do more than that.