Pre-season trialists from the past

[jackj13]

Was Craig Fagan ever on trial or just in fitness/making up the numbers?

 

[CMRandall92]

Spoke to Rohan few years after that trial through a work collaboration, he had an offer on table was due to sign the week after GWR. Scored the hat-trick and we then took the original offer off the table and proposed reduced terms lol.

 

[Green Wizard]

Sam Higgins was one of the best players by far playing non-league but I felt his desire didn't match his ability, there never seemed to be any urgency in his play.

 

[SUFCGoals]

Did we have Leon Britton on trial in roughly 2002?

I think Leon Cort came back on trial in 2015 ish.

Can add ibby Akanbi to last season.

Carlton Cole in 2017

 

[Hooly]

I used to love the randomness of some of the triallists. There was one at Maldon in what I think must have been Tilly's early days that @GNH & I recalled for many years after although my memories of specifics are a bit vague, well it didn't last long. I suspect he was only on the teamsheet as Traillist Z & lucky to be that high up the alphabet.

His name was something like Babatunde, the Maldon tannoy wasn't much good, & he was a big lump who came on I think up front at half time. In true Ali Dia style, youngsters should read the story of his career in the link as it's very funny, this guy lumbered around for a few minutes but patently couldn't trap a bag of sand & was hauled off after I'd say about 15 minutes never to be seen again.

I'd like to say "I know cos I was there" but it's more that "it happened & I was definitely there but I'm old!".

Ali Dia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[LCBB72]

Anyone remember Jeff Wood - a goalkeeper who had played for Charlton - if I recall correctly he let in 7 goals in a home friendly against West Ham. Needless to say we didn’t sign him. Probably about 1982…

If I remember he had been a regular at Charlton .

 

[shrimpled]

Zoltan Liptak was my favourite and we even ended up signing him.

He never played and the next anyone saw of him (bar a short stint at Southampton) he was starting for Hungary against England at Wembley.

 

[united we stand]

Played in the Ricketts game didnt he?

Not according to the match report posted earlier

 

[Tommy2holes]

Leon Gutzmore 2000s
Bagged a ridiculous amount for billericay and was expecting him to be a class act.

He was one of the most disinterested trialists I've ever seen.

 

[Andy_S]

Zoltan Liptak was my favourite and we even ended up signing him.

He never played and the next anyone saw of him (bar a short stint at Southampton) he was starting for Hungary against England at Wembley.

Still to this day I’m not sure why Liptak wasn’t given a chance.

 

[Floval Flyer]

We had Nile Ranger while he was on trial several times

 

[OldWilliam]

I used to love the randomness of some of the triallists. There was one at Maldon in what I think must have been Tilly's early days that @GNH & I recalled for many years after although my memories of specifics are a bit vague, well it didn't last long. I suspect he was only on the teamsheet as Traillist Z & lucky to be that high up the alphabet.

His name was something like Babatunde, the Maldon tannoy wasn't much good, & he was a big lump who came on I think up front at half time. In true Ali Dia style, youngsters should read the story of his career in the link as it's very funny, this guy lumbered around for a few minutes but patently couldn't trap a bag of sand & was hauled off after I'd say about 15 minutes never to be seen again.

I'd like to say "I know cos I was there" but it's more that "it happened & I was definitely there but I'm old!".

Ali Dia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I remember Babatunde. You are spot on with your description of his footballing abilities. Another trislist that day was a young Mark Wright of TOWIE fame who we went on to sign on a youth contract.

 

[SUFCGoals]

Surely someone has a list of every season's trialists!! I'd imagine CP having one

 

[JD]

We had Nile Ranger while he was on trial several times

never heard of him

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Andre Blackman was rejected after a trial when he was absolutely woeful at Barnet but then we later signed him anyway under Bond

I saw Andre Blackman in a friendly at Needham Market in 2011, he was terrible. If memory serves me correctly Vincent Pericard who had been previously decent at Portsmouth turned out alongside Wilko Risser who is more than likely the only Namibian International to play for us....Can't believe that was 12 years ago.....to think we thought we were near rock bottom then

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I saw Andre Blackman in a friendly at Needham Market in 2011, he was terrible. If memory serves me correctly Vincent Pericard who had been previously decent at Portsmouth turned out alongside Wilko Risser who is more than likely the only Namibian International to play for us....Can't believe that was 12 years ago.....to think we thought we were near rock bottom then

Incredibly Andre Blackman had three trials with us. In 2011, when Sturrock said no thanks; in 2015 when he was too young for Brown and then in 2019 under Bond when we signed him as he had a pulse and was cheaper than an actual player.

It’s also a reminder of knowledge that gets lost with managerial roundabouts.

And that I need to update my worst ever XI.

 

[SUFCGoals]

We had Liam Walker on trial once. Gibraltar international

 

[RobB11]

Jack Bridge 2020-21 had the longest trial ever, which definitely wasn’t because we were under an embargo and couldn’t offer him anything
Andre Blackman was rejected after a trial when he was absolutely woeful at Barnet but then we later signed him anyway under Bond
Bobby Zamora
Corey Jordan scored against us for Aldershot last season. Played on trial under Bond
Ed Upson who was another trialist who we didn’t offer something to (would have been under Tilly) but came back to score against us

Thought we had upson on loan but he neve played due to injury ala Elliot lee

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Thought we had upson on loan but he neve played due to injury ala Elliot lee

He definitely played for the reserves.

Cant find anything (other than a solitary post on here) suggesting he joined on loan but this also says he was on trial

Upson Nets Twice in Southend Trial - Ipswich Town News

Town midfielder Ed Upson has joined League One Southend United on trial and scored twice for a Shrimpers XI in a 2-2 draw at Canvey Island earlier this evening.

www.twtd.co.uk

 

[maninasuitcase]

Zoltan Liptak was my favourite and we even ended up signing him.

He never played and the next anyone saw of him (bar a short stint at Southampton) he was starting for Hungary against England at Wembley.

He won us the Essex Senior Cup with a header. I have never seen someone so miserable after scoring a goal!

Starting and starring in that game, keeping Rooney in his back pocket.

I think we made a huge mistake with Zoltan. I had a year off work at that time and saw every home reserve game. Liptak was by far the stand out reserve player that season, but it seemed we didn't need a skillful ball playing centre half at that time.