Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[GTFCfish]

People keep saying Logan's overweight, but watching the training clips on our twitter today he looks pretty agile to me? He's no Jon Parkin

https://twitter.com/x/status/1220678227611521024

He must’ve lost a lot of weight in the last three weeks then:

 

[Indian Dan]

OCL?

Overweight Chuffing Lump

 

[The Terminator]

Dean Brill has officially retired and joined our coaching staff.

Meaning we're back to two senior goalkeepers in Sam Sargeant and Lawrence Vigouroux and a 3rd choice youngster in Arthur Janata.

He was excellent last season, but he played on with an injury and ended up missing a large chunk of pre season and never really found his form again. He was prone to the odd mistake anyway like most keepers down here, but this season he has clearly struggled with the step up.

 

[valefan16]

A bidding war has begun for Derby's Jayden Bogle after Brighton bid 8.5 million for him. What does this have to do with L2 I hear you ask?

Well, Derby signed him from us as a kid and we have a % sell on so any income would be mighty handy for any potential striker purchase. We also sold a 16 yr old Markus Ifil to Brighton for 250k reportedly so hopefully the cash is there for that elusive striker we now need!

Hope your owner lets you see more of it than our previous did the Hugill sell on!

 

[Si Robin]

OCL?

Overweight Chuffing Lump

Dodgy ambulance chasing solicitors to be honest...

 

[LordJord]

We have just signed Mark Marshall until the end of the season. I remember him destroying us a few times for Bradford a few years back. No idea if he’s still got that sort of pace. Still we need more attacking threat so I’m pleased!

 

[Indian Dan]

Well, at least you can’t sign Yates now

 

[kieran_vale]

We have just signed Mark Marshall until the end of the season. I remember him destroying us a few times for Bradford a few years back. No idea if he’s still got that sort of pace. Still we need more attacking threat so I’m pleased!

Absolutely loved him at Vale. Not seen him play for a while now but if he is even half as good as he was then you have a great player.

 

[LS Bantam]

We have just signed Mark Marshall until the end of the season. I remember him destroying us a few times for Bradford a few years back. No idea if he’s still got that sort of pace. Still we need more attacking threat so I’m pleased!

Not played a great deal since he left us and think he had a bad injury? But did great here and at Vale, would 100% have had him here.

 

[EricSabin]

Yeah fits what we need really, bit more pace to stretch games

 

[Jonny12]

Apparently Harry McKirdy has fallen out with the Carlisle fans, we're after a winger, and our chairman was seen having a long conversation with Harry before today's game with Carlisle; where he was also not apart of the squad. He also knows the area well from his 8 years at Villa. Putting 2+2 together and making 5? Maybe, maybe not.

Personally I think it's a bunch of shite but seems to make sense to some of our fans.

 

[shoddycollins]

Apparently Harry McKirdy has fallen out with the Carlisle fans, we're after a winger, and our chairman was seen having a long conversation with Harry before today's game with Carlisle; where he was also not apart of the squad. He also knows the area well from his 8 years at Villa. Putting 2+2 together and making 5? Maybe, maybe not.

Personally I think it's a bunch of shite but seems to make sense to some of our fans.

According to us he has a hamstring injury. There was a Carlisle fan on twitter reckoned he was off to Portsmouth but that is just the general pessimism around the club, a player is out of the squad and people fear the worst. The fact he was at Brunton Park yesterday (going off what you said) would support the clubs comment that he was simply injured.

There's a group of about three or four fans that have been giving him disgusting abuse, for no good reason either, it comes from somewhere near where I stand in the WRE. It's not at every game and the club are trying to identify them because they will be banned if they get caught. McKirdy shouldn't have to put up with that and I do hope they get caught but if a handful of people are able to drive a player out of a club like that it's a sad state of affairs.

 

[Chris FGR]

Why are they giving him abuse?

 

[E10rifle]

Why are they giving him abuse?

Because they’re propa fick, I imagine.

 

[shoddycollins]

Why are they giving him abuse?

Homophobic abuse. Don't know or care what his sexuality is and knowing the type of people doing this are probably just assuming that because he wears little shorts he must be gay, and that isn't OK with them.

The club haven't mentioned the type of abuse or the player it's directed at when they warned offensive and discriminatory will be dealt with in a zero tolerance way, but people know.

 

[Chris FGR]

Homophobic abuse. Don't know or care what his sexuality is but these people believe that he's gay and that isn't OK with them.

The club haven't mentioned the type of abuse or the player it's directed at when they warned offensive and discriminatory will be dealt with in a zero tolerance way, but people know.

Self policing not really happening then?

Lad seems a pretty decent player so imagine most fans wouldn't be happy to see him get that kind of abuse?

 

[shoddycollins]

Self policing not really happening then?

Lad seems a pretty decent player so imagine most fans wouldn't be happy to see him get that kind of abuse?

Don't know about the self policing thing. The first time it happened it was only a few yards from me and I have no idea who was doing the shouting. Didn't even know what was being said, just that something was directed at McKirdy and he didn't like it.

Since it's been common knowledge what's going on they seem to have shut up, so perhaps now they know they won't get away with it again. The rest of the fans have been trying to give McKirdy more support (which to be fair is he keeps scoring goals is nothing less than he deserves).

 

[Chris FGR]

Tbh I wouldn't have thought too many people these days would care if a player was actually gay (not saying McKirdy is) as long as he performs on the pitch.

Would anyone on here have anything against signing an openly gay player?

 

[shoddycollins]

Tbh I wouldn't have thought too many people these days would care if a player was actually gay (not saying McKirdy is) as long as he performs on the pitch.

Would anyone on here have anything against signing an openly gay player?

Yet there still aren't any openly gay professional footballers. Homophobia isn't as stigmatised as racism I don't think, people get away with it more, especially casual homophobia.

 

[Stringy]

Yet there still aren't any openly gay professional footballers. Homophobia isn't as stigmatised as racism I don't think, people get away with it more, especially casual homophobia.

There was a thread on our forum about a professional footballer coming out as gay on Twitter in the summer, but that player backtracked on the reveal. There was also a rumour on our forum (on the same thread) that several years back, one of our players was gay and the dressing room was aware, but he never came out publicly in full.

I have no idea about the veracity of the above. That said, I reckon the response would be overwhelming support should one of our players come out as gay, but then there'd always be small minority that ruin it. Can't blame them for not coming out; law of statistics says there must be a number of gay players in the English leagues though.

 

[E10rifle]

Yet there still aren't any openly gay professional footballers. Homophobia isn't as stigmatised as racism I don't think, people get away with it more, especially casual homophobia.

Agree. Orient is a generally reasonably progressive club (more multicultural, leftie fan base than most) who were one of the pioneers of bringing through young, BAME talent (Laurie Cunningham, Bobby Fisher, John Chiedozie etc.), and I’ve only ever heard racism coming from (one of) our fans once in over 25 years. But some of the casual “get up you poof” type comments still rear their ugly head, and our more moronic elements have always engaged in homophobic chants whenever we play Brighton.

I know of one ex-footballer who was at Orient and whom is gay, but that’s it. I suppose these things take time, and whilst there have been countless black players who have ‘normalised’ their presence in the game in line with more progressive modern attitudes, the lack of openly GBTQIA+ players leaves the subject itself as taboo. Don’t blame anyone in the slightest for not coming out, mind, because whilst their own fans would be 95% supportive, they’d have to put up with all the recently-emboldened right-wing thickos abusing them at other grounds.

 

[Conker]

Do we think the reason homophobic remarks and more likely racism seems more prominent in the Premier league is due to more eyes and cameras etc or is it just genuinely worse?

Mansfield for example, despite some assumptions by many due to it being a relatively deprived midland town I hear very little these days, although it exists obviously. Maybe it’s due to the fact we seem to have a larger BAME following than what to expect if you look at the towns demographic, and the general community feeling you get in a lower league club in comparison to a Chelsea for example.

I didn’t see the need to chuck in Right wing either E10 - homophobia doesn’t sit on any particular political spectrum.

 

[Indian Dan]

Jerry Yates is back in da house!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

As fans I'd like to believe that we would be supportive of any player that came out and I genuinely believe the vast majority don't give a shit about the sexuality of a player and would care more about his work rate and commitment to the club instead.

But the reason why I hope no players ever come out in public unless society sees significant change in the future? The gutter press. They'd turn a man's simple and acceptable choice in life into a media circus, he'd be paraded in front of cameras, plastered all over papers and wouldn't let him breathe whether doing his job or going back to his home. And remember, most owners don't like players with baggage so it could be curtains for the player's career as he could be seen as a distraction to the club with all the unwanted attention of the press. It's horrible to say that but it's the harsh brutality of it all. You just know the media want their poster boy and don't care about how that might influence the player in question's career or worse, his personal life and wellbeing.

Whilst the press are as they are, it simply isn't worth the significant changes to his life that the player would experience if they wish to have a long and fulfilling career in football.

 

[valefan16]

Rumours tonight Mitch Clarke is to return on loan after a successful loan last season... be happy if it is true, superb full back.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Rumours tonight Mitch Clarke is to return on loan after a successful loan last season... be happy if it is true, superb full back.

Yeah hes decent and can cover rb and lb. Its an absolute joke that he wants play under 23s footy instead of making a career for himself in league 2 or league 1.

 

[kieran_vale]

Wouldn’t be against bringing in Mitch so long as it’s the left back position he is competing for. Think him against Gibbo would be a moot point anyway as think Gibbo has overtaken him this season but in any case our priority should always be the development of our own player.

Suppose that would free up Monty to play on the wing and for Crookes to cover Smith if he were to play on the left.

 

[valefan16]

Yeah hes decent and can cover rb and lb. Its an absolute joke that he wants play under 23s footy instead of making a career for himself in league 2 or league 1.

Strange move for him but he’s agent was a penis, reckoned top Bundesliga sides wanted him but didn’t happen, If true il be chuffed. Swindon shown how you can get great success in the loan market and him and Taylor would probably be the two best loanees we’ve had in a while.

 

[valefan16]

Wouldn’t be against bringing in Mitch so long as it’s the left back position he is competing for. Think him against Gibbo would be a moot point anyway as think Gibbo has overtaken him this season but in any case our priority should always be the development of our own player.

Suppose that would free up Monty to play on the wing and for Crookes to cover Smith if he were to play on the left.

No way is Gibbo not getting a two game ban! He’s a walking red or yellow card most of the time and won’t make the cut off being on 9 already, I’m stunned he’s gone four or five without that booking myself!

Crookes is meant to be a centre half but I feel nervous thinking about it!

 

[kieran_vale]

No way is Gibbo not getting a two game ban! He’s a walking red or yellow card most of the time and won’t make the cut off being on 9 already, I’m stunned he’s gone four or five without that booking myself!

Crookes is meant to be a centre half but I feel nervous thinking about it!

When Crookes first came to us he played at centre back albeit that was in one of Aspins much loved 5 man back lines. He’s a better defender than people give him credit for just at left back he doesn’t really have the attributes to do what Askey wants in his system. Alongside Legge in the middle he’ll be fine.