Starting XI/squad surprises

[danielcufc]

An Unfit Uche playing against Luton (i think) at home when he had just signed. Looked like there was still hope for me

[Andrewlang]

"Feel like Shaggy must've been dusted off and wheeled onto the pitch without notice at some point"

Fairly sure I remember a game up at Hull where he and Dave Bridges played upfront together.

....in fact I just looked, it was January 2004 and his last game for us (he played 13 times for us that season at the age of 39)

Andrew

[Russ Greaves]

39 - ANCIENT. Imagine doing physical activity at that age.

[Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power]

I’m not sure if it had been announced earlier in the day and I just missed it, but I had no idea Chadwick had signed until I got to the ground that evening and he was in the squad.

[mike_CUFC]

Tom Elliot most matches because he was SO lazy?

[Denton]

We had a lot of loan signings by Derry that came in around 1pm so would have been a surprise to most

Rendell was announced in our team away at Dartford once. Turned out they forgot to take him out from the week before

[hoolaohanrahanrahan]

Paul Carden, our assistant manager, in Luton's starting XI against us was certainly an odd one.

[malotru]

During the Tommy Taylor years I remember him starting his assistant coach/manager Paul someone(his surname escapes me) at CB due to an injury crisis for a home game. He must have been at least 39 and this was back when 39 year olds looked 59.
I think they had to register him as a player the day before.
Pretty sure it was his last professional appearance as a player.

[Actually Valid Username]

Nov 21, 2023 18:12:43 GMT hoolaohanrahanrahan said:

Paul Carden, our assistant manager, in Luton's starting XI against us was certainly an odd one.

Damn this was my one

[Dylan]

Nov 21, 2023 18:13:22 GMT malotru said:

During the Tommy Taylor years I remember him starting his assistant coach/manager Paul someone(his surname escapes me) at CB due to an injury crisis for a home game. He must have been at least 39 and this was back when 39 year olds looked 59.
I think they had to register him as a player the day before.
Pretty sure it was his last professional appearance as a player.

Edit: wrong!

Paul something, I'm fairly sure.

Paul Clark.

[habbinboy]

Mark Beesley in 2008. He'd just signed, but wasn't as good as we thought he was.

[Sandypants]

Nov 21, 2023 18:39:22 GMT habbinboy said:

Mark Beesley in 2008. He'd just signed, but wasn't as good as we thought he was.

No no, you don't understand. He's just so much more of a thinker than everyone else on the pitch that he's wasted.

Dunno how long I believed that one, but it was definitely too long!

[keepitamber]

Didn't Scott Garner appear in a game at the Abbey after being frozen out.

[ilovechadders]

Leo Fortune-West making the bench and coming on in the final against Exeter despite having been frozen out and sent on loan to York (I think).

Matty Clements picked because he was fast. Unfortunately he couldn’t play football. George Measures a decorator, who also couldn’t play football. Back in the day we would often only find out about a signing when the team sheet was announced, I think that Tom Cowan may have been one such example.

[Dylan]

Nov 21, 2023 19:13:20 GMT ilovechadders said:

Leo Fortune-West making the bench and coming on in the final against Exeter despite having been frozen out and sent on loan to York (I think).

Matty Clements picked because he was fast. Unfortunately he couldn’t play football. George Measures a decorator, who also couldn’t play football. Back in the day we would often only find out about a signing when the team sheet was announced, I think that Tom Cowan may have been one such example.

Absolutely lethal for St Matthew's tbf.