Sky Blue youth superstars who never made it... (1 Viewer)

Alkhen

Well-Known Member
Giddings. A Champ Manager legend, but a real life damp squib.

Craig Faulconbridge.

Sam Shilton. Edit: checked on Wiki and he came to us young, but not from our youth team.

I used to tell my non Cov mates that Giddings was a future England star off the back of his Football Manager stats
giphy.gif
 
Last edited:

Tommo1993

Well-Known Member
I remember there being quite a lot of talk about Ashley Cain when he was in our youth setup. Another one that never made it, but didn't he appear on some reality TV show?

He’s now a Z-list model for brands we’ve never heard of. And will appear on the odd shit “reality” tv show.
 

stay_up_skyblues

Well-Known Member
I’m sure I read the news on Davenport and he was stabbed in both legs by his sister’s fella... I’ll throw in “allegedly” as I may have dreamt it. The news story I mean, not the stabbing. He looked a class act and West Ham rated him iirc.

Thornton... wow. He looked a quality player when he broke through. Then literally pissed his potential away.
 

DannyThomas_1981

Well-Known Member
Ducros was my year at CCFC through the age groups. Was technically outstanding and went off to the old National School of excellence at Lilleshall for U15/16 (like St George's park, for you youngsters!) He could have gone pretty much anywhere but signed a YTS at City. There were a few local lads who had the choice of big clubs like Manchester United but at this period in time City's youth set up had a great reputation. Age groups were often mixed together and I was in groups containing Iyesden Christie (now Sphinx! at about 44) Marcus Hall and a lad called Simon Wood (massive massive Hope's for him... was big as a kid but others caught up) Think he played a few games for Mansfield in the end.
Ducros made it into the first team at 18 and was invited to train with the full England squad when a YT at City but then drifted away... size was a factor with him though. Would have been better suited to today's game.
I ended up at Chesterfield. Kevin Davies year below me, but was playing in 1st team. Sean Dyche a big character at Chesterfield at that time!

That's a great insight - thanks for sharing that shepardo. My only memory of Ducros is watching him away at Upton Park - a tough place to play against a team with a few big name signings and seemingly on the rise. Did you go on and play after Chesterfield if I can ask?
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
I think that was all about being totally desperate for cash - McGinnity era? I got the impression it was a very bad experience for Connor all round.

Was very cliquey up there apparently and he wasn't made very welcome and found it difficult to settle.
 

DannyThomas_1981

Well-Known Member
Many years ago, Peter Bodak,was brilliant for us ,so much so that Manchester United came and got him.....then what?

That's an interesting one. Older heads than mine will remember better than me but as someone very young I remember the HR faithful not altogether being that appreciative of Bodak. Although he looks brilliant on the highlight reels - I remember him as a luxury type player (sort of a Cov Le Tissier. - not really but you see what I mean). Luxury players were not that much appreciated in the early 80s. I personally was shocked that he got the move to United but I don't think he lasted long - then he moved over to Man City?

'Bodak's the name, goals are the game'.......HR faithful "rubbish, boo, get him off" !

I may have imagined some of the above - I was very young at the time.
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
Dougie Mcguire, signed from scotland as a youngster and sillett raved about him. Came onto the pitch once for 2 minutes and didn't touch the ball. never heard of him again.

I was going to mention him. Saw him in a pre-season friendly against Racing Club Warwick and he was brilliant. Never saw him again.

Not our player, but anyone remember Richie Partridge who we had on loan from Liverpool, he was a fantastic player.
 

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Think we had a left back called David Barnes in the early 80's who was a youth international. Played a few games but that was it.

Another one who had a great reputation was Richard Spong, who came from Sweden as the new Roland Nilsson. He played in one of our youth cup finals but seemed to vanish without trace.
 

shepardo01

Well-Known Member
That's a great insight - thanks for sharing that shepardo. My only memory of Ducros is watching him away at Upton Park - a tough place to play against a team with a few big name signings and seemingly on the rise. Did you go on and play after Chesterfield if I can ask?
Regarding me playing, sadly, I had quite a serious illness diagnosed just before my 18th birthday, bad at any time, but worse as a young 17 year old wanting to be a footballer.
Was the end of me at Chesterfield and due to how harsh the treatment was wasn't able to play for nearly two years. Did end up going to Uni and getting capped at Student level but highest level I played was step 3 of Non league (level below Conf North/south)and doing the non league circuit. Many many ex City youth team players played in the same teams as me and took similar routes including a few names from our youth cup final sides of the late 90s/00s
Regarding a few other names floating around at the time,
Sheridan was in same youth team as Willie Boland (think both might have played in the 3-0 at arsenal, and Gavin O'Toole, All Irish youth internationals and this was at a time that City attracted top young players from all over. Sheridan liked a drink and a cigarette even as a YT!
 

shepardo01

Well-Known Member
I was going to mention him. Saw him in a pre-season friendly against Racing Club Warwick and he was brilliant. Never saw him again.

Not our player, but anyone remember Richie Partridge who we had on loan from Liverpool, he was a fantastic player.
Think McGuire had something like glandular fever which knocked him about quite seriously and he never really got back up to speed and the potential he had previously showed. Played a few reserve games but nothing on from that.
 

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Arguably McSheffrey. He did made a decent career for himself but I think many thought when he left for Birmingham thatd he'd kick on to bigger things.

Can recall a few from the last few years who supposedly had potential, Jeffers, Cooney, seem to recall a winger who may or may not have been called Davis?

That's pretty harsh. Yes McSheffrey was highly rated, and perhaps could have achieved more but he had a pretty good career. There are plenty others named here that were as highly rated as youngsters, but then barely played a dozen games.

I
 

Manchester_sky_blue

Well-Known Member
That's pretty harsh. Yes McSheffrey was highly rated, and perhaps could have achieved more but he had a pretty good career. There are plenty others named here that were as highly rated as youngsters, but then barely played a dozen games.

I
It is harsh on reflection. I only meant that people expected bigger and better things from him. Is he still playing?
 

Sky Blue Harry H

Well-Known Member
Many years ago, Peter Bodak,was brilliant for us ,so much so that Manchester United came and got him.....then what?

Drinking in Juggy's box at The Trillion stadium for home games. Legend between his own ears!
 

Blind-Faith

Well-Known Member
I was going to mention him. Saw him in a pre-season friendly against Racing Club Warwick and he was brilliant. Never saw him again.

Not our player, but anyone remember Richie Partridge who we had on loan from Liverpool, he was a fantastic player.

Richie Partridge was one of my favourite players at the time!

Giddings would of been class but injuries did him no favours.

Davenport was a class act, wish he would of played more in the PL.

We haven’t produced a decent keeper since Kirkland have we??

Always thought osbourne did ok for us, actually preferred him at RB than CM , but his corners were fucking woeful!

Wasn’t Robert Betts another highly thought of youngster along with David Pipe???
 

covmark

Well-Known Member
I was going to mention him. Saw him in a pre-season friendly against Racing Club Warwick and he was brilliant. Never saw him again.

Not our player, but anyone remember Richie Partridge who we had on loan from Liverpool, he was a fantastic player.
Richie Partridge was ace. I remember watching him tearing a few defences a new arse. Thought that the lad was going to have a brilliant career.


Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 

ovduk78

Well-Known Member
Think McGuire had something like glandular fever which knocked him about quite seriously and he never really got back up to speed and the potential he had previously showed. Played a few reserve games but nothing on from that.
McGuire definitely played in a league game at HR. I am not sure if it was just 1 game that he started and was subbed at HT or it was 2 and he came on as a late sub in one game and started the next and was subbed. Never saw him again
 

junglej13

Well-Known Member
Completely agree on Lee Hurst. Had huge potential. The one young player I had high hopes for who vanished off the face of the earth was a young Swede Richard Spong I think his name was. Remember we poached him ahead of some big clubs.
 

TTG

Well-Known Member
Ryan Haynes
I remember when I first saw him play, I thought wow he's gonna be playing at a high level within a few yearst

then he became utterly useless
so not be didn't make it
he just became utter shite

I'll wait for the slating
 
Last edited:

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
David Smith although he played a lot of games never made it as the player he should have in my view mainly because he spent so much time covering the hopeless Greg Downes
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top