2020 season arrivals and departures

[Longfordian]

I seem to recall him being tentatively linked with a move back home three or four years ago. While I'm sure he can still finish, even at his peak he wasn't really quick. Leave the memories alone!

[joey B]

Really? You're surprised one of the top two richest clubs in the country isn't interested in a 35 year old player that's currently in the Leinster Senior League?

Admittedly I haven't seen him play in years but he's definitely past it, his last club in England was someone called Royston Town who he was loaned to from the dizzy heights of non league benchwarmer for Leyton Orient

I've been to a Royston town match and can confirm they're sh*te!!

[Martinho II]

Really? You're surprised one of the top two richest clubs in the country isn't interested in a 35 year old player that's currently in the Leinster Senior League?

Admittedly I haven't seen him play in years but he's definitely past it, his last club in England was someone called Royston Town who he was loaned to from the dizzy heights of non league benchwarmer for Leyton Orient

No wonder he grew his moustache so!

[patrickccfc]

Gaffney to Rovers?

https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/1231339159710838785?s=19

[sbgawa]

Now that I would like , thought the was excellent before he went away and similar to greener

[The Lilywhites]

Hopefully it happens. It would work out just about as well as the Cummins signing did!

[Ezeikial]

Now that I would like , thought the was excellent before he went away and similar to greener

A bustling old-fashion centre forward - he could hardly be more different in style than Aaron Greene who is far more mobile and makes his space through good movement


Hopefully it happens. It would work out just about as well as the Cummins signing did!

Stephen Kenny tried to sign him back in 2014 before he moved to Cambridge Utd. Apart from a very brief golden loan spell with Bristol Rovers he has hardly set the lower league alight since then and has been injured for most of his most recent loan spell with Walsall.

To be fair about the comparison with Graham Cummins who was 31 coming to Rovers, Gaffney is a more youthful 30 and could give Rovers a different option if they want to revert to the long ball game Bradley played when he first came in

[placid casual]

He scores from open play, so would be of no use to dundalk anyway.

[Martinho II]

Is Salford Gaffneys parent club ?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

A bustling old-fashion centre forward - he could hardly be more different in style than Aaron Greene who is far more mobile and makes his space through good movement



Stephen Kenny tried to sign him back in 2014 before he moved to Cambridge Utd. Apart from a very brief golden loan spell with Bristol Rovers he has hardly set the lower league alight since then and has been injured for most of his most recent loan spell with Walsall.

To be fair about the comparison with Graham Cummins who was 31 coming to Rovers, Gaffney is a more youthful 30 and could give Rovers a different option if they want to revert to the long ball game Bradley played when he first came in

Hoban hardly set the world alight in the UK either

[Ezeikial]

He scores from open play, so would be of no use to dundalk anyway.

Rory Gaffney's career goal scoring record is actually fairly modest, but it's possible that had he signed for Dundalk in 2014 Kenny and Perth could well have helped him improve.

Either way Dundalk have hardly lacked goal scorers since - either from open play or set pieces.




2015
2016
2017
2018
2019



Dundalk
78
73
72
85
73



Rovers
56
46
49
57
62




On the other hand Rovers could really benefit from improving their goal-scoring with typically 40% difference in the league scoring rates between the 2 sides over that period

[Ezeikial]

Hoban hardly set the world alight in the UK either

That's true, although it is probably the only reasonable point of comparisons between the two players in terms of goal scoring records.

Patrick Hoban has had an outstanding scoring record in both spells with Dundalk and when he scored against Shamrock Rovers in April 2019 he become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with a staggering return of 70 goals in just 109 league games.

His goal against Shelbourne on Friday takes him to 95 league goals with loads more goal scoring landmarks within his reach

[White Horse]

Time will tell if Gaffney is a good signing. However, Rovers need a player who can lead the line. If he develops and good partnership with Byrne, it will improve them.

[D24Saint]

Reckon he will be a good signing and will add important goals.

[oriel]

I like Gaffney, he should offer them a better option of holding the ball up, Greene does that to be fair but not a bad option to have. Not sure if he is the answer to getting additional goals, but they seem well served there with the 5 goals from Burke on Friday.

How long is Burke on loan for?

[Calcio Jack]

I like Gaffney, he should offer them a better option of holding the ball up, Greene does that to be fair but not a bad option to have. Not sure if he is the answer to getting additional goals, but they seem well served there with the 5 goals from Burke on Friday.

How long is Burke on loan for?
Until July next

[sbgawa]

Can't see him going anywhere else in july

[The Lilywhites]

Gaffney will end up with about 5 goals and sign for Galway in the premier division next season.

[Calcio Jack]

Gaffney will end up with about 5 goals and sign for Galway in the premier division next season.

I’m sure he’ll play more than one match with us

[YendorsMOT]

Cardiff keeping an eye on McPhail.
The Director of football post is likely to be held open for him

[The Lilywhites]

I’m sure he’ll play more than one match with us

Lol. It's funny all the same that the rumour mixed up Adam Rooney and Rory Gaffney.

[nigel-harps1954]

Ambitious from Dundalk to say the least.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/dundalks-troy-parrott-talks-tottenham-21562039 (https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/dundalks-troy-parrott-talks-tottenham-21562039)

[Nesta99]

Could be the start of a handy link up!

[sbgawa]

Ambitious from Dundalk to say the least.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/dundalks-troy-parrott-talks-tottenham-21562039 (https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/dundalks-troy-parrott-talks-tottenham-21562039)

To say the least indeed, although having said that we were about to sign Adam Rooney according to the Mirror :)

[Martinho II]

Until July next

Saw somewhere that Rovers are interested in buying Burke when loan deal ends.

[Martinho II]

I’m sure he’ll play more than one match with us

When was the last time Gaffney played in the LOI? Hard to believe hes now 30 where have the years gone to?

[Martinho II]

Cardiff keeping an eye on McPhail.
The Director of football post is likely to be held open for him

Considering his past playing experience with Cardiff and played in a Cup Final wouldnt surprise me if he goes back to his old club.

[Ezeikial]

The media are hardly fawning over Rory Gaffney's goal scoring record this season.

Since he joined Walsall on loan in the summer, Ben Blake at the.42.ie reckons he has scored one goal in 15 appearances. (https://www.the42.ie/rory-gaffney-shamrock-rovers-transfer-salford-city-5019564-Feb2020/), while RTE reckon that the single goal came in 25 games (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/0224/1117311-gaffney-set-to-complete-shamrock-rovers-switch/). Local UK journo Liam Keen seems to remember the solitary goal as being last November in an away defeat at Swindon (https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/walsall-fc/2020/02/24/walsall-terminate-rory-gaffney-loan/) and that he has been out injured again since 7 January with an achilles problem

There have been no reports yet of demonstrations by Walsall fans at news of his departure

[Yossarian]

Gaffney had a decent season in his last in the LoI. He hasn’t really pulled up trees in England but the same could be said for Hoban and his time over there. It’s a decent signing for Rovers in a position they needed to strengthen. It really could go either way, he could be as successful as Hoban or as poor as Cummins on their returns from the UK, but Rovers would have to be happy with getting another striker on the books.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Yeah, Walsall really wasn't working out for him, but he's a good attacking player when on form. Think Limerick missed him a lot when he left.

[NeverFeltBetter]

When was the last time Gaffney played in the LOI? Hard to believe hes now 30 where have the years gone to?

2014. Helped Limerick to our best league finish in modern times.

[White Horse]

2014. Helped Limerick to our best league finish in modern times.

He was good that year. I understand he had a couple of good spells in England as well.

He should be able to fill the boots vacated by Gary Shaw.

[sbgawa]

I cant believe it was 2014, i remember thinking he was very lively and a real handfull.
My memory is he was rumoured to be coming to us before he went off to England.

Hoban scored 12 goals in 92 matchs in England
Gaffney scored 38 goals in 179 matches in England. (better goals per game than either but not exactly fantastic)
Graham Burke scored 8 goals in 81 matches in England

When you consider Burke has scored 29 goals in 55 games for Rovers and how many Hoban has scored for Dundalk it would make you wonder as to the comparitive standard of our League to the UK.

[Martinho II]

I saw a written piece today which was easy to forget SB played with RG in the 14 season with Limerick.

[2 Year Contract]

I saw a written piece today which was easy to forget SB played with RG in the 14 season with Limerick.

Bradley retired in 2012, they did play together in that season though and won the first division

[joey B]

Harps sign Alexander Kogler ,winger last played for Grazer Ak in Austrian second division.

[Nesta99]

Bradley retired in 2012, they did play together in that season though and won the first division

Perth was also in that side i think.

[2 Year Contract]

Perth was also in that side i think.

Nope, he retired 5 years earlier and never played for Limerick as far as I know

[Shearer]

Perth was also in that side i think.
Most definitely not.

[Nesta99]

Most definitely not.

Yup I was being obtuse, for some reason I was thinking of the Shamrock Rovers side that won the 1st Division that Perth played with but of course Perth had retired before Bradley was at Rovers.

[Charlie Darwin]

He was good that year. I understand he had a couple of good spells in England as well.

He should be able to fill the boots vacated by Gary Shaw.
To be fair, he can't be put in that bracket quite yet. Gary was well able to score winners against Dundalk.

[Ezeikial]

To be fair, he can't be put in that bracket quite yet. Gary was well able to score winners against Dundalk.

The legend that is Gary Shaw!

During his time as a Hoop he actually scored twice against Dundalk, including a famous winner in Oriel Park in 2017 (hardly a coincidence that he won the Rovers POTY that season)

Rovers actually won 3 out the 13 fixtures between the sides during the Shaw era

[dundalkfc10]

The legend that is Gary Shaw!

During his time as a Hoop he actually scored twice against Dundalk, including a famous winner in Oriel Park in 2017 (hardly a coincidence that he won the Rovers POTY that season)

Rovers actually won 3 out the 13 fixtures between the sides during the Shaw era

Ex Tottenham and Rangers winger Nathan Oduwa signing for Dundalk.

[Ezeikial]

Ex Tottenham and Rangers winger Nathan Oduwa signing for Dundalk.

Why did you quote the Gary Shaw post?

Are you seriously suggesting that this Oduwa character is that good ?

[dundalkfc10]

Why did you quote the Gary Shaw post?

Are you seriously suggesting that this Oduwa character is that good ?

Didnt mean too but ive always rated Shaw (as has been said, always plays well against us)

[D24Saint]

Didnt mean too but ive always rated Shaw (as has been said, always plays well against us)

The ex pats , rovers player ? Rubbish player.

[sbgawa]

Ex Tottenham and Rangers winger Nathan Oduwa signing for Dundalk.


Looks like someone who was good and lost his way.
Could turn out to be Lost for good or a huge addition.
Time like always will tell

[Nesta99]

Looks like someone who was good and lost his way.
Could turn out to be Lost for good or a huge addition.
Time like always will tell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFcCOdmlZo&feature=emb_logo

The lad looks to have bags of potential. I doubt too many have turned Gannon inside out in training or a match as in the clip above. Get him settled, happy and hungry and ye just never know! I like that Perth sees as both a wide player and can play up top too.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Has Perth brought many players forward?

[Ezeikial]

Kinda puzzling that Adam Rooney would choose English National League side Solihull Moors over the glitz and glamour of Shamrock Rovers

https://www.the42.ie/adam-rooney-salford-city-solihull-moors-5044961-Mar2020/?utm_source=shortlink