tubby gone to doncaster !

[zinedineontour]

Happy days .. we got rid of tubby thornton at last ... Doncaster as well happy days he doesnt deserve anything better the way he has acted ...

[Stuttgart88]

Now there's a wake up call!

Malaga my arse!

[Bowsy]

Lad needs his head read getting himself into that situation. Hopefully a scary look at reality will provoke him into some professionalism.

He has the ability to look different class in League 1 and get back to a higher level. We'll just have to wait and see.

[OwlsFan]

Club record fee of 175k paid for him. Don't think there will be too many night clubs in Donnie for him to carouse in. Might be a good reality check but then again....

[youngirish]

Terrible move for him. Doncaster are not even a good league 1 side. He's 22 now and at his age he should really be pushing for a place in a team in the top flight. I doubt if he'll be picked up by anyone much better in the near future and I can't see Doncaster gaining promotion to the premiership anytime soon.

[dr_peepee]

You reep what you sow!!!

He may aswell have stayed at Tranmere!!!

[Plastic Paddy]

Despite what you all think, this is a real second chance for Thornton. I'm now going to spell out exactly why. Firstly, a bit about our laddo's new club.

You all underestimate Donny at your peril. After being shafted by an ex-chairman (Ken Richardson was the name) they were relegated to the Conference in 1997 and spent five years there before winning promotion three seasons ago in the first ever Conference play-off final.

They beat Dagenham and Redbridge (scandalously cheated out of promotion to the league the season before by Boston United, but that's another story) 3-2 after extra time, Francis Tierney scoring the goal. (Another bright prospect who never delivered - a Scouser before anyone asks).

They subsequently went up again from Division 3 to "League One" :rolleyes:, winning automatic promotion at the first attempt. They were in contention for a play-off place all the way through last season before falling away in the last few games.

Their manager through the rise has been Dave Penney, a progressive "bright young thing" who seems set to go higher. Yet it needn't mean moving clubs. Donny are being bankrolled all the way by John Ryan, who pumped £4m into the club to bring the team into the league and who has doubtless spent much more since. He's no Abramovich but is worth £10s of millions as far as I know.

On top of that, the town is home to 300,000 and crowds are steadily growing. There's no reason why they couldn't comfortably sustain "Championship" :rolleyes: level football and maybe, just maybe, have a tilt at going one higher still. Wigan, anyone? :) They pull in around 10,000 and crowds are rising. Thornton has joined a club who want up and Penney likes creative midfielders. The stage is set. Over to you Sean...

:ball: PP

[dr_peepee]

True PP

But this is a player that was chased by Man utd during his time at Tranmere. He chose Sunderland for more first team opertunities. He then went on to win Sunderlands Player of the Year while playing for the club in the premiership, albeit relegation year. It's too much of drop for me to consider it a 2nd chance. It's a cop out. It's settling.

At the very least he should have been signing for one of the ambitious Championship Clubs like Ipswich, Wolves, Sheffield Utd etc

For me it's about when/if he'd be an asset to the international set up. At this rate he'll be in is mid 20's at the very, very earliest before he'll be any where near a position to play international football. Unless of course he delcares for the North where League 1 is an acceptable standard for internationals.

[Plastic Paddy]

'Tis all down to himself from here. This is a stage where he can shine and win that move. If he's a hit this season and someone comes in with a better deal then that's another story. As it is, he's to prove himself all over again, but Penney will let him do that at the heart of the team. I think that he's got his second chance at the perfect club. If, that is, he wants it - which is what, with good justification, you're calling into question. We'll soon find out either way.

:ball: PP

[dr_peepee]

Fingers crossed. I mean with someone like Glen Whelan last year you knew it was a case of one step back to take two steps forward. I can't apply that to Sean Thornton at this point.

[Qwerty]

The move was about as good as he could expect both McCarthy & Given tore into in the media. There was no way that a Championship team would pick him up unless it was pay-per-play but he probably has a reputation as a troublemaker now. And the Malaga and Palace interest wa sjust the agent trying to talk him up.

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrossthewater/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=18145

This quote from the agent is gas -

His agent Lee Payne revealed that the move to Doncaster would see the 23-year-old be guaranteed first team football and that was his reason for not going to a bigger club.

"He is delighted to move to Doncaster," Thornton’s agent Lee Payne told skysports.com. "This move is not about money, rather Sean’s desire to play football."

[tetsujin1979]

So Thorton's gone from League 1 with Tranmere, to Premiership and then Championship with Sunderland and now back to League 1 with Darlington??

[jorge]

He's just going to fade away now ... :(

[jimbob117]

So Thorton's gone from League 1 with Tranmere, to Premiership and then Championship with Sunderland and now back to League 1 with Darlington??

No, Doncaster...(see thread name)

[tetsujin1979]

No, Doncaster...(see thread name)

D'oh, my mistake!!

[zinedineontour]

True PP

But this is a player that was chased by Man utd during his time at Tranmere. He chose Sunderland for more first team opertunities. He then went on to win Sunderlands Player of the Year while playing for the club in the premiership, albeit relegation year. It's too much of drop for me to consider it a 2nd chance. It's a cop out. It's settling.

At the very least he should have been signing for one of the ambitious Championship Clubs like Ipswich, Wolves, Sheffield Utd etc

For me it's about when/if he'd be an asset to the international set up. At this rate he'll be in is mid 20's at the very, very earliest before he'll be any where near a position to play international football. Unless of course he delcares for the North where League 1 is an acceptable standard for internationals.

Why should he be signing for ipswich wolves or sheff u ? why would any of those decent clubs be interested in someone who rathers going out the night before a game till 2 in the morning then doing the business for his employers ..

given chance and chance again by mick and now gone down to his true level .. will see him back in the loi very soon ...

[dr_peepee]

I just listed those clubs as a measure of the standard of club he should be aiming for...

[Ozymandias]

Penney is a progressive manager...has also bought paul Heffernan from bristol

it will be a huge season for heff, thornton and the club..if they get promoted the money is there to back them ..

I don't understand some of the bile being thrown at thornton..he's a young lad who isn't the brightest.he messed up but lets move on and hope he fulfills his undoubted talent

I don't think this move is as bad as people make out..a full season (hopefully )of first team football in a team that should be challenging for honours might just spark the flame for him again

[zinedineontour]

Penney is a progressive manager...has also bought paul Heffernan from bristol

it will be a huge season for heff, thornton and the club..if they get promoted the money is there to back them ..

I don't understand some of the bile being thrown at thornton..he's a young lad who isn't the brightest.he messed up but lets move on and hope he fulfills his undoubted talent

I don't think this move is as bad as people make out..a full season (hopefully )of first team football in a team that should be challenging for honours might just spark the flame for him again

thornton deserves all the criticism levelled above.. he has messed up time and time again after been given many a chance and the last straw was in march when he and jeff whitley went out on the **** the night before coventry at home .. hes not a kid anymore 22 ffs ... grow up son ..

[Cosmo]

Come on im sure theres a lot of people that enjoy their few pints at 22 ffs no matter what job theyre in :rolleyes: . I'm only 23 and i know ive gone on the beer before important days when i know i shouldnt have (and i dont mean just work related ) so Id probably be pretty more liberal on that score than some of the pc crowd on here :rolleyes: - i doubt im not the only one here either that can say that :eek: .

I reckon he deserves another chance and I hope he does well for himself (though in saying that, I could never see the potential that some people think he had and dont really rate him).

His younger brother on the other hand was class as a kid - anyone know if he's still with coventry?

[tetsujin1979]

His younger brother on the other hand was class as a kid - anyone know if he's still with coventry?

Yeah, he actually played a few minutes the other night in their pre season tour of Ibiza (no, seriously).

Graham Barrett, and Michael Doyle also played.

Read the match report on coventry's official site - here (http://www.ccfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/TeamNewsDetail/0,,10269~684324,00.html)

[zinedineontour]

Come on im sure theres a lot of people that enjoy their few pints at 22 ffs no matter what job theyre in :rolleyes: . I'm only 23 and i know ive gone on the beer before important days when i know i shouldnt have (and i dont mean just work related ) so Id probably be pretty more liberal on that score than some of the pc crowd on here :rolleyes: - i doubt im not the only one here either that can say that :eek: .

I reckon he deserves another chance and I hope he does well for himself (though in saying that, I could never see the potential that some people think he had and dont really rate him).

His younger brother on the other hand was class as a kid - anyone know if he's still with coventry?

difference between us going out on the lash the night before work and coming into work hungover than a supposed " professional " footballer who lets not just himself but his teamates down and the fans by going out on the **** before a game ... he is getting paid big money not to go out on the **** .. thats what end of season if for .... unless he grows up will never amount to anything ...

[Ozymandias]

thornton deserves all the criticism levelled above.. he has messed up time and time again after been given many a chance and the last straw was in march when he and jeff whitley went out on the **** the night before coventry at home .. hes not a kid anymore 22 ffs ... grow up son ..

No one is denying or dismissing what he did...just some of us are being objective...some of his antics took place when he was injured..not an excuse i agree...its just from your posts there seems to be an underlying message of hoping he will fail...I hope he comes good and hope he grabs this opportunity.. he is a young talented Irish footballer and I hope he turns it around..not to prove you wrong but just to prove himself right

[zinedineontour]

No one is denying or dismissing what he did...just some of us are being objective...some of his antics took place when he was injured..not an excuse i agree...its just from your posts there seems to be an underlying message of hoping he will fail...I hope he comes good and hope he grabs this opportunity.. he is a young talented Irish footballer and I hope he turns it around..not to prove you wrong but just to prove himself right

not hoping the lad will fail would just be very surprised if he doesnt ... twice this season when fit he has gone drinking the night before a game and suprisingly with his blond hair and cigar smoking has been caught .... mick has given him chance after chance to turn his career around but the lad has not repayed his faith ... hopefully the move will do him good but another town another pub for sean me thinks

[McCanada]

[QUOTE=dr_peepee]
He then went on to win Sunderlands Player of the Year while playing for the club in the premiership, albeit relegation year.



I had no idea he's was Sunderland's player of the year...I clearly remember him scoring a goal against someone (Everton, or that may have been his debut), but to be honest, I don't remember him getting a run-out until Mick came along and had that horrible run. Then again, that was the year Babb and Flo were fixtures in the team, so it shouldn't be a shock to anyone.

I remember years ago talking to a friend here in Toronto who happens to be one of the few who knows much about the Irish in these parts. We were talking about how the right side of midfield would be a strong point depth-wise, with Thornton, Partridge, and Steven Reid coming through, and Barrett even. Sad to see what happened to this group in the last few years. Steven Reid clearly still has a shot, if not on the right hand side. I only hope McGeady pulls through as the new great white hope!

[youngirish]

I'm sad to say it cause Ireland particularly needed a decent central midfied player coming through the ranks but I can't see Thornton making it at the top level now. He's moved down two divisions and at 22 will be back playing in the same division that he was at 19.

How many top players have been sold to clubs two divisions below their current division at his age and then gone on to have a successful career at the top? No one. He wasn't a young player trying desperately to break into a top premiership team. He was an established player in a championship team and he blew his chance.

Mahon, McPhail, Miller, Quinn, Healy and now Thornton. The growing list of promising central midfield players that never quite made it in recent years.

[zinedineontour]

though of the above list healy can count himself unlucky through two broken legs... this season will be a big season for the lad hopefully he can get back into full fitness and break into the sunderland side. .he hasnt gone on the sunderland tour to canada so as to get treatment back in sunderland ... hopefully he might get a couple of friendlies pre season...