Gamble - forget about contracts til end of season

Bit of a change of mind in tonight's Echo from a lad who's always banged on about the club needing to sort contracts out early and not leave it til the last minute etc. :rolleyes:

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Focus is on game
CORK CITY’S midfield dynamo Joe Gamble wants to banish and forget all talk of new contracts and possible moves until the end of the season writes NOEL SPILLANE.
The much-sought after City star said that he wants to put all the speculation linking him with a move to St Pat’s on the back-burner and he just wants to concentre on the football. The former Reading star is out of contract at Cork at the end of the season though he has been offered a new three-year deal by the club’s wealthy owners Arkaga.
“I just want to put all this talk of new contracts and me moving clubs to one side now to the end of the season because it’s been too much of a distraction for me when it comes to playing and so on.
“I just want to out things on hold for the moment and get back to the basics and get back to the football and that’s starting with Derry City away at the Brandywell on Sunday night. “There’s been too much hype about it altogether and I have told the club to hold off to the end of the season and we will take it from there. “That’s all I want to say on the issue and up until then I have no more comments to make. “I am just looking after Joe Gamble for a change,” said the City ace after training at Bishopstown yesterday .
“Yes, I am out of contract just like a lot of the other lads here but I have been offered a new three-year deal here at Cork City a few weeks ago. “But I want to wait now to the end of the season to discuss my playing future. “It’s impacted too much on the football and my private life and I just want to get back to concentrating on game and that’s what I am going to do.”

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Basically saying I don't want to think about playing for St.Pats until next year when I'm playing for St.Pats?

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Originally Posted by jebus

Basically saying I don't want to think about playing for St.Pats until next year when I'm playing for St.Pats?

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Could be, either way its a good move by him saying that. It does sound like there is a done deal and its not with us but we'll have to wait and see.

I think Joe is one of the players who would want to play for Cork City but are annoyed at the ownership. Supposedly, while he's been given a good deal, its not as good as George O'Callaghan or Dave Mooney's - and I'm sure everyone would agree that Joe has a fair case to make there, that if they've upped the stakes for a hit & miss playmaker and a striker with one good season behind him, they could think about doing the same for the league's best midfielder and the latest capped player in the league?

I don't often side with the players, and Gamble wouldn't exactly endear himself to me sometimes with his petulance and gift of the gab, but he really is our best player. Why aren't we treating him as such?

Of course, this all comes back to what GOC and Dave Mooney were offered to bring them back/keep them away from England. GOC is claiming he's on more now than he was on at Ipswich. How do we justify that?

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Originally Posted by A face

Could be, either way its a good move by him saying that. It does sound like there is a done deal and its not with us but we'll have to wait and see.

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Fantastically vague. maybe we should wait and see and then something may happen one way or other. Or maybe not.

If the stories are true regarding the wages, no one could blame him for going. Wont stop the loud Boos though.

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Originally Posted by Les Fluer

If the stories are true regarding the wages, no one could blame him for going. Wont stop the loud Boos though.

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Cahill is still regarded as a judas, a decade later, despite jumping at the chance of professional football and higher wages. Reynolds 'gave his word, but took the cash' and would be #1 on a lot of City fan's hit lists. 7th of May 2008 Joe Gamble was quoted as saying he'd stay til 2010. There isn't much difference there.

Realism has no place in football support - it was definitely a penalty, he was never offside, and if you move for money, you're a judas.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

Realism has no place in football support - it was definitely a penalty, he was never offside, and if you move for money, you're a judas.

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Bout sums it up. Gamble being a Cork lad will get hammered more than either Cahill or Reynolds.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

it was definitely a penalty, he was never offside, and if you move for money, you're a judas.

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Sums it all up perfectly, worthy for use as a sig

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Originally Posted by joey4ireland

Apparently Healy is also on more money than Gamble. You can understand Gamble wanting the same wages as him cause he is a much better and important player fir us. Helay's wages are based on his reputation by the looks of it cause he has not done half as much as Gamble for City

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Maybe not last season but this season Healy has been better than Joe, no question.

Gan dabht ar bith.
He's in awful form.
+ No offence but your handle kinda prejudices any debate on Joeys form.

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Originally Posted by Risteard

Gan dabht ar bith.
He's in awful form.
+ No offence but your handle kinda prejudices any debate on Joeys form.

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That and his frequent description of Healy as lazy fat (?) and useless.

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Originally Posted by Risteard

No offence but your handle kinda prejudices any debate on Joeys form.

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Could we get it changed maybe to Joey4Pats?

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Originally Posted by razor

Could we get it changed maybe to Joey4Pats?

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Joey4Joey would be a more accurate title.

Form has not been great this season but no worse than the rest of the team.

Sounds like he is gone but does not want to admit it until the season is finished. No point club offering new contract if you have signed for someone else already. If he was open to staying surely he would have left open a chance for club to offer him what he was looking for?

:(

Heard froma well placed source that the reported money we've offered him is "laughable". Source then added "We ****ing wish we could offer players that"

Didn't deny that he was offered a deal though

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Originally Posted by joey4ireland

Any more info on Gamble's supposed move to Pats?

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No, everyones keeping quite.

Statements like that normally mean the player is leaving. Otherwise he'd just sign if he was happy enough with the contract and to stay.

From tonight's Echo

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Gamble admits Pat’s want him By CONOR GEORGE
JOE GAMBLE today confirmed that St Patrick’s Athletic have made him an attractive three-year deal for next season.
With his current contract with Cork City coming to an end this season Gamble has been free to talk to other clubs since
June and has been strongly pursued by the Saints.
The Dublin side, managed by John McDonnell, wasted no time in getting into contact with the midfielder and have put a
very attractive package on offer. But the 26-year-old Ireland international also has an offer from Cork City before him and
is insistent that he has not yet reached any decision regarding where he will be playing his football next season.
Gamble has also decided to suspend all talk about his future until the end of the season. “I met with representatives of
St Patrick’s Athletic and they are keen to take me to Dublin but I have not made up my mind yet,” promised Gamble.
“Cork City were initially very slow in coming back to me with a contract offer. “It was actually a year before they came back to me with something formal in writing, to be honest,” said Gamble.
“I had been in negotiations with them since returning from America from the Irish tour last summer but, for some reason, it
was only a few days before the Drogheda game in May when they actually approached me.
“I have promised Cork (and Alan Mathews) that I will speak to them again before I make my mind up,” added Gamble.
It is understood that the offer from St Pat’s is considerably more than that offered by Cork and while not commenting on
either offer Gamble is keen to insist that he is not holding either club to ransom.
“There is no deal done with either club and nothing will be decided until December. “I am happy playing with Cork City and in the four years I have been back I have won the league, won the FAI Cup and been successful in Europe. “At the end of the season, I will weigh up all my options and will decide then where I will be playing my football next season. “But nothing has been decided and I have not made up my mind yet, that I promise you. “For now I just want to play football and help Cork challenge for all three competitions that we are in the running for.”

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If City sign a few players and keep moving off the field, basically a bit of positivity around the club then that could also impact on his decision. If the guy knew that he'll enjoy his football Leeside if he were to sign again it would carry some weight.

The club have to keep pushing on and not have anything hinging on Gambles decision.

While I understand we won't match Pats offer, I think the club need to come out and say how much they are prepared to give him, i.e. make him a final offer, if he refuses that then put him on the transfer list.
No room for sentiment.