Yes there was a rumour at the time, that if a club higher in the league they would allow him to talk to the club, or his agent I guess. I assume that is why we offered him a contract, and he asked for the clause re: the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea etc. If as you state Airman Chelsea were interested in the summer, it was hardly forced on them. Curb's seemed to be of the opinion that if he was that desperate to go then it was a question of money, and he did not care for his attitude. I am sure it is a bit more complicated than that, as it alway's is..... but the essence of it.
I don't blame Parker for going but it was unquestionably the turning point in our PL stay, we were pretty much on a permanent slide after that.
We had a false dawn in 05/06 when Benty arrived and we won our first four games with Smertin-Murphy-Kishishev in the middle but we never really had a decent class PL midfield after that and were relying on Benty nicking goals or the defence keeping it tight.
If we could have got Stevie Sidwell in to replace Parker or found a little gem we might have been OK but we never got close to replacing Parker.
and also that many Toons regard him as the worst captain in their history.
Really? The impression I've got is that he is pretty highly revered up there?
On a separate point, did 4th place actually get a Champions League spot back then? I have a feeling that top 2 got automatic, and there was only 1 qualification space for UEFA Cup?
This table seems inconceivable now. Only 2 defeats in 12 away games, and sat in the middle of arsenal, man united, chelsea, liverpool and newcastle. I remember the newspaper headline "They look like champions" after we won 1-0 at Everton (last game before Parker left, and which he didn't even play in).
Not trying to be controversial but a) Under Curbs we always seemed to start well and become crap after Xmas. b) We could have splashed the cash and benefited from the sale, but we didn't. c) The sale of Parker wasn't the point we went into decline. We were always punching above out weight.
A) That may or may not have happened, the loss of Parker certainly didnt help. Who would we have got of similar quality with hours to go before the deadline? C) It was.
Sorry NLA and all you other people who would take the money and run, Parker WAS greedy - apparently he was earning £15k A WEEK, in 2004. All this securing his families future blah blah blah is ridiculous, I repeat he was earning £15k a week - you, me and anyone else could secure their families future on that over three years, no problem.
All he had to do was give us four more months, he could have signed then and stayed until the end of the season like Zaha has done. If Chelsea had baulked at that, he would have known just how much they really wanted him. Also all this "having confidence in himself" malarkey - get real. We all knew he was going to warm the bench, everyone I spoke to who was a football fan thought the same, and I am pretty sure those within the game would have had the same opinion.
He was a regular in the England squad, luckily we had a manager at the time who could see beyond the Sky Four for his players, and undoubtedly would have been in the squad for Euro 2004. Instead he watched it from the comfort of his overpriced armchair.
His mistake cost Charlton and himself dear.
All that said, I would not boo him, and I wish him well these days, although it has taken a while for me to feel like that.
The board would have rejected the deal, but in the end Curbs took a pragmatic approach and advised them to sell because Parker wasn't going to co-operate if he stayed. There is a bit more to it, in that Parker's argument turned on what he had or hadn't been promised by Richard Murray when he signed a new contract in the summer.
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.
Really? Very interesting, thought Chelsea were broke?
The board would have rejected the deal, but in the end Curbs took a pragmatic approach and advised them to sell because Parker wasn't going to co-operate if he stayed. There is a bit more to it, in that Parker's argument turned on what he had or hadn't been promised by Richard Murray when he signed a new contract in the summer.
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.
Really? Very interesting, thought Chelsea were broke?
It was hardly a secret. Transfers in England changed overnight when Roman came into town.
The board would have rejected the deal, but in the end Curbs took a pragmatic approach and advised them to sell because Parker wasn't going to co-operate if he stayed. There is a bit more to it, in that Parker's argument turned on what he had or hadn't been promised by Richard Murray when he signed a new contract in the summer.
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.
Really? Very interesting, thought Chelsea were broke?
It was hardly a secret. Transfers in England changed overnight when Roman came into town.
Depends how you view Greed mate, I do understand why people would deem it greedy, but to me now i see it as an honest move to secure his and his family for ever
he came from feck all and watched his mum and dad scrape by as did most of us , i wouldve done it too
Was just looking through some old Charlton related emails for a contact address and funnily enough came across this. Made by a poster on here I believe back then. I was bitter.
Makes me feel like having a little weep reading that and pondering what could've been.
If he'd stayed this forum would probably today be complaining about high ticket prices the prawn sandwich brigade and the club being out of touch with its fans.
The board would have rejected the deal, but in the end Curbs took a pragmatic approach and advised them to sell because Parker wasn't going to co-operate if he stayed. There is a bit more to it, in that Parker's argument turned on what he had or hadn't been promised by Richard Murray when he signed a new contract in the summer.
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.
Really? Very interesting, thought Chelsea were broke?
It was hardly a secret. Transfers in England changed overnight when Roman came into town.
I meant before Roman bought Chelsk.
They were broke.
Yep, Chelsea were virtually bankrupt when Abramovich bought them. Ken Bates had driven them into a £99m loss through rebuilding the ground and over-paying players and he financed the debt with a massive loan and he had started missing payments.
What saved Chelsea (allegedly) was Liverpool screwing up on the last day of the previous season meaning that they missed out on the last spot in the next season's Champion's League which Chelsea took instead. As Chelsea were in the CL and had access to all that TV money Abramovich bought them and bailed out Ken Bates in the process.
Their very first signing was to be our Scott Parker who had a season left on his contract at that point and Charlton reluctantly put him up for sale on the basis that he'd leave on a free in a year's time. IIRC the fee was only about £5m - around £10m less than they paid six months later. Anyway Abramovich pointed out to Ranieri that Chelsea could now afford more prestigious players than Parker...
It's strange, this thread has brought back the pain of when scotty left. It felt like the heart of the team had been ripped out. We went up to Goodison when he was "dropped" just before he left. We looked like half the team we had been even though we nicked it 0-1. It was also the time when we had just lost Bob to motor neurone disease and a couple of us went up there just as a mark of respect because we could still go. God that's made me feel sad now.
I thought we lost 1-0 at goodison midweek (we only got there at 1/2 time!) and he was dropped for the gillingham game apparently 'injured' 1st round of fa cup??
The game I'm thinking of was on a Saturday I think. Maybe it was the game after he left I'm sure the two events were linked but maybe my memory has let me down. .
Ok suz. Every time you mention that Liverpool trip I hang my head in shame. I still can't laugh now and 1905 should be just as embarrassed. When I said stay on the m1 and cut across the a50 I flipping meant it. Ahem.
Anyway that front seat driver was as dull as you like so all turned out well. Xxx
He signed a new contract in the summer saying that he could achieve all of his ambitions at Charlton, we were 4th when he fucked us over,at least have the decency to see out the season before declaring that you'd never play for the club again. By refusing to play he created the hatred that many feel to this day & I for one am glad that his career never hit the heights that it undoubtably should have done. Having said that he's become a fairly rich man playing Premiership football......
Tho actually think you're confused with games Suz. I was up for an Everton game on 2nd jan which was a league game. Funnily enough I was having a beer downstairs when Holland whizzed one in and we won one nil.
County road after was good fun. Cost me 103 quid to get home on the 4th. Good night .
Tho actually think you're confused with games Suz. I was up for an Everton game on 2nd jan which was a league game. Funnily enough I was having a beer downstairs when Holland whizzed one in and we won one nil.
County road after was good fun. Cost me 103 quid to get home on the 4th. Good night .
hmmm..the everton cup game was defo around the same time - although it was before xmas, could have been november or early december I know this as you needed a ticket stub to be able to buy a ticket for gillingham. which added further insult to the whole trip. I think it was hilarious. yes, the front seat passenger was a bore glad he got ditched!
Comments
We had a false dawn in 05/06 when Benty arrived and we won our first four games with Smertin-Murphy-Kishishev in the middle but we never really had a decent class PL midfield after that and were relying on Benty nicking goals or the defence keeping it tight.
If we could have got Stevie Sidwell in to replace Parker or found a little gem we might have been OK but we never got close to replacing Parker.
On a separate point, did 4th place actually get a Champions League spot back then? I have a feeling that top 2 got automatic, and there was only 1 qualification space for UEFA Cup?
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2003-2004/table/2004-01-21
This table seems inconceivable now. Only 2 defeats in 12 away games, and sat in the middle of arsenal, man united, chelsea, liverpool and newcastle. I remember the newspaper headline "They look like champions" after we won 1-0 at Everton (last game before Parker left, and which he didn't even play in).
SCP is our only hope now.
C) It was.
Sorry NLA and all you other people who would take the money and run, Parker WAS greedy - apparently he was earning £15k A WEEK, in 2004. All this securing his families future blah blah blah is ridiculous, I repeat he was earning £15k a week - you, me and anyone else could secure their families future on that over three years, no problem.
All he had to do was give us four more months, he could have signed then and stayed until the end of the season like Zaha has done. If Chelsea had baulked at that, he would have known just how much they really wanted him. Also all this "having confidence in himself" malarkey - get real. We all knew he was going to warm the bench, everyone I spoke to who was a football fan thought the same, and I am pretty sure those within the game would have had the same opinion.
He was a regular in the England squad, luckily we had a manager at the time who could see beyond the Sky Four for his players, and undoubtedly would have been in the squad for Euro 2004. Instead he watched it from the comfort of his overpriced armchair.
His mistake cost Charlton and himself dear.
All that said, I would not boo him, and I wish him well these days, although it has taken a while for me to feel like that.
They were broke.
Being a latecomer to supporting Charlton that was the first time for me where I felt like I had been cheated on and dumped. Not a nice feeling.
So over him now tho, I've finally moved on. Just wish he would perhaps mention us sometime.
he came from feck all and watched his mum and dad scrape by as did most of us , i wouldve done it too
5 Years ago we sold Andy Reid.
31st January is not a good day for us.
What saved Chelsea (allegedly) was Liverpool screwing up on the last day of the previous season meaning that they missed out on the last spot in the next season's Champion's League which Chelsea took instead. As Chelsea were in the CL and had access to all that TV money Abramovich bought them and bailed out Ken Bates in the process.
Their very first signing was to be our Scott Parker who had a season left on his contract at that point and Charlton reluctantly put him up for sale on the basis that he'd leave on a free in a year's time. IIRC the fee was only about £5m - around £10m less than they paid six months later. Anyway Abramovich pointed out to Ranieri that Chelsea could now afford more prestigious players than Parker...
Selling reid confirmed the end of the good times
God that's made me feel sad now.
.
Anyway that front seat driver was as dull as you like so all turned out well. Xxx
He signed a new contract in the summer saying that he could achieve all of his ambitions at Charlton, we were 4th when he fucked us over,at least have the decency to see out the season before declaring that you'd never play for the club again. By refusing to play he created the hatred that many feel to this day & I for one am glad that his career never hit the heights that it undoubtably should have done. Having said that he's become a fairly rich man playing Premiership football......
County road after was good fun. Cost me 103 quid to get home on the 4th. Good night .