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Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:32 pm
by Pantmawr Bluebird
Going through my old programmes this evening and found our friendly against Auxerre in 2006. I believe we had just signed Mcphail, McNaughton and Johnson that summer.

But who rocked up for Auxerre playing #29? Bacary Sagna

Which "unknown" footballer do you remember coming up against us that turned out to be a 'famous name'?

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:36 pm
by davids
I remember Kevin de Bruyne playing against us for Wolfsberg in a pre season friendly before he signed for Man City but he'd already played for Chelsea before that I think.

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:37 pm
by Big Hill Blue
Sure I saw a young bloke playing against us called Stan Collymore

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:45 pm
by davids
I'm sure when we played Ajax in a friendly a few years ago they had a certain Luis Suarez in their squad but I can't remember if he got on the pitch.

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:06 pm
by OriginalGrangeEndBlue
davids wrote:I remember Kevin de Bruyne playing against us for Wolfsberg in a pre season friendly before he signed for Man City but he'd already played for Chelsea before that I think.


Yeah he scored a screamer against us as well!

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:31 pm
by Bluebird For Life
davids wrote:I remember Kevin de Bruyne playing against us for Wolfsberg in a pre season friendly before he signed for Man City but he'd already played for Chelsea before that I think.


Yes - he scored a wonder goal in that game and didn't we come from 0-3 down to draw in the last minute?

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:34 pm
by Bluebird For Life
davids wrote:I'm sure when we played Ajax in a friendly a few years ago they had a certain Luis Suarez in their squad but I can't remember if he got on the pitch.


My youngest sons first ever match that was - a lot of Ajax fans and I believe Klaas Jan Huntelaar had a fantastic shot well saved in a fairly dull game. I don't remember Suarez playing but it was a few years ago now...

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:22 am
by Pantmawr Bluebird
Turning the question around, I have just found a programme from our friendly game vs Deportivo La Coruna and remembered x2 players on trial for us ;

Finnish international - Toni Kallio played for us at left back. Was just released by Premier League Fulham

Ex Liverpool/Portsmouth etc - Gregory Vignal - came off the bench for us

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:41 am
by Barclay1
davids wrote:I'm sure when we played Ajax in a friendly a few years ago they had a certain Luis Suarez in their squad but I can't remember if he got on the pitch.


That Ajax game was mental! Thousands more fans turned up than expected and the ground had to open up the grange end and the front of the bob bank.

A few battles with Ajax fans running out of their part of the grange to meet city fan and suddenly then frantically piling back in chased by the City!!!

Fair dos though, their fans were fantastic. There's a video of them singing Bob Marleys '3 little birds' from the Grange end on you tube.

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:09 pm
by Jestrix
Barclay1 wrote:
davids wrote:I'm sure when we played Ajax in a friendly a few years ago they had a certain Luis Suarez in their squad but I can't remember if he got on the pitch.


That Ajax game was mental! Thousands more fans turned up than expected and the ground had to open up the grange end and the front of the bob bank.

A few battles with Ajax fans running out of their part of the grange to meet city fan and suddenly then frantically piling back in chased by the City!!!

Fair dos though, their fans were fantastic. There's a video of them singing Bob Marleys '3 little birds' from the Grange end on you tube.


I heard a story on a Podcast about this, apparently that night is exactly why Ajax fans sing that song. They had no affiliation with it prior to that evening and it was played over the tannoy while they were being kept in the ground and from then they started singing it. It was either on Elis James feast of Football or the socially distanced sports podcast (well worth a listen so so funny)

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:59 pm
by bluesince62
davids wrote:I remember Kevin de Bruyne playing against us for Wolfsberg in a pre season friendly before he signed for Man City but he'd already played for Chelsea before that I think.


Yes i remember that game v wolfsberg ended 3-3 , i think,didnt he also score?

Re: Who can you find?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:00 pm
by Floppsy
bluesince62 wrote:
davids wrote:I remember Kevin de Bruyne playing against us for Wolfsberg in a pre season friendly before he signed for Man City but he'd already played for Chelsea before that I think.


Yes i remember that game v wolfsberg ended 3-3 , i think,didnt he also score?


He did.
That was the first time I saw Burgstaller play and thought we had a decent player on our books. 6 months later he was gone.
On a sadder note, the Wolfsburg midfielder, Malanda, was killed in a car crash a few months after that game.