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Transfer Rumours 2020/21

SEA Grecian

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Regarding. a footballer's career, why would it be better to play oop North? You think our players don't get noticed at Exeter. Chrisene, Jay Stanno, Stockley, Watkins, Storey were all picked up by other clubs. There have been offers for Williams and even Bowman. And it's rumoured that clubs are interested in Randall. If they're good enough, they'll get noticed or find a club if their contract ends. Exeter is not the end of the line. You could argue that our players stand out more.
I was talking primarily about non-footballing reasons. The reality is that we have to offer players an extra incentive to come here, whether that is extra money than they can earn elsewhere or the promise that it will be good for their careers. And even looking at your list, the vast majority were academy products who grew up locally to the club and most of those that didn't, like Stockley and Bowman, had family connections to the area.
 

Boyo

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If that becomes a factor for a player you really want, you take care of it with a "signing on fee", especially if they are a free agent and no transfer fee is involved.
Indeed. So in reality we have to pay more (than say Rochdale) for the same player. Thereby by definition it's more expensive/difficult to attract players to Devon. And that's just from a financial perspective, without considering kids schools, partners job, friends/family etc.
 

IndoMike

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Indeed. So in reality we have to pay more (than say Rochdale) for the same player. Thereby by definition it's more expensive/difficult to attract players to Devon. And that's just from a financial perspective, without considering kids schools, partners job, friends/family etc.
A professional footballer imo needs to make the best move for his career. The career is short, so a little inconvenience in moving is acceptable in my opinion.
Exeter is well-linked to the rest of the country, This is the 21st Century : there's zoom ++. Any inconveniences can be overcome with support from the club.
 

Boyo

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A professional footballer imo needs to make the best move for his career. The career is short, so a little inconvenience in moving is acceptable in my opinion.
Exeter is well-linked to the rest of the country, This is the 21st Century : there's zoom ++. Any inconveniences can be overcome with support from the club.
I don't disagree. My point is that when a player has a choice between two clubs with similar career prospects and similar salary, but one involves moving house and the other doesn't, then it's no surprise that many will choose the option of not moving.
 

IndoMike

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I don't disagree. My point is that when a player has a choice between two clubs with similar career prospects and similar salary, but one involves moving house and the other doesn't, then it's no surprise that many will choose the option of not moving.
I'd say that's true in several cases, but not all
 

LOG

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Whether location is an issue depends entirely on the player, their circumstances and their aspirations. For some, moving to the other end of the country may not even be a consideration but for others it may be everything.

Rory McArdle is from Sheffield and hasn’t played for any club even vaguely near to us but was prepared to uproot. Similar stories for Sam Stubbs and Jonny Maxted, unless you count one season at FGR several years ago. It may have been that they didn’t have any other decent offers more locally or it could be that they didn’t mind moving themselves and their immediate families, if they have one, if it meant a contract.

On the other hand, I heard of a player (don’t know the name) who was coming down from the north east with his family to check out the area, training ground etc with a view to possibly signing. He got as far as Gloucester and turned around saying that it was just too far from where he and his wider family were already based.
 

Boyo

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Rory McArdle is from Sheffield and hasn’t played for any club even vaguely near to us but was prepared to uproot. Similar stories for Sam Stubbs and Jonny Maxted, unless you count one season at FGR several years ago. It may have been that they didn’t have any other decent offers more locally or it could be that they didn’t mind moving themselves and their immediate families, if they have one, if it meant a contract.
All true. And of course some players will actively want to be in Devon, for whatever reason. However, I suspect that for Maxted and McArdle they simply had no alternatives or we had to pay them more than they were offered elsewhere. Stubbs by all accounts is on very good wages, so the cost of moving is diluted.
 

fred binneys head

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Obviously some players are happy to relocate to Devon, otherwise us, Torquay and Argyle wouldn’t exist, but when looking at signing players the size of the “players who are happy to play football in Devon” pot is much smaller than the “players who are happy to play football in the south east” pot (or Midlands, North West, etc).

This is because of the distance and also the fact that the stuff that most people want is just better in bigger places (shops, nightlife, etc) and / or not as many family support networks live in Devon and / or the cost of living is higher than much of the country.

The fact there are beaches doesn’t compensate for that for most people.
 
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