What signings have Pools ever made that could be described as such?
I'm talking about players whose mere signing caused a buzz of excitement, nothing to do with their actual performance.

After Amby Fogarty I'm struggling to think of any!

Russell Doig.

Cos we paid £10k for him, which was unheard of at the time.

Shame he turned out to be dogshite though.

Craig Midgeley was another who we paid a fee for and therefore created optimism, who turned out to be ok but nowt special.

Marco Gabbiadini? Paul Stephenson? Mark Tinkler? Eiffion Williams?

Paul Beavers

Gabiadini for me but i think that might have only been due to the fact we stole him from under the noses of the Loids

Gordon Watson, if not at the time of signing very soon afterwards.

I was very pleased at Peter Beardsleys signing, unfortunately his vision, even in the end stage of his career, was 2 divisions at least higher than our lot.

As loyal blue says, gabbiadini for pizzing the loids off

It doesn't count then. A CWS has to cause an immediate buzz.

There was 'Newton Fever' in the town when he signed for the second time. Unfortunately he never quite lived up to the expectations the second time around but I remember the headline being in the Mail.

Pedersen. I can remember his first game, Mick Tait left him on the bench for the 1st game, we were drawing 0-0 and the game was crying out for a bit of inventiveness, tait ignored our abuse at not playing him, Pedersen remained on the bench and the game ended 0-0.

One class player mind, its not often you get a current Norweigian international playing for pools

There was also a lad called Gallagher, signed in the 90's, think he might have come from Newcastle on big wages but he was foooking shoite, as was that other big signing from Liverpool David Clegg recommended by Kenny Dalglish when he was pissed

John Gallacher. He was as bad as Scott Sloan.

I got excited when we signed Proctor, then I realized he wasn't as good as he is on footie manager.

Nelson was a good signing.

Nelson was a very good signing.

But were you giddy with excitement when he signed?

No.

But i thought a good signing to replace Lee, thought he was good when we played Bury so was pleased, defenders don't really make you go all giddy when they sign.

No signing pools have made in my lifetime has ever been a cartwheel signing, this club just can't attract that kind of player, we either sign young unknowns or lower league experienced journeymen, i.e. Barker, lormor, Moore etc

Sounds like most of those who were "cartwheel" signings didn't live up to expectations then. They might add a couple of thousand to the gate, sell a couple of hundred more season tickets, but not gain us promotion to the championship which would I'm sure sell a lot more tickets than any alleged cartwheel signing. I don't know how reliable my Donny supporting mate's information is but he reckons they have already sold 5000 season tickets without having made any signings yet.

For those who weren't around, the Amby Fogarty signing would probably be comparable to our signing someone like Stephen McPhail today - a player in the latter part of his career but whom you are certain still has class in reserve for this division.

Having said that I think we've had enough of ex-Cardiff players!

It is true, Donny have sold over 5000. It's not surprising though. There's a kid who lives near me who got a prize for being the 5000th season ticket holder last year. They're going to need them though, the rent has gone up from £250,000 per annum to just short of a million. It works out at £43k per match. They have got some advertising rites for that and the car parking revenue. Still a lot of money though. They have signed that kid Mills who was on loan from Man city.
The Donny ratepayers are currently subsidising the ground to the tune of £32,000 per week. having forked out £32million to build it.
There is talk that John Ryan and his consortium may buy the Keepmoat for a rumoured £40million.
Bloody telephone numbers or what???

Signing Chris Freestone on the transfer deadline day was exciting.

i was also quite excited when we signed Tony Lormor about a day before the start of one season and Paul Robinson after he hadscoredafew over the pre season.....

David Clegg i think he went onto become a Funeral Director.

but Amby Fogarty was still class and was on his way down, in comparison Steven McPhail has never reached the same heights

Aye, very scary.

Good stuff, Madjohn...................as usual.