Seen on bbc sport it says that northampton are ready to listen to offers for the big man and with ashford talking about marquee signings the other day I was thinking that maybe Bayo might be the thing to attract fans back to priestfield? Top scorer in the league this season and was really well liked when he was here I was thinking that he could replicate his northampton form here. He scores around 20 goals a season for Northampton even though they constantly battle relegation. Surely if we played him as the striker he is and not just a target man he could be amazing! Just a thought and before people start having a go I know this is highly unlikely but so was Bayo signing back to Northampton only a year after leaving them! Would you welcome the big man back or would you be disappointed? (as I know doobiegills would be!)
Most people are admirers of Bayo and it was sad that he ever left but his availability does not really match the club's needs at present. Kedwell and Birchall are one year into 3 year contracts as I understand it. Kedwell is not exactly a failiure and Birchall will need 3 months to judge individually and as a pairing. Nobody is expecting much money for signings but I reckon left side of the defence will be first priority and second priority (if the club is foolhardy enough to risk someone who has only managed seven impressive appearances in five months) might be a nippy forward in the shape of Tomlin. The case for Bayo plus Kedwell is very hard to make and the club can only afford one pair of XXXXl shorts.
bristol407 - agree (mostly) with you. As much I liked Bayo ( with Cody feeding off him ) - I'd like to think that Kedwell & (finally) Birchall will be as potent. I would be disappointed if we signed Bayo and not Tomlin - we are desperate to have some pace going forward. nb regarding Tomlin - how many of the rest of the team produced 7 impressive performancesas as managed by Tomlin in the same 5 months? -not his fault that he was unlucky with injuries.
if we were to sign any striker other than gavin tomlin, i'd bring in THOMAS BARKHUIZEN from blackpool. only 18y/o plenty of talent...besides GOALS and he would make us a tidy profit further down the line. TAKE NOTE HESSY !!!
oxon- if theres interest in this lad why would he leave (possibly) premier league blackpool to come to league 2 gillingham?
Agree with Bristol, but Bayo wouldn't come back anyway. He left ( allegedly) because of the racial abuse he got from some ignorant git in the medway stand.
never said it would happen gfclukey, just said if any striker was to come in for me, he'd be the player to act on. there is no rule saying a premiership player won't move down to the lower leagues is there...i.e. rowan vine for example. plus he's not that well known yet either...if we take a punt for him...who knows ?
Call me sad - but I have seen the lad play - he looks good - and should have come within the radar of higher league clubs. Chances that we'd get him are slim - would be good if we manage to snaffle him.
exactly alwaysright, you said it..."if we could manage to snaffle him" and yes...slim chance ! i remember saying nothing like gfclukey remarks, in no uncertain terms about we would stand the best chance of getting him in to the club. plus like always with us gills and having to compete with other teams for signatures of players coming through it's a just a bid to see what comes of it...whatever the outcome. all i stated is, it's worth a try should we put a bid in for BARKHUIZEN...even though at a higher league club ! a player worth bidding for is always just that with a lower league club...a bid...that if it works, it's "that was a shroud bit of business for the club ! so as i say...WHY NOT DO IT.....WHO KNOWS IF YOU DON'T CHANCE IT ?!
bsg you say Bayo would not give us anything we dont already have, we do not have a 20 goal a season striker! I am not saying Bayo is our man but he was joint top scorer in our league in a poor Northampton side. Kedwell and Birchall might hit the ground running but who is to say either will hit the 18-20 goal mark. We need a striker that will stay fit and score around 20 goals if we are to have a shot at promotion next season. Tomlin would be a good signing but would he stay fit enough to return the number of goals required? I doubt it and we don't have him yet. We need a Cody/ Jackson quality striker, I like Keds and he has a place in the squad but I don't think he will score 20 goals. Whelpdale scored more from open play this season. Birchall has have a bad injury so who knows how he will be when he returns? I think he will need time. We need a good striker along with sorting the defence and a player to give us some width and pace, lets hope who ever is in charge next season sorts the players required. UTG!
