Michael Kelly, Mo Bagdadi, Ben Morgan and Lewis Leigh Ghilcrist have all signed new contracts this afternoon, all play in the Development squad. Many congratulations to them and I look forward to seeing them progress into the first team squad in the future
Good news. They join Luke Russe, Alexis Andre-Jr, Lewis Ison, Cameron Hargreaves and Rhys Kavanagh who have already committing their future to Development Squad next season.
Yes, Ellington was released and the lad was good about it. He wants to prove the club wrong and good luck to him. However, his father has gone all bitter about his release. He took to social media and gave a big rant and put forward some accusations and mentioned things about other players by name, which was bang out of order. I appreciate it is hard for parents to watch their kid get released. But Ellington himself showed maturity and determination to find another door that's open after the Rovers door closed on him. Hopefully his dad doesn't end up ruining his sons career. Here is Ellingtons dad's rant. (Bare in mind that our development side just won its league showing Hargreaves kind of knows what he is doing with recruitment for that side and training and motivating them. He obviously hasn't seen something in Ellington to keep him on. Or maybe his dad has got involved too many times and Hargreaves just had enough! Who knows.) The rant.... Farewell to Bristol Rovers! After my son's very dignified tweet on Twitter saying his own farewell, I thought a more truthful factual post was needed. People who know me know that I wear my heart on my sleeve and say it how it is but I will try to keep this as diplomatic as possible without coming across as a bitter parent. First of all I would like to start on a positive note and congratulate the development squad on there league victory having watched a few of the squad develop from boys into great young men and footballers is fantastic especially Luke Russe who has been there from the beginning and deserves everything he gets because he is a total professional in everything he does. Now to the negatives, yes Lewis has been released, that's life and that is football it is a very cut throat business. But his treatment this season has been nothing short of disrespectful and a Joke. He has been told by Hargreaves that he has one of the best attitudes in the squad but he is 2 years away from being first team ready and the club do not have the budget for this. He is 19 years old so that would make him 21, so I ask the question what is the point of having an under 23's squad? Why do they bring players from the likes of Germany who are 22? The biggest kick in the balls came this week finding out that Ghassan Hassan has been offered another years contract! a player who can hardly even kick a ball and could not even get off the bench at Mangotsfeild and has hardly played a minute of 23's football all season. Maybe this is because his family are financing the budget some how! this is the biggest joke of all when a local lad who has been with the club 8 years has been told they do not have the budget to develop him. And let's remember that before his injury this is a lad that scored 30 goals for fun last season in the 18's and 23's combined! Lewis picked up a knee injury early season whilst on loan at Mangotsfeild, he ended up spending over 3 months out injured. He was informed by the doctor that he had suffered a tear to his madiscas, not at one stage was he sent for a scan by the club on this or the correct treatment supplied as it really should have been operated on. Since returning in December Lewis has only been given 2 45 minutes in development games in which he has scored 3 goals. Yet another player who has been offered a contract who plays a similar position has played 90 minutes in pretty much every game since then and not scored a single goal has been offered another year contract. No surprise on this is to find out his uncle is a very good friend of Chris Hargreaves! Whilst I am on the subject of Hargreaves, Lewis Leigh Gilchrist a quality attacking midfielder who has scored a boat load of goals whilst on loan this season but has got nowhere near the first team but Hargreaves son has! Is this a coincidence? No it is not! They are both attacking midfielders but if one has been kept back at the club and not sent out on loan once because he knows he will get seriously found out at men's football and if LLG is unavailable due to his loan then who gets the call! if anyone apart from Luke deserved their chance this season it was LLG but he has been hidden away! I know in every walk of life you have favouritism and Nepatism but some of the above is nothing more than corrupt. Im sorry that this has been a bit of a rant and there is so much more I could say but I will leave it there and wish all you gasheads the best for the future as we have both been thankful for the support you have shown him on here and some of the comments that where put on here last season about him. Lewis being the man he has now become shook Hargreaves by the hand today looked him in the eyes and said I can't wait to prove you wrong! And I do hope he comes back to haunt you! I wish nothing but the best to all the under 23's who actually deserve their massive opportunity to be there!
He is obviously very disappointed, however there have been heaps of young players that have been released by clubs up and down the country that have come back and gone on to greater things and at bigger clubs and he want's to take heart from that and now give young Lewis all the support and help that he can as a Father in helping him to realise his potential.
The dad admitted in his rant that Hargreaves told Ellington.... "he is 2 years away from being first team ready and the club do not have the budget for this." Fair enough. If Hargreaves thought Ellington was ready then he would have been offered a contract. But we cant keep players for 2 years and hope. Ellington can drop down and earn his way back up. Who know, if Ellington does well, he may end up back with us.
