Gary Simpson (2013)

Division: Blue Square Premier

Estimated Budget: Mid Table (£400,000)

Ins: Adi Yussuf, Sean Newton, Danny Rowe, Waide Fairhurst, Jon Nolan, Nat Brown, Nick Wright, Bohan Dixon, Ben Tomlinson, Luke Foster, David Preece, 

Outs: Gomez Dali, Nick Draper, Peter Gilbert, Nicky Nicolau, Adam Smith, Frazer Cobb, Vadiane Oliver

Rating at the time: 9/10

Rating with hindsight: 5/10

I always figured we’d had a bigger budget because of the FA Cup run, but Philip Priddle’s Six Years in Purgatory confirms the budget remained the same, just £400,000. With that in mind, this was a big window. Newton, Nolan, Rowe, Brown and Tomlinson were all huge signings for the level, and Luke Foster coming back was pretty significant as well. I never rated Gary Simpson’s spell in charge, but you can see the thinking here: proven talent at the level, backed by familiar faces such as Brown and Foster to get the fans back.

Vadaine Oliver’s leaving was a blow, but we got paid around £45,000, which likely helped us bring in Tomlinson. I doubt tears were shed over the other departures, especially Gomez Dali, a name forever etched in history as being part of a massive low point. It’s important to remember that the season before we finished 16th, our second-worst campaign ever.

I do wonder about the characters we signed. There is no doubt that good footballers came to the club, but I recall a homophobic tweet from one of the players, Nolan left in a strop, Newton forced a Football League move and was allegedly disruptive as well. Luke Foster has since been jailed! I’m not sure we got the right characters, even if we got decent players.

Biggest Hit

It has to be Ben Tomlinson. In fairness, he, Nolan and Newton were all good signings, but Tomlinson brought goals, more than adequately replacing Oliver. All too often, he was deployed out wide, which was painful to watch, because he had all the characteristics of a centre forward, and needed to be played there.

Biggest Flop

Nick Wright, without a doubt. Wright was a decent striker, 28 in 87 for Tamworth, and 23 in 82 for Kidderminster. Okay, it’s not a goal a game, but it was a solid return, yet for us, he was ineffective. He scored two, one against his old side Kidderminster, and one as we ran riot against Alfreton Town (a game Tom Shaw played in against us), but he was loaned back to Kidderminster before the season was done.