Ex Player James Beadle

Jster said:
We could have been told more detail about the situation without the need to mention any other club by name. It was pretty obvious he was going (Jerome Sale made no bones about that) - why the need for obfuscation ...
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Have football teams ever told the truth about transfers?


Recounting his first role in football management, Mark Lawrenson explained how the sale of Dean Saunders brought him head-to-head with "bully" Robert Maxwell.

After injury brought his playing career to a premature end, Mark Lawrenson was only 31-years-old when he took charge of Oxford United in what was then essentially the EFL Championship.

While a few years had passed since Jim Smith had guided the improbable Oxford to England's top flight, the Irish international Lawrenson had reasons to be optimistic, nevertheless.

'A decent little team' as he remembers it now, he believed that the wonderfully talented Dean Saunders had enough about him to earn the club promotion once again.

"My only problem was Robert Maxwell," recalled Lawrenson to OTB Sports.

"He absolutely did me in cold blood. He owned both Derby County and Oxford United and he wanted to take Deano to Derby."

Robert Maxwell


The Czechoslovakian-born media mogul, M.P., fraudster and alleged spy who died in unusual circumstances provided Oxford United with circumstances unfamiliar to most football clubs.

Although Lawrenson recalled getting on well enough with his son and the ostensible chairman of Oxford at the time Kevin Maxwell, the "top man" tended to include himself in proceedings from time to time.

When the Derby County manager Arthur Cox kept turning up to watch Saunders playing for Oxford, the young manager sensed things were not going to go as he wished.

"I used to say to him, 'Arthur, I don't know why you're here because he's not going'," explained Lawrenson, "[but] Arthur would just say, 'Well, you better tell the top man he's not going.'"



Robert Maxwell

Oxford United's Dean Saunders

Only a few weeks into the 1988/89 season, Lawrenson received a phone-call from Kevin Maxwell less than two hours before his side were due to take on Blackburn Rovers.

"He just said to me, 'I'll need to explain this later as I'm not around today, but Dean Saunders can't play today,'" Lawrenson remembered being told. "I asked him why and he told me he was signing for Derby.

"I just thought, 'you know what, I'm going to play him - sod it, because I'm going anyway now.' I played him and he scored."

A 1-1 draw at the Manor Ground, Lawrenson predictably found himself setting off for London the following day to meet Robert Maxwell at his headquarters in the Mirror building.

One of Maxwell's many publications at the time, the former Liverpool defender doesn't remember Oxford's owner being well pleased to see him.

"He just looked at you like, 'What do you want? I'm a busy man,'" explained Lawrenson. "He gave me that look and just the whole thing came out. 'You pinched my player, you've lied to me.'

"You can stick your job where the sun doesn't shine."

With one foot out the door himself, it was Maxwell who delivered the final word, however.

"He just looked at me," recalled Lawrenson, "'Well, I quite admire what you've said to me, but I couldn't give a s***,' and he walked out of the building."
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Just reading yesterdays game between the Owls and Cardiff the Owls keeper saved 2 penalties
 
Common Villager said:
I've not seen him play a huge amount, but it does seem like Jamie Cumming would be a good replacement, especially if we were able to get him on a permanent transfer.

I know he had a very good loan spell at Milton Keynes during Manning's time there, and he's obviously been highly rated by Chelsea.

He's more experienced than Beadle and, at 24, should be looking for a more permanent move.
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Surely that makes it more likely that Bristol City would sign Cumming rather than Beadle, as some have suggested.
I suspect I’m in the minority, but I’m not too bothered if Beadle moves on. We can’t build a team around a 19-yo loan ‘keeper. There should be plenty of suitable replacements on our recruitment radar.
 
I think the writing was on the wall here from the moment LM left and said so at the time. Brighton entrusted him to Manning, not OUFC. Don’t think it necessarily points to Brighton hauling their player off a sinking ship, as some seem to be implying, more they think his development will be improved higher up. It does beg the question as to why they would agree to a season long loan in the first place if the calculation was always going to be, if he does well, bring him back and move him up a level, as surely then the move would be for a half-season loan with a look to reviewing the situation in January. But then I suppose the Manning departure does fundamentally change that consideration from their perspective. One thing I would say is that I thought his body language had changed a bit over the last few weeks/months, and mentioned it after the Burton game. Didn’t seem as enthusiastic as he was at, say, Derby in August.

I don’t think he’s irreplaceable, but I do think we’ve taken for granted what it’s like to have a really solid pair of hands (and feet) at the back. He’s got room to improve - command of box and distribution, in particular - but to his credit he hasn’t really made any proper clangers in nearly 30 games for us. A couple of errors that led to goals, but not real, ‘how’s that gone in’ doughnuts. That’s to his immense credit, as a 19-year old in his first season in this league.

Will be a top player and I’m grateful to him for his contribution this first half of the season. Not too annoyed with anyone or anything in particular here - it is just one of those things - but frustrating that it’s another piece of recruitment headache we now need to deal with.
 
Reflecting a little - he's been good, but a few facts from the league so far:

Clean sheets: Beadle #7 / 30 (tied with Ripley (Rovers), Mariosi (Shews), Stevens (Vale), Brynn (Orient) & Tickle (Wigan)
Save percentage: #13 / 24
Saves per 90: #18/24
Goals prevented: #11/24
Goals conceded per 90: #14/24

Those stats aren't exactly amazing... Shows he's middle to top end of the league in terms of performance. That's useful perspective i'd say...
 
neyo said:
Reflecting a little - he's been good, but a few facts from the league so far:

Clean sheets: Beadle #7 / 30 (tied with Ripley (Rovers), Mariosi (Shews), Stevens (Vale), Brynn (Orient) & Tickle (Wigan)
Save percentage: #13 / 24
Saves per 90: #18/24
Goals prevented: #11/24
Goals conceded per 90: #14/24

Those stats aren't exactly amazing... Shows he's middle to top end of the league in terms of performance. That's useful perspective i'd say...
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The X factors for Beadle is that he has a cool head on his shoulders (especially for his age) and is extremely good with his feet. The later doesn't show up on the stats but is the main reason he is so highly rated.

He needs to fill out a bit and get better command of the box, but his ceiling would seem to be very high. It's been a pleasure to watch him for half a season, assuming he's off.
 
ttg17 said:
I think the writing was on the wall here from the moment LM left and said so at the time. Brighton entrusted him to Manning, not OUFC. Don’t think it necessarily points to Brighton hauling their player off a sinking ship, as some seem to be implying, more they think his development will be improved higher up. It does beg the question as to why they would agree to a season long loan in the first place if the calculation was always going to be, if he does well, bring him back and move him up a level, as surely then the move would be for a half-season loan with a look to reviewing the situation in January. But then I suppose the Manning departure does fundamentally change that consideration from their perspective. One thing I would say is that I thought his body language had changed a bit over the last few weeks/months, and mentioned it after the Burton game. Didn’t seem as enthusiastic as he was at, say, Derby in August.

I don’t think he’s irreplaceable, but I do think we’ve taken for granted what it’s like to have a really solid pair of hands (and feet) at the back. He’s got room to improve - command of box and distribution, in particular - but to his credit he hasn’t really made any proper clangers in nearly 30 games for us. A couple of errors that led to goals, but not real, ‘how’s that gone in’ doughnuts. That’s to his immense credit, as a 19-year old in his first season in this league.

Will be a top player and I’m grateful to him for his contribution this first half of the season. Not too annoyed with anyone or anything in particular here - it is just one of those things - but frustrating that it’s another piece of recruitment headache we now need to deal with.
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Clubs put their players on loan to develop players, they put them to clubs or managers they trust. But they are solely looking to develop their players. Beadle came here on a season long loan but with the ability to end it in January. If it hadn't have worked out they would have removed him. If it worked ok he would have stayed. He has done exceedingly well so he will be shipped to the Championship. They will be hoping he will be their No1 by 2026. We have helped in his development, we will get kudos from that and potentially another loanee from them.
 
I don't agree that he hasn't made any howlers (the one at Barnsley for example where he nearly chucked it in, both Cheltenham goals) but what's really impressive about Beadle is he doesn't let it affect him.
 
We all knew this would happen.

The club should have known since the day Manning left. So, they should have their list of replacements ready and should have already made approaches and even offers. We should have a new keeper in well in advance of the end of the transfer window...

... oh hold on this is Oxford. We don't do organised.
 
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