(great)Signing you couldn't believe your team made

[Underfaker]

On 10/30/2024 at 11:56 AM, Cod Eye said:

Following on from the crap signing thread, how about one on those signings that actually made you think "That can't be real!"

So, back when Barnsley had been relegated after our single season in the Premier League, we were a very decent Division 1 team, but without an experienced manager. Danny Wilson had broke our hearts and left for Wednesday, and in what must have been an attempt to keep the fans on side appointed John Hendrie, the player who was the final piece of the puzzle to the team that got promoted to the top flight a 2 season prior and become a firm fans favourite, as Player-Manager.

We had a really good team( two from Ashely Ward, Bruce Dyer and Jan Aage Fjortoft up top, barring Neil Redfearn the same midfield that eventually learned to hold their own the Premier League and a decent defence. 

The trouble was something was missing. Goals from outside the front two. This is where the signing came in.

I opened the local paper that came every Friday, and on the back pages in a small box at the top "Reds Sign Craig Hignett for £750k". I was totally gob smacked! I know to many who support the bigger teams, you will scoff at a player like Hignett(who before an ill fated few months at Hibs was a part of a great Middlesbrough team with the likes of Ravenelli, Juninho and Emerson), but to a Barnsley fan this was akin to a team like Millwall signing Maddison from Spurs. A cracking player who has all the ability in the world, but not an England regular. 

 

He went on to get us to the play off final that year, before leaving for Blackburn the next. So only there for a short time, but an absolute joy to watch! The only game he and Ward(a great striker at that level)played together was in the 7-1 hammering of Huddersfield. It would have been interesting to see where we would end up if Ward and Hignett had all season together.

So, that mine. Who's yours?

P.S. Sorry for the length(no context thread!). Got carried away reminiscing about one of the greatest times  being a Barnsley fan...

One of my all time favourite players Higgy. Was gutted when we (Boro) sold him.

Marco Branca would be the signing for me or Uwe Fuchs.