Non-league hotshot could steal the January headlines

With the transfer window in full swing, this week saw the return of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to the Emirates Stadium from the U.S while Robbie Keane also joined Villa on a similar deal from LA Galaxy; however, there is one Non-League striker on the South coast that could yet steal the headlines of this transfer window.

Margate FC striker Kwesi Appiah has found the net 33 times already this season and a move away from the Kent club is highly expected before the window slams shut on the 31^st January but where will the hotshot go to and how much can Margate expect for such a player? In truth Appiah could be a Premier League player by the 1^st of February 2012, however, many people think his likely destination could be the Championship.

The latest clubs to be linked to the striker include Premier League sides Aston Villa, QPR and Swansea while a whole host of Championship clubs ranging from Watford, Bristol City and Leeds are all expected to keep a close eye on Appiah. With no game this week for the 33 goal hero to showcase his talents even more so, Margate will hope to earn some breathing space this week meaning that Appiah could feature against Lewes on the 21^st of January and three days later when Margate entertain League One side Charlton Athletic in the Kent Senior Cup Quarter-Final clash at Hartsdown Park.

Fans of Margate will be hoping that their main man will stay beyond this transfer window and help fire the ‘Gate’ into the Play-off places and beyond into the Blue Square Bet Conference South. Despite them hopes there would be no fan at MFC that would begrudge Appiah the chance to resurrect his League career after his last chance at Championship side Peterborough was ended when he was released before returning to the Non-league stage.

So finally what can Margate earn from the possible sale of the star man? Realistically the answer is a lot. Margate would be well within their rights to demand an upwards fee of £50,000 (perhaps higher) as well as a sell on clause of up to 10% while also earning a lucrative friendly against the side that Appiah could join.

All at Margate FC hope Appiah will lead the club to promotion ahead of what looks like to be an exciting new era for the club, however, I would like to offer my thanks to Kwesi for his contribution to the ‘Gate’ should he decide that his future lies elsewhere.

What do you think? Would Appiah suit your club? How much is a 33 goal machine worth in January? As always let me know. 

Football unites to pay respect to Gary Speed

“My Captain, my hero, my mate”, that was one of many tributes that’s flooded in today as the footballing world come to grips with the death of Wales, Leeds, Newcastle and Everton legend Gary Speed at the tender age of 42.

At 7:08 on Sunday 27^th November 2011 Speed’s body was found hanging at his Cheshire home and football had lost a legend. The one question that remains is why? It is one question that may never be answered; here was a man that had his dream job, a highly successful career, a wife and two young children. Speed was slowly changing the fortunes of the Wales side and four wins from their last five games, including a 4-1 win over Norway in his last game proved that.

Craig Bellamy, Speed’s team mate and friend and one of Speed’s players in the Wales squad was today withdrawn from the Liverpool squad ahead of their clash with Manchester City, meanwhile, Shay Given was left in tears as the crowd at the Liberty Stadium before the fixture before Swansea and Aston Villa turned the minutes silence into a minutes applause, leaving the Villa goalkeeper struggling to play after the pair spent six seasons together at Newcastle.

Former Wales’s team mate John Hartson was left ‘Devastated’, while the man who gave Speed his first Wales cap Bobbie Gould said “Tears had been shed”. The sheer volume of tributes make it all more emotional, here was a man that was loved as player, manager, husband and father and that will never be forgotten.

We may never know what drove Speed to hang himself today, however, it has shocked the footballing world and will undoubtedly raise awareness amongst people that no matter how good someone life looks from the outside, we never truly knows what lies beneath. One thing that we are sure of though is that today football lost a true gent and model professional.

RIP Gary Speed, you will be missed.

What are your favourite memories of Gary Speed? As always let me know.

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