Tumbleweed 106 Posted March 7, 2005 I read in another post somewhere a suggestion that Dean Ashton has a clause allowing him to leave if we get relegated. Is this true? The one hope that I cling to is that Deano, Leon and Matty with Hux on the left can tear some Championship defences apart next season. But if Deano goes I would be gutted. Does anyone know? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NavMan 0 Posted March 7, 2005 Dont know but would have thought that when they signed him it was for a longer period than 6 months considering we had a good chance of going down anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 261 Posted March 7, 2005 TW that clause IS in his contract, subject to our transfer fee being met/exceeded although he may not choose to activate it and no club may come in for him. Pursuading him to stay for a successful re-promotion attempt is what the management need to be doing now.A rash of goals from him and us getting relegated may bring too much attention though!!! OTBC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fozzie 0 Posted March 7, 2005 I''d imagine the release clause would be high enough for us to make a "profit" even with the 20% (or there abouts) sell on fee to Crewe.Also, how many managers this season have said they were very interested in him? Sady I can see him leaving, but I hope to hell that he won''t. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
susie b 0 Posted March 7, 2005 ZLF, can you please say how you know for certain that there IS such a clause in Dean Ashton''s contract. Have you seen it? Did you draw it up on behalf of the club? Or are you going by what somebody else has told you?IMO, as I said on here yesterday, the club would be absolutely crazy to have a) had such a clause inserted in his contract, or b) to even consider letting him go for any -yes ANY- price when he will undoubtedly play a major role in helping us back into the Premiership should we be relegated.He knew when he signed that there was a pretty good chance of us going down and he could have waited until the summer for a ''bigger'' Prem club to come in for him, but yet he still decided to join us. That is why I am confident that the club won''t shoot itself in the foot over this one, especially having invested so much money in an undoubted talent, and I also don''t believe Worthy would have said, most deliberately, when he signed that he was here "for the long term future of the football club". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kdncfc 0 Posted March 7, 2005 Ashton may well have a release clause in his contract if we go down, but my guess would be that the club also safeguarded themselves by making sure that the clause cannot be activated until after he has been here for say 18 months. The only way I could see him going would be if he was desperately unhappy and they let him go on moral grounds. But he has only just moved into a new house and I would be very surprised if he went. So stop worrying and sit back and enjoy the 30 goals that he will score in the championship next season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tumbleweed 106 Posted March 7, 2005 I was worried about that Zipper. Its normal for the Prem clubs to pick over the bones of the teams going down but hopefully Ashton knew there was a fair chance of relegation which looks probable now rather than possible. KK has already been impressed by Deano, others alerted too. Its ironic that it may at some point suit us for him to stop scoring!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 261 Posted March 7, 2005 No I wasnt there myself but I do know some one who was very close on the ''direct'' negotiations and told me Crewe had accepted our offer a day before it hit the news.. The clause is there and seems reasonable to me - he is a talented boy who has played in Div 1 for several years and needs better football to develop - getting relegated with Norwich may give him more wages but does it really help his career?At the time we needed a striker to have a chance to stay up and Deano is a good as we were likely to afford - the clause was a no lose gamble for city as if we stay up the gamble has paid off and if we go down we either have a good striker that can score goals in this league or have our transfer fee back if Ashton decides to invoke the clause.As I said city need to ensure he wants to stay (Flem made a goodimpression early on by taking him under his wing on day 1) and that a move to a relegation candidate is not attractive and hope that Citeh or Villa dont come in with a £3m+ offer... OTBC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwoSheds 0 Posted March 7, 2005 I think you will find the clause in his contract if for the end of next season. Worthy & the board would have promised that if they got relegated this season that they would put a strong enough squad together to challenge for promotion by buying & trying to hold on to some of the better players during the summer. If they fail to get promoted then he will be able to leave. Now stop all your worrying and enjoy whats left of this season! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northern Canary 0 Posted March 7, 2005 If he goes it will be a shame but we will get a fair price i expect Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3pmkickoff 0 Posted March 7, 2005 Isn''t it amazing that a lot of people have contact with ''insiders'' who see fit to blab about players contracts etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kdncfc 0 Posted March 7, 2005 It will do him no harm to spend a season in the championship with us, he''s only 21 years old and will develop into a better player staying with us rather than warming the bench at Villa or Spuds. If he leaves us after such a short time I for one will be amazed and totally devastated as he will turn out to be the best striker we have ever had. Still don''t think it''ll happen though as by now he will have already fallen in love with the place as Hucks did and many others have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
essexcanary 0 Posted March 7, 2005 if we do go down and if there is a clause in deano''s contract i wouldnt be surprised if man city came in for him. keegan spoke of his talent on monday and with only fowler and macken man city do need a striker. wright philips is obviously going to arsenal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FilletTheFishWife . 0 Posted March 7, 2005 It would be a big shame if Ashton went but I won''t be too disappointed if the remaining post-promotion signings (with the exception of Charlton) have that clause too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LinkNR9 0 Posted March 8, 2005 Web Team - any chance of you getting an answer from Carrow Road on this? You''ve asked awkward questions before on behalf of the fans and got us answers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funny old game 1 Posted March 8, 2005 All season its been "we must sign dean ashton" we manage to sign him, he''s played 6 games, scored 2 goals & now all the talk is who will he be playing for come August!! I shouldn''t think DFS will have delivered his 3 piece by then!! It really is a funny old game Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadDan 0 Posted March 8, 2005 Sorry but this sounds like nonsense to me.By all means speculate. Put forward reasoned argument and valid judgement based on previous contract revelations. Debate the possible consequences of such clauses.But please, lets leave this stuff to the idiots who have seen George Best in their local chippy, martians up on Mousehold Heath and the bottom of and recently emptied beer class toomany times.He''s here. He needs to start scoring goals. So as far as I''m concerned all we need from him at the moment is not speculation.We need goalsSo " let''s be having ''em ! " Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jewish 0 Posted March 8, 2005 i agree calm down guys do u really think the club would pay £3 million pounds and have a release clause??? come on this is boring tight norwich and ashton not worth any way near that kinda risk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Francesco Volpe<P><BR><EM><FONT size=3><STRONG>A<STRONG><FONT>wesome<STRONG><FONT size=3>S<FONT><STRONG>ublime<STRONG><FONT size=3>H<FONT><STRONG>onest pro<EM><EM><FONT size=3><STRONG>T<STRONG><FONT>alented<STRONG><FONT size 0 Posted March 8, 2005 He won''t be leaving us if we go down, why would he when he''s only just found himself a house and is settling down?? He''ll be here next season, BUT if we don''t get promoted to the prem next season then he probably will leave for the prem. Ask yourselves one question, why the hell would the board splash out on over 3 million quid on a player to have him for just half a season??? Don''t you think that the thought of him being a fantastic championship player crept into their minds?? Thats because he''ll be crucial to our assault for promotion next season. If he goes i''ll eat my hat!!! Â Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kennyfoggo 0 Posted March 8, 2005 I remember Worthington''s words on or just after Deano signed, saying something close to this.."He (Deano) is not a short term fix but for the long term..." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites