With just under four weeks to go until the start of the new League One season, we launch our final poll of the summer in which we ask you what you think about one of the most controversial departures of the summer from the Rovers squad when Steve Davies left to join Derby County.
Site Poll: Has Steve Davies Cheated the Club?
For our final site poll of the summer, we ask you to make your mind up on possibly the biggest talking point of the close-season - the departure of winger Steve Davies to Championship side Derby County.
Many fans see Davies as a traitor for moving so soon after recovering from a long-term injury which kept him out for most of last season but others can see his way of thinking and feel that he needed to move to further his career.
Davies Left Prenton Park for Derby in the Summer
So the question is what is your view? ‘Has Steve Davies Cheated the Club' by moving to Derby County or was he right to make the move at this time in his career? Do you feel he owed anything to Tranmere following his injury?
To vote in the poll, simply locate it on any of the pages of this Site, usually at the bottom of the left hand menu or at the bottom of the Site Homepage and submit your vote.
We will bring the results a few weeks time and later on today we will bring you the results of our Robbie Stockdale poll which has been running for the past three weeks so stay tuned for that.
Why not also discuss the subject matter of this poll on our Message Forums to further cement your views.
Personally I think he had every right to further his career but as many people don't agree, I thought this topic would be intersting as our latest poll!
It tends to leave a bitter taste in the mouth when young players walk away from smaller clubs without them getting the benefit of a transfer fee.
Its more about how the players leave than them actually going. We all understand that the likes of Ian Hume, Ryan Taylor and Jason Koumas would at some point move on, however all 3 signed contracts that ensured Tranmere got the correct market value and they played enough games to develop themselves beyond the "potential" stage.
Davies could well find himself kicking around in the Pontins League next season rather than gracing the Championship, and I don't think many Rovers fans would sympathise if the move doesn't quite make him the superstar he thinks hes going to be.
Given that his brief time in the spotlight came because RM kept faith with him and played him rather than bringing in a fresh face when Ellison left, and given that we have then nursed him back to fitness after a serious injury, it would have been nice to see a little loyalty in return.
IMO hes a very good player with plenty of rough edges, and more experience at our level would have done him good. I wish him well, but wouldn't be entirely surprised if his career stalls for a year or two.
Cheated implied he left illegally or in some way decieved the club. He has done nothing of the sort. The club knew full well he was going to leave and he had every right to do so. Time to move on.
Of course he has cheated the club who gave him his chance in life. There is no debate to be had, he has shown the same amount of commitment as Sean Thornton, to make the issue worse Davies didnt even have the decency to give a public statement - the news was broke to the club when someone saw it on the Derby website. He lacks basic manners and I wish him the worst of luck at his new team.
A mate of mine plays in the welsh league and he told mr davies was going to derby and his wages he had been offered before the northampton game so he used us
too right he has cheated the club we paid for years of his development and brought him through the ranks but in the end he got too big for his boots and believed he was a better player than he really is. Ronnie and the club kept faith in him when ellison was sold to chester and again after his injury so the least he could have done was show the club a bit of respect and loyalty and re-sign for at least a year.He didnt want to be at the club that made him the player he is and i dont want players like him at our club who dont want to play for the shirt and the fans who gave him so much backing. Good riddance!
If we dont get 500K from the tribunal it is the club and manager who have cheated the supporters.
Leeds offered 500K, Davies made it clear he was not going to sign a new contract, yet they decided to keep him.
Just as happened with Gareth Roberts.
I can see why you're annoyed not to get a decent transfer fee for Davies, but I think he's definitely making the right career move. At Derby the only other competition for the left wing spot is from Eddie Lewis. I think Davies will be a regular starter, providing he performs.
He played last night against Burton Albion and apparently scored a cracker!
This is taken from the 'other'message board but from what i've been told ALL of the information is TRUE. This person obviously knows Davo so I very much doubt he could have made such a detailed description of the circumstances.
'I thought everyone had got over him but obviosly not,so I will endeavour to put a few things straight. He asked for a valuation to be put on him last July/August to protect the club from what eventually happened. This was between 400,000 and 600,000 , she wanted 800,000,and no sizeable increment in his wages. When Leeds came in for him he was never informed of the offer{500k} Consequently the evening before the Yeovil game he didnt know if he was coming or going literally. RM had in formed his agent{not me}that if someone had offered 300k he would drive him their himself,so why didnt they take the offer of 500k? After the Yeovil game and as we know he scored a cracker, he just kept his head down and tried his best{which I think most would agree with}. His form if anything picked up a level,and then suddenly the injury after his car crash ,the devastation was unbelievable within his family,friends and colleagues. The following 4/5 months were hard ,very hard and believe me without Les Parry ne wouldnt of done it. At no time did the chairman or manager offer any morale support not even in hospital{she did phone him once when Les reported that he had a bad night post op}. This I know hurt him and his family and team mates, it wasnt until he neared fitness that they bothered at all,obviously concious his contract was coming to an end.In late March he was summond to RMs office and asked of his intentions he told him to his face? The next day after training the request was made again but this time M.Horton was present and he repeated his desire to move on at the end of the season. He continued his re hab determined to help in the play offs, he recieved offers but his decision was final and their was no turning back. I would also like to point out he tried his very best at all times for the club, and was very upset the way he has been portrayed in the media . He so much wanted to be at the game on Saturday to see all his mates at the club, even driving straight home after returning from Holland with Derby but,was persuaded not to turn up by what the census of opinion on here was like. He, I know has very fond memories of his time here, but for his own sake he had to move on. But he always put his utmust into his game while wearing the Tranmere shirt,and will always be proud to say he played for TRANMERE.'
even before reading that i wouldnt say he cheated the club!!
he has been made a scape goat for the clubs error!
i am a ronnie backer, but i dont like hearing silly comments like 'for 300k i would drive him there myself'. many times people on this site have commented on players ronnie has said he rates, and doesnt rate to them in person, and this sort of thing is unproffessional and un-needed
Could you imagine Ronnie Moore saying that - 'for 300k i would drive him there myself' about one of his players? Surely the other players would want to leave and players wouldnt want to come
I think if he's going to leave then fair enough - but it is only fair that he notifies the club - Tranmere could of missed out on a good left winger because they were unsure whether he had found a new club or not.
"The next day after training the request was made again but this time M.Horton was present and he repeated his desire to move on at the end of the season."
Well from what I was told, and this is for a fact, Davo told the club of his intentions to leave in March as the statement says.
'In late March he was summond to RMs office and asked of his intentions and he told him to his face? The next day after training the request was made again but this time M.Horton was present and he repeated his desire to move on at the end of the season.'
I also know that, Les Parry apart who I beleive was brilliant with Davo, the club simply left him to recover himself and only contacted him once his contract was nearing the end as they realised he would go for near nothing.
As much as I said above that he a right to further his career by leaving, it's a FACT that whilst stll injured he slagged the Club off endlessly so he must hardly have been proud to play for us reallyat the end of the day.
He left for a better career and more money but instead of just saying that he is trying to screw the Club's reputation to make him look innocent.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:07:18:22:37:06 by Deadly Submarine.
I had an alcohol induced thought last night which got me thinking a little, people at the moment are fairly evenly split on whether Davies has cheated the club or not at a glance here and on the other message board. However, put this thought into context, supposing Davies has a fantastic start to the season, he's scoring goals for Derby, he's creating chances for his team mates, in the January transfer window a premier league club comes in for him and pays Derby 5 million (the going rate for a young Championship player with potential), Rovers get nothing, Derby get 5 million for 6 months of his contract - how has Davies not cheated the club, how has the trubunal system possibly been fair, what is the point bringing young players through only for the bigger teams to get the rewards both financially and on the pitch? This is exactly the sort of scenario I can see happening and there is no protection for the smaller clubs in the footballing pyramid in my opinion regardless of how Davies's feelings might have been hurt by the club and LR. The club has lost out big time on Davies, partly down to Lorraine but in my opinion down to a youngster being ill informed by a greedy agent. Ultimately though, my opinion is the Davies has cheated the club.
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