SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009 THE DAILY ECHO 4 C M Y K Saints spotlight RICKIE Lambert has a shot you wouldn’t want to get in the way of. And on top of a this he has tremendous close control, plays well with the ball to his feet, is a key man in the air in both penalty areas, scores from set pieces, can be a target man and also acts well as a linkman for other players. Oh, and he is a fantastic finisher. On the whole, Saints have signed a player who has proved he will score goals at League One level. With those attributes you may well expect Lambert to have played at the highest level. In fact, the opposite is true. At 27 he is now coming into his prime after trawl- ing through the lower leagues. As a schoolboy Lambert was on the books at his boy- hood idols, Liverpool. But after being released it took him a while to find his feet in the professional game. He made little impact at first club Blackpool, who released him after his traineeship. His star first began to rise in the north-west at Macclesfield Town. True potential He was the Cheshire club’s first player to score a hat-trick since they achieved promotion to the Football League in 1997. After just two seasons such performances earned him a record £300,000 move to county neighbours Stockport County. The true potential of the 6ft 2in Scouser began to show at Edgeley Park. He finished the 2003/04 campaign as both top scor- er and player of the season. But, when Lambert fell out of favour with manag- er Chris Turner, he soon moved to Rochdale, where he scored just under a goal every other game, before moving south to Bristol Rovers in 2006. And it is at the Gas that he really came to the fore. He more than justified his £200,000 price tag, improv- ing his goal tally in each of his three seasons at the Memorial Stadium. Last season was the pin- nacle of his career so far, finishing joint top scorer in the Football League, grab- bing 29 goals alongside Swindon’s Simon Cox. Cox completed a big money move to West Brom last month, whereas Lambert started the season at Rovers. But why were there no bids? One reason: pace. “The reason he didn’t go anywhere sooner is because of a perceived lack of pace,” said Chris Swift, Rovers’ reporter for the Bristol Evening Post. “By his own admission, he is not quick, but he is a good player. “For a big bloke he has got tremendous close con- trol. “He is not your typical lump target man.” The only enquiry made over the summer came from Huddersfield Town, but it never got as far as a bid – the Terriers chair- man, Dean Hoyle, claiming he was too old and too expensive. Hoyle said: “A move for Lambert is a no-no. No dis- respect to a very good play- er, but it’s a simple matter of economics. “Any deal would cost a minimum of £750,000 plus add-ons for a player who is 27 and who would want a three-year contract. “Even if he scored 30 goals a season for those three years, by the time the contract is at an end, the player would be 30, and therefore there would be little or no resale value. “That means that even before meeting wage demands, the signing would cost £5,000 a week, and this club cannot do that kind of business. “If Rickie Lambert was 22 or 23, it would be a different matter, but he’s not.” Alan Pardew obviously disagrees. Lambert will bring more than just his football to Saints. He is fairly quietly spoken, not a big mouth, but he leads by example. And in a team that showed a chronic lack of leadership last season, Lambert seems the perfect addition. ONLY two strikers have scored more goals in a League Two season in the past ten years than Rickie Lambert fired last season. Lambert and Simon Cox both struck 29 times in the league, though it was Leeds’ Jermaine Beckford and Leicester’s Matt Fryatt (who both scored two fewer) who grabbed most of the headlines. Only Robert Earnshaw and Billy Sharp have netted more in a third tier campaign since the start of the 1999/2000 cam- paign. Welsh international Earnshaw fired 31 goals for Cardiff in 2002/03, one more than Scunthorpe forward Sharp managed in 2006/07. Here are the third tier’s top league marksman for the last decade ... 2008/2009 Rickie Lambert (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .29 Simon Cox (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Jermaine Beckford (Leeds) . . . . . . . .27 Matt Fryatt (Leicester) . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Gary Hooper (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . .24 Craig Mackail-Smith (Pboro) . . . . . . .23 2007/2008 Jason Scotland (Swansea) . . . . . . . .24 Jermaine Beckford (Leeds) . . . . . . . .20 Nicky Forster (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . . .15 Nicky Maynard (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . .15 Rickie Lambert (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .14 Joe Garner (Carlisle) . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Danny Graham (Carlisle) . . . . . . . . . .14 Steven Gillespie (Cheltenham) . . . . .14 Adam Boyd (Hartlepool) . . . . . . . . . . .14 Simon Cox (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .14 2006/2007 Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . . .30 Leon Constantine (Port Vale) . . . . . . .22 Chris Porter (Oldham) . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Lee Trundle (Swansea) . . . . . . . . . . .19 Luke Varney (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Chris Greenacre (Tranmere) . . . . . . .17 2005/2006 Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . . .23 Freddy Eastwood (Southend) . . . . . .23 James Hayter (Cherries) . . . . . . . . . .20 Lee Trundle (Swansea) . . . . . . . . . . .20 Luke Beckett (Oldham) . . . . . . . . . . .18 2004/2005 Dean Windass (Bradford) . . . . . . . . .27 Stuart Elliott (Hull) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Pawel Abbott (Huddersfield) . . . . . . .26 Leroy Lita (Bristol City) . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Adam Boyd (Hartlepool) . . . . . . . . . . .22 Steve Brooker (Bristol City) . . . . . . . .21 James Hayter (Cherries) . . . . . . . . . .19 2003/2004 Leon Knight (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Stephen McPhee (Port Vale) . . . . . . .25 Paul Heffernan (Notts Co) . . . . . . . . .20 Tommy Mooney (Swindon) . . . . . . . .19 Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .19 2002/2003 Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff) . . . . . . . . .31 Luke Beckett (Stockport) . . . . . . . . . .27 Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Mark Stallard (Notts Co) . . . . . . . . . . .24 Rob Hulse (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Steve Howard (Luton) . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Simon Haworth (Tranmere) . . . . . . . .20 2001/2002 Bobby Zamora (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . .28 Lloyd Owusu (Brentford) . . . . . . . . . .20 Andy Liddell (Wigan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 2000/2001 Jamie Cureton (Reading) . . . . . . . . . .27 Neil Harris (Millwall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Martin Butler (Reading) . . . . . . . . . . .24 Mark Robins (Rotherham) . . . . . . . . .24 Tony Thorpe (Bristol City) . . . . . . . . .19 1999/2000 Andy Payton (Burnley) . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Neil Harris (Millwall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Peter Thorne (Stoke) . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Jon Macken (Preston) . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Jason Roberts (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .22 Jamie Cureton (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .22 Trevor Benjamin (Cambridge U) . . . .20 WELCOME: Alan Pardew greets new arrival Rickie Lambert. How Rickie stepped on Gas when in Bristol By Simon Peach [email protected] For up-to-the-minute sport – dailyecho.co.uk Lam u p with best of the last decade ROB EARNSHAW MATT Le Tissier officially launches his autobiography ‘Taking Le Tiss’ at St Mary’s next Thursday. The Daily Echo and Pink will be running exclusive extracts from the eagerly-awaited book (pub- lished by HarperSport priced £18.99) towards the end of next week. In the book Le Tissier talks at length about his whole Saints career – on and off the pitch – as well as revealing what he really thinks about characters such as Glenn Hoddle and Rupert Lowe. The book – written with the help of former Daily Echo reporter Graham Hiley – is brought bang up to date with the final chapter detailing Le Tissier’s involvement in the Pinnacle takeover deal that col- lapsed prior to Markus Liebherr’s arrival. The Echo has teamed up with Harper to offer three lucky read- ers a superb prize. Just by answering a simple question, you could be amongst the first in the queue to get your FREE copy of ‘Taking Le Tiss’ autographed by Le Tissier at the Saints Megastore at the stadium. Question: In what year did Matt Le Tissier score the final league goal at The Dell? All you have to do is email your answer and your name, address and daytime contact number to [email protected] by midnight on Sunday, August 16. The book’s official launch takes place at 12.30pm at St Mary’s next Thursday. If you can’t get there, Le Tissier will be at WH Smith in Above Bar next Friday (12.30pm) and also at Waterstone’s in Festival Place, Basingstoke (4.30pm) the same day. WIN a free copy of Matt Le Tissier’s autobiography and the chance to meet him!
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009THE DAILY ECHO4
C
MYK
Saints spotlight
RICKIE Lamberthas a shot youwouldn’t want toget in the way of.
And on top of a this he hastremendous close control,plays well with the ball tohis feet, is a key man in theair in both penalty areas,scores from set pieces, canbe a target man and alsoacts well as a linkman forother players.
Oh, and he is a fantasticfinisher.
On the whole, Saints havesigned a player who hasproved he will score goalsat League One level.
With those attributes youmay well expect Lambert tohave played at the highestlevel.
In fact, the opposite istrue.
At 27 he is now cominginto his prime after trawl-ing through the lowerleagues.
As a schoolboy Lambertwas on the books at his boy-hood idols, Liverpool. Butafter being released it tookhim a while to find his feetin the professional game.
He made little impact atfirst club Blackpool, whoreleased him after histraineeship.
His star first began to risein the north-west atMacclesfield Town.
True potential
He was the Cheshireclub’s first player to score ahat-trick since theyachieved promotion to theFootball League in 1997.
After just two seasonssuch performances earnedhim a record £300,000 moveto county neighboursStockport County.
The true potential of the6ft 2in Scouser began toshow at Edgeley Park.
He finished the 2003/04campaign as both top scor-er and player of the season.
But, when Lambert fellout of favour with manag-er Chris Turner, he soonmoved to Rochdale, wherehe scored just under a goalevery other game, beforemoving south to BristolRovers in 2006.
And it is at the Gas thathe really came to the fore.
He more than justified his£200,000 price tag, improv-ing his goal tally in each ofhis three seasons at theMemorial Stadium.
Last season was the pin-nacle of his career so far,finishing joint top scorer inthe Football League, grab-bing 29 goals alongsideSwindon’s Simon Cox.
Cox completed a bigmoney move to West Bromlast month, whereasLambert started the seasonat Rovers.
But why were there nobids?
One reason: pace.“The reason he didn’t go
anywhere sooner isbecause of a perceived lackof pace,” said Chris Swift,
Rovers’ reporter for theBristol Evening Post.
“By his own admission,he is not quick, but he is agood player.
“For a big bloke he hasgot tremendous close con-trol.
“He is not your typicallump target man.”
The only enquiry madeover the summer camefrom Huddersfield Town,but it never got as far as abid – the Terriers chair-man, Dean Hoyle, claiminghe was too old and tooexpensive.
Hoyle said: “A move forLambert is a no-no. No dis-respect to a very good play-er, but it’s a simple matterof economics.
“Any deal would cost aminimum of £750,000 plusadd-ons for a player who is27 and who would want athree-year contract.
“Even if he scored 30goals a season for thosethree years, by the time thecontract is at an end, theplayer would be 30, andtherefore there would belittle or no resale value.
“That means that evenbefore meeting wagedemands, the signingwould cost £5,000 a week,and this club cannot dothat kind of business.
“If Rickie Lambert was 22or 23, it would be a differentmatter, but he’s not.”
Alan Pardew obviouslydisagrees.
Lambert will bring morethan just his football toSaints. He is fairly quietlyspoken, not a big mouth,but he leads by example.
And in a team thatshowed a chronic lack ofleadership last season,Lambert seems the perfectaddition.
ONLY two strikers have scoredmore goals in a League Twoseason in the past ten yearsthan Rickie Lambert fired lastseason.
Lambert and Simon Cox bothstruck 29 times in the league,though it was Leeds’ JermaineBeckford and Leicester’s MattFryatt (who both scored twofewer) who grabbed most ofthe headlines.
Only Robert Earnshaw andBilly Sharp have netted more ina third tier campaign since thestart of the 1999/2000 cam-paign.
Welsh international Earnshawfired 31 goals for Cardiff in2002/03, one more thanScunthorpe forward Sharpmanaged in 2006/07.
Here are the third tier’s topleague marksman for the lastdecade ...
2008/2009Rickie Lambert (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .29Simon Cox (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .29Jermaine Beckford (Leeds) . . . . . . . .27Matt Fryatt (Leicester) . . . . . . . . . . . .27Gary Hooper (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . .24Craig Mackail-Smith (Pboro) . . . . . . .23
2007/2008Jason Scotland (Swansea) . . . . . . . .24Jermaine Beckford (Leeds) . . . . . . . .20Nicky Forster (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . . .15Nicky Maynard (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . .15Rickie Lambert (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .14Joe Garner (Carlisle) . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Danny Graham (Carlisle) . . . . . . . . . .14Steven Gillespie (Cheltenham) . . . . .14Adam Boyd (Hartlepool) . . . . . . . . . . .14Simon Cox (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .14
2006/2007Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . . .30Leon Constantine (Port Vale) . . . . . . .22Chris Porter (Oldham) . . . . . . . . . . . .21Lee Trundle (Swansea) . . . . . . . . . . .19Luke Varney (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Chris Greenacre (Tranmere) . . . . . . .17
2005/2006Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe) . . . . . . . . . .23Freddy Eastwood (Southend) . . . . . .23James Hayter (Cherries) . . . . . . . . . .20Lee Trundle (Swansea) . . . . . . . . . . .20Luke Beckett (Oldham) . . . . . . . . . . .18
2004/2005Dean Windass (Bradford) . . . . . . . . .27Stuart Elliott (Hull) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Pawel Abbott (Huddersfield) . . . . . . .26Leroy Lita (Bristol City) . . . . . . . . . . . .24Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .23Adam Boyd (Hartlepool) . . . . . . . . . . .22
Steve Brooker (Bristol City) . . . . . . . .21James Hayter (Cherries) . . . . . . . . . .19
2003/2004Leon Knight (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . . . .25Stephen McPhee (Port Vale) . . . . . . .25Paul Heffernan (Notts Co) . . . . . . . . .20Tommy Mooney (Swindon) . . . . . . . .19Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .19
2002/2003Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff) . . . . . . . . .31Luke Beckett (Stockport) . . . . . . . . . .27Sam Parkin (Swindon) . . . . . . . . . . . .25Mark Stallard (Notts Co) . . . . . . . . . . .24Rob Hulse (Crewe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Steve Howard (Luton) . . . . . . . . . . . .22Simon Haworth (Tranmere) . . . . . . . .20
2001/2002Bobby Zamora (Brighton) . . . . . . . . . .28
Lloyd Owusu (Brentford) . . . . . . . . . .20Andy Liddell (Wigan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
2000/2001Jamie Cureton (Reading) . . . . . . . . . .27Neil Harris (Millwall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Martin Butler (Reading) . . . . . . . . . . .24Mark Robins (Rotherham) . . . . . . . . .24Tony Thorpe (Bristol City) . . . . . . . . .19
1999/2000Andy Payton (Burnley) . . . . . . . . . . . .27Neil Harris (Millwall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Peter Thorne (Stoke) . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Jon Macken (Preston) . . . . . . . . . . . .22Jason Roberts (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .22Jamie Cureton (B Rovers) . . . . . . . . .22Trevor Benjamin (Cambridge U) . . . .20
WELCOME: Alan Pardew greets new arrival Rickie Lambert.
How Rickie stepped onGas when in Bristol
By Simon [email protected] up-to-the-minute sport – dailyecho.co.uk
Lam up withbest of thelast decade
ROB EARNSHAW
MATT Le Tissier officiallylaunches his autobiography‘Taking Le Tiss’ at St Mary’s nextThursday.
The Daily Echo and Pink will berunning exclusive extracts fromthe eagerly-awaited book (pub-lished by HarperSport priced£18.99) towards the end of nextweek.
In the book Le Tissier talks atlength about his whole Saintscareer – on and off the pitch – aswell as revealing what he reallythinks about characters such asGlenn Hoddle and Rupert Lowe.
The book – written with thehelp of former Daily Echoreporter Graham Hiley – is
brought bang up to date with thefinal chapter detailing LeTissier’s involvement in thePinnacle takeover deal that col-lapsed prior to MarkusLiebherr’s arrival.
The Echo has teamed up withHarper to offer three lucky read-
ers a superb prize.Just by answering a simple
question, you could be amongstthe first in the queue to get yourFREE copy of ‘Taking Le Tiss’autographed by Le Tissier at theSaints Megastore at the stadium.
Question: In what year didMatt Le Tissier score thefinal league goal at TheDell?
All you have to do is email youranswer and your name, addressand daytime contact number [email protected] bymidnight on Sunday, August 16.
The book’s official launch takesplace at 12.30pm at St Mary’s nextThursday.
If you can’t get there, Le Tissierwill be at WH Smith in Above Barnext Friday (12.30pm) and also atWaterstone’s in Festival Place,Basingstoke (4.30pm) the sameday.
WIN a free copy of Matt LeTissier’s autobiography andthe chance to meet him!
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