My time at…Hull City. Part 1. Dodgy agents and the lure of the KC.

 

My contract At Northampton Town was in it’s final year. Terry Fenwick had just taken over and there was a feeling that there was going to be a few big changes at Sixfields.

Immediately Fenwick changed the formation to a 4-3-3 formation. In what proved to be Fenwick’s first, and my last game, I was to play wide left away at Blackpool. I did not get a touch all afternoon. Andy Turner, a massive favourite of Fenwick’s from his days at Portsmouth, signed at around that time too. I was one of the biggest earners at Northampton Town at that time and it was obvious that if I was off the wage bill then he could bring in some other players.

At the turn of the year legally I was free to talk to other clubs so I sent a fax off to all lower league clubs in the hope of some interest. I needed to look at my own interests and if I was going to be out of favour under a new manager then I needed some options.

I received phone calls from a few managers. This was at the time when most clubs were struggling financially as the collapse of ITV Digital was fresh in everybody’s minds. Hull City were viewed as a club going places at that time. With Adam Pearson putting his money where his mouth were and Peter Taylor the manager made their interest very appealing indeed. The KC Stadium had recently been finished so this was something that I was very excited about.

Around this time I received a call from the agent who helped in my move from Scunthorpe United to FC Utrecht. He was now working in the UK. Adam Pearson thought that he was still representing me and contacted him to see how the land lied. Officially I had no agent at that time but thought it would help if he conducted negotiations on my behalf so I gave him the go-ahead to do so. I had trusted this agent from my time in Holland and thought that we were friends.

As negotiations continued I felt that things were stalling slightly. Peter Taylor rung me to see what was happening and I quickly told him what I wanted and that if they could meet it then I would sign straight away. Northampton had officially given me the green light to talk so I was doing nothing wrong. This was agreed pretty much there and then with Peter so I was up to Hull for a medical and to sign on the dotted line.

Before I drove up from Northampton to Hull I was called by the agent. He proceeded to tell me that Hull City and Adam Pearson were not playing ball and had said that they were not going to pay the agent fee and that because of that he wanted me to pay it.  Most agents fees were paid by the club so this was alarming news. Something didn’t add up. Luckily I was experienced enough to call Adam Pearson to seek confirmation of this when he told me that he had just sent a cheque off to the agent for his services. Incredible. He was trying to get a slice from both of us. To top that, I had done the main negotiating. I was stunned.Anyway, I signed the contract and have not spoken to him since.

My home debut was at home to York City……..

Thanks to UKSOCCERSHOP who have kindly sponsored this blog