Source: FOOTYMAD
It was the deal of the century
It was August 2007 and it was a double transfer no one could quite believe as we sold one central defender to Southampton and brought another in from Watford. Now both those players look to be on the move again. We'd won our opening game of the season against promotion favourites West Brom with Wayne Thomas and captain Steven Caldwell in the centre of defence. That had looked a good partnership at the end of the previous season during the late recovery but Thomas had not enjoyed a particularly successfully two years at Turf Moor. That win against West Brom proved to be his last game for the club. Southampton were interested in signing him and had offered in the region of £150,000 for him. Whatever the initial reaction to that at Turf Moor was, the simple fact is that Thomas wanted to go and we were forced into some team building just days into the new season. Steve Cotterill told chairman Barry Kilby that he'd let him go but he'd get over a million for him from George Burley, not a manager he was particularly fond of. In an amazing few days he forced Southampton's hand, upwards and upwards, until they incredibly parted with £1.2 million. That enabled him to bring in Clarke Carlisle for £200,000. Carlisle's a better player than Thomas; he cost a sixth of what we'd got for Thomas, and that has to go down as one of the best pieces of business we've done in many a year. Thomas moved from Southampton to Doncaster. He was released by Donny at the end of last season and just yesterday news broke of a move to Greece. He has not, as reported in some places, signed for any club but is currently on trial with Atromitos FC. He is there on the recommendations of Stoke's Salif Diao and will be looking to impress manager Giorgos Donis. The Greek club have confirmed that he will remain on trial until Donis has made a decision. And that takes us to Carlisle who has been linked with a move to Preston. He's believed to be in talks with our League One Lancashire rivals and could make the move as early as next week. Clarke lost his place after the Bristol City defeat last season and made just one substitute appearance after that in the home win against Middlesbrough. Neither player has moved anywhere yet, but that could all change in the next few days for both of them.
