John Hartson nearly signing for Rangers

[RossS1872]

We failed him cause he turned up looking like a tramp. Ronald De Boer with his knee made of rice paper passed a medical because we wanted him. We changed our mind of Hartson. That being said, he would have been infinitely better than Flo

 

[Jenners64]

And your point is?

Not everyone is on here 24/7

Don’t need to be on 24/7
They only need to be on a few times each year for the past 24 year

 

[walker2603]

I think there might be some David Murray hijinx at play on this one.

We don't sign Hartson on medical grounds for knee issues, but sign a player the same day who arguably had worse knees.

Still class Ronald de Boer 2002/03 as the best individual performance ever. Barry got all the awards, but de Boer deserved them.

This is my understanding.

I had the somewhat unique privilege of being one of the first to know he was having a medical but given I almost wiped him and the Dutch doctor out at the time with a big steel trolley in my first hospital job I had convinced myself it was Frank and not Ronald. Hartson was having his scans at the same time and on speaking to one of the radiologists afterwards he said Ronald’s knees were far worse. I don’t think we wanted to take the risk on both being crocks!

 

[GazzaLegend]

I really wanted him to sign for us at the time, that’s the honest truth for me anyway. He was a really good player and i would have expected him to do really well for us.

If the stories around his medical are true then that’s fair enough.
No medical exam is guaranteed and if the judgement on the night was that the risk was too high, then that’s just the way it goes, some you win, some you lose.

 

[Rev Paisley]

Bit of a controversial one this, as I was really excited when I heard we were signing him. He was a big beast (now now) of a player and I reckon that if it had happened it would have been an excellent signing.

Obviously it didn’t happen and he ended up signing for that mob and is an absolute cock of a guy.

How different it could have been.

What’s your thoughts on him nearly being one of us?

Khant

 

[blue sea of forgewood]

You must have been tripping then. Never happened

I always thought there was a pic of him and de Boer in Ibrox.
Can only find this one

 

[WrestlingMark]

The best one with Hartson was that he was one of the first players who had the full on hair transplant and then after it realised he was more ginger than normal and shaved his head and kept it shaved.

His coupon was on the back of the papers in adverts for the place when he had already shaved it

 

[Adelphi Rab R]

He was desperate to sign. Evidently still gutted he got a KB.

He'd have run riot for us. Totally opposite of who we ended up getting at double the price.

This.

 

[govanfront85]

One more on the Hartson issue.
If we really wanted that type of player, but Hartson simply failed the medical, why did we not try for similar before or after the failure.
None of the other players we were linked with during that time were similar.
I can’t remember who I’m thinking of here but I’ve been thinking this for over twenty years now.
Maybe Tristan

We were linked with Darko Kovacevic, Emile Mpenza, Raul Tamudo and as you've said, Diego Tristan around this time. Before settling on Flo

Edit. Think Serghi Rebrov too

 

[tazzabear]

We were linked with Darko Kovacevic, Emile Mpenza, Raul Tamudo and as you've said, Diego Tristan around this time. Before settling on Flo

Edit. Think Serghi Rebrov too

That was the main one I was thinking of, and couldn’t remember!

 

[tazzabear]

Flo was utter mince in Europe and against them, regularly dropped for big games before being sold at a 50% loss. He scored one in Old Firm games. Not sure how that compares to Hartson's hit rate.

Not sure we can spin this as a wise transfer choice tbh.

Not sure there are any metrics that’d make Flo look like a good signing.

 

[govanfront85]

That was the main one I was thinking of, and couldn’t remember!

Aye, think he was at Espanyol

 

[govanfront85]

Flo was utter mince in Europe and against them, regularly dropped for big games before being sold at a 50% loss. He scored one in Old Firm games. Not sure how that compares to Hartson's hit rate.

Not sure we can spin this as a wise transfer choice tbh.

Flo was a bad signing for the money, but the choice wasn't merely Flo or Hartson. There was better value out there but murray seemed to be desperate to break the £10m barrier.

At this time, I always thought Van Hooijdonk would've been a good fit, previous allegiances aside.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

I think you are rewriting history and quite badly-38 goals in 53 games? What big games was he regularly dropped for?

Flo's biggest problem was the fee... a section of the support have still never got over it-if he had came in when Advocaat's team was free flowing it could easily have been very different but as it was he arrived when we were on the back foot and injuries were incredible-he never played in that era's best set up.

I'll repeat again if we had have bought Hartson at the time we could have-he was constantly breaking down after his bad injury and played 12 games all season.

Flo was our top scorer all the time he was at the club.

He ended up benched for the biggest games - the games we paid 12 million for him to play him.

It was a ridiculous, ill-thought out signing. "Flo was actually alright" is one of the daftest takes on here.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

Kovacevic was only good with Nihat.

Tamudo seemed an odd fit. Didn't fancy it at all.

The best would have been Hasselbaink if Advocaat managed to pull it off. He would have been unreal.

 

[DylanGer]

He ended up benched for the biggest games - the games we paid 12 million for him to play him.

It was a ridiculous, ill-thought out signing. "Flo was actually alright" is one of the daftest takes on here.

When you consider our history of signings from the Murray era to now -what is actually one of the daftest takes is that Flo was some kind of uber flop he wasn’t.
He was our top goal scorer all the time he was here and he arrived just as the wheels were coming off the Advocaat era.
I asked for the big games he regularly missed and was quoted three yes not ideal but maybe he was alright

 

[DylanGer]

Not sure there are any metrics that’d make Flo look like a good signing.

Goals?

 

[Mr tangerineman]

Why are posters comparing Flo & Hartfud, they were bought nearly a year apart.
Nothing they've done since would convince me that we should have signed Hartson.
An absolute cock of a man that I've had the misfortune to meet and I don't know a single person who would suffer him if it wasn't for his illness.
Speak to any of his ex teammates and family.........
Total arse

 

[tazzabear]

Flo was a bad signing for the money, but the choice wasn't merely Flo or Hartson. There was better value out there but murray seemed to be desperate to break the £10m barrier.

At this time, I always thought Van Hooijdonk would've been a good fit, previous allegiances aside.

Met the big lad at the “Moat House” after our league clincher in 99.
He was at a table with Gough, Dougie Freedman and English player, Geoff Thomas.
PvH was very pleasant and almost humble.
Not the arrogant big m______ f_______ I’d expected
I’m certain he had the mindset and presence to make it work.

 

[Dabdog]

Cant stand him and hes an awful pundit but i wont kid on about him as a Celtic player he was successful and done Rangers plenty of damage i am sure at one point he had a record of scoring winners in league games against Rangers 3 in a row or something.

 

[tazzabear]

Goals?

No, not for me.

 

[Thommo2006]

Can't stand him now as he chats so much pish but would have been a great signing for us however if you gave me the choice between him and Ronald De Boer I'd take De Boer every time

 

[Lord Tom]

One more on the Hartson issue.
If we really wanted that type of player, but Hartson simply failed the medical, why did we not try for similar before or after the failure.
None of the other players we were linked with during that time were similar.
I can’t remember who I’m thinking of here but I’ve been thinking this for over twenty years now.
Maybe Tristan

Raul Tamudo, bud.

 

[Lord Tom]

25 years ago we didn't sign him because an MRI scan showed his knees were in very bad condition.

In recent years we have signed loads of players with terrible injury histories prior to joining us, we've wasted huge sums on the wages of crocks.

If 25 years ago we were so strict about Hatson's MRI scans where did it go wrong in recent years when we seem to sign any crock regardless of bad their injury history.

If we’d signed him and got it wrong?
Boom!

 

[SDF]

When you consider our history of signings from the Murray era to now -what is actually one of the daftest takes is that Flo was some kind of uber flop he wasn’t.
He was our top goal scorer all the time he was here and he arrived just as the wheels were coming off the Advocaat era.
I asked for the big games he regularly missed and was quoted three yes not ideal but maybe he was alright

The three I quoted were probably the three biggest games we played under McLeish when Flo was here. He was dropped for all of them.

By the start of the next season he started just one game out of the four before he left.

Our best team, our most attacking team didn't have the £12m striker who was meant to take us to the next level in it.

 

[MrStruth]

Should have been sent off in his first game. All the Scottish mhedia were all about how he deserves a chance and that the Refs should be fair with him.

Mike McCurry shat it from sending him off after two early rash tackles.

 

[VMS]

Was gutted when he failed the medical and went on to prove he would have been decent but he is a total prick

 

[prenzlauerbear]

When you consider our history of signings from the Murray era to now -what is actually one of the daftest takes is that Flo was some kind of uber flop he wasn’t.
He was our top goal scorer all the time he was here and he arrived just as the wheels were coming off the Advocaat era.
I asked for the big games he regularly missed and was quoted three yes not ideal but maybe he was alright

He actually was an uber flop in that he embodied the heedless largesse of the Murray era. Just a ridiculous signing really.

 

[Lord Tom]

Goals?

He scored goals, Taz.
Not enough in big games though.
His problem, and it wasn’t of his making, was his fee.
It became part of his name,
It couldn’t just be “Tore Andre Flo.
It had to be “£12m Tore Andre Flo” or “Tore Andre Flo, the £12m pound man.”

 

[Weedoddieno6]

I was gutted when we didn’t get him.

As has been posted it was weird that we went for him but never went for another player of that type, I certainly preferred him to flo

 

[RockyFlintstone]

Bit of a controversial one this, as I was really excited when I heard we were signing him. He was a big beast (now now) of a player and I reckon that if it had happened it would have been an excellent signing.

Obviously it didn’t happen and he ended up signing for that mob and is an absolute cock of a guy.

How different it could have been.

What’s your thoughts on him nearly being one of us?

He did alright for them but an absolute knob jockey.

 

[I've won the sweep]

Was their not a story probably rubbish. But there was something going around that he turned up an absolute mess, possibly steaming. And we blew it off and called it a failed medical to do him a favour.

I was about to post the same. Apparentley he downed a few glasses of wine, on the flight up, and it instantly showed up during his medical.

 

[DarthVader]

With medicals and fitness tests, it's a matter of judgement and a risk assessment rather than a binary pass and fail.

The upside of RdB was far greater than the upside of Hartson.

I seem to remember someone say he rocked up at Ibrox for his medical in his Wales tracksuit and reeking of booze?

Anyway, he's a fat prick and I'm glad he never got to wear our jersey. A thug who kicked a teammate in the head FFS.

 

[Vallance]

Sometimes things just work out for the best..... him not at Rangers is one of them.

 

[Robert1872]

That was the story, I think most fans were excited at the time and he was a decent goal scorer.

He's have done very well for us too, bit silly people questioning if he would tbh, he might be a prick, well not might, he is a prick, he was a good player though.

 

[Vallance]

I always thought there was a pic of him and de Boer in Ibrox.
Can only find this one

As Jim Bowen once said " Here's what you could have won"
I could never quite put my finger on it why i don't quite like the Welsh..... then Hartson appeared.

 

[Biniaro11]

Who gives a toss about him or the shite he regurgitates.

 

[Otis Blue]

Imagine having that clown as an ex player popping up in the media associated with us. An absolute embarrassment.

 

[govanfront85]

Why are posters comparing Flo & Hartfud, they were bought nearly a year apart.
Nothing they've done since would convince me that we should have signed Hartson.
An absolute cock of a man that I've had the misfortune to meet and I don't know a single person who would suffer him if it wasn't for his illness.
Speak to any of his ex teammates and family.........
Total arse

We were in for Hartson end of August 2000, signed Flo November 2000. That's why, we were after a striker and ended up with Flo.

 

[Loud and proud]

Glad he never signed for us, he’s an absolute throbber.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

With medicals and fitness tests, it's a matter of judgement and a risk assessment rather than a binary pass and fail.

The upside of RdB was far greater than the upside of Hartson.

I seem to remember someone say he rocked up at Ibrox for his medical in his Wales tracksuit and reeking of booze?

Anyway, he's a fat prick and I'm glad he never got to wear our jersey. A thug who kicked a teammate in the head FFS.

I can remember the chat of him being absolutely reeking of the swally. Quite sure there was talk he was given free rein the night before on Rangers tab wherever he was staying and ended up getting rubber. Could be bullshit obviously but it was definitely getting spoke about at the time or just after.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

He played 35 games the season we were going to sign him. He played 42 the following season for that lot.

I'm sure both him and Tamudo scored in the first games back for their clubs after we knocked them back

Tamudo knocked us back im sure. One of those players who didn’t want to leave his home basically

 

[Bluefin221]

He was a very good player for them. O'Neill had Advocaat's team sussed and he recruited a big physical group of players for that task. Alex McLeish recognised that when he became our manager and addressed the physicality imbalance.

Alex McLeish addressed the physicality imbalance (whatever that is) by using the same group of players?

 

[Bluesboy81]

We tried to sign him and De Boer at the same time if i remember... thankfully the right player failed his medical

 

[SDF]

Tamudo knocked us back im sure. One of those players who didn’t want to leave his home basically

He didn't want to leave Espanyol but they were in such bad shape financially he was told if he didn't leave the players couldn't get paid. So aye, tears at leaving Espanyol but he was coming to sign for us.

But Tamudo failed a medical. Our doctor at the time insisted he needed a knee operation immediately which Tamudo and Espanyol said he didn't so the deal fell through. Tamudo played two nights later for Espanyol in Europe and scored.

Of course Tamudo went on to play another 300 games in the next decade for Espanyol without the operation.

Espanyol fans named a supporters club after our doctor.

 

[Cooper1234512]

Why was he failing medicals ? Was it his knees or just his fitness?

 

[DylanGer]

Why was he failing medicals ? Was it his knees or just his fitness?

I think at the time the real problem was the scar tissue associated with his knee operation.
Which meant when Celtic did their medical almost a year later it was a different picture.

Thats what I remember from the time

 

[Shengus Malengus]

If he had signed for us , he would have turned out a totally different person, the poets corrupt decent people

You can’t do anything about a lack of intelligence.

I should know.

 

[devilman]

Glad he didn't sign for us. One of the biggest gimps in football. Actively getting thicker each year as well.

 

[bullen an la]

He

Was it correct that he failed the medical? I know we’d had our fingers burned with a few injury prone players shortly before, but I don’t recall him being injured that much when he played with the filth.

He Wasn't getting kicked off the park
Would have been different if he played for us