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Just wondered if anyone knew what was happening with regards to Mark Ellis and his delay in signing a contract. The last I heard ML was confident that things would be wrapped up in a couple of weeks. I also understand that his Dad (Who sits just in front of us in the family stand) has now got him an agent and he clearly thinks Mark can get a better deal.

I think ME is a great player, don't get me wrong. I also think it is inevitable that he will move to a larger club at some point given his performances for us this season. However, I do not like the fact that players / agents can hold out on signing new contracts in an attempt to hold the club to some kind of ransom or even to instil a bidding war.

Personally, I would make a good offer to ME and then tell him the offer is only on the table for x days/weeks at which point a decision must be made. I certainly don't want another Buckle scenario whereby he waits for a better offer and leaves us in the mire after pledging loyalty to the club. It seems to me like he is simply waiting for a better offer which he knows will come and given he is out of contract this will make him more of an attractive proposition.

I just wish there was some honesty in football and players / agents stop messing clubs and fans around!!

Off the soapbox now! - What do we all think?

Mark Ellis will not be out of contract until the summer. Although negotiations have no doubt been going on, there is no urgency, and I reckon he and the club have rightly been focussing more on getting promotion to League One.

In any case, he will be under twenty-four years old, so the Bosnan free transfer rule will not apply if he does leave the club.

That said, he has reportedly indicated that he wants to commit to Torquay United, I'm sure Mark is perfectly open and honest about it all and there's nothing wrong with him wanting to secure the best possible deal for himself, particularly if the club is promoted.

Think about it from ME's point of view, would you rather sign a contract now, as a League 2 first team player and gain another £400 a week, or wait a couple months and sign a contract as a League 1 first team player and gain another £800 a week. I don't blame him for one second for delaying signing...

cambgull wrote:Think about it from ME's point of view, would you rather sign a contract now, as a League 2 first team player and gain another £400 a week, or wait a couple months and sign a contract as a League 1 first team player and gain another £800 a week. I don't blame him for one second for delaying signing...

agreed - plus you can guarantee that he's going to be busting a gut to get us up.

Spot on Cambgull. I may be being over positive but I'd like to think there's an element of wanting to be loyal in there too, as he probably could step up a league for next season, but would rather do it with us, so will wait until he knows what's going on.

tauntongull wrote: I also understand that his Dad (Who sits just in front of us in the family stand) has now got him an agent and he clearly thinks Mark can get a better deal.

Right I asked Mark and his dad yesterday about this agent business and they both said they read this absolute bullsh1t and it was so untrue it`s unbelievable! Please refrain from making stuff up or refrain from passing on other peoples lies!

Aussie wrote: Right I asked Mark and his dad yesterday about this agent business and they both said they read this absolute bullsh1t and it was so untrue it`s unbelievable! Please refrain from making stuff up or refrain from passing on other peoples lies!

He can only pass on what he's heard and wouldn't know whether it was bullsh*t or not, would he? That's usually how rumours work.

At the Bristol Rovers match there was a scout from Sunderland sat just behind me.
He was friendly but would not comment on who he was watching.
There can't be too many that Sunderland would be interested in but Mark would probably be the most likely IMO.
There again he might of been watching a Rovers player.

O'Kane would have been my guess, WHG.

I've always wondered a) when these things come up why there is always a scout from Sunderland in the stands and b) how does the conversation strike up between the fan and the said Sunderland scout?

Fan - 'Hi there, should be a good game today'
Scout - 'I'm a scout from Sunderland and am only here to watch potential recruits'

Jimmy Hill......or BS for the non 80's children out there.

I've always wondered this too, numpte. I'd have thought scouts would try to keep themselves fairly low key and try to not reveal who they are.

numpte wrote:I've always wondered a) when these things come up why there is always a scout from Sunderland in the stands and b) how does the conversation strike up between the fan and the said Sunderland scout?

Fan - 'Hi there, should be a good game today'
Scout - 'I'm a scout from Sunderland and am only here to watch potential recruits'

Jimmy Hill......or BS for the non 80's children out there.

Yep, I am off to buy a sunderland jacket, and do some scouting To be honest thier is nothing new in premier league scouts going around top League 1,2 match's.

And it does not allways work along the lines of, club; ring's scout , go and look at mark Ellis from Torquay, more often it's club; ring's scout and ask's them to look for a certain type and age range of player, if their was some one looking it is likely they were looking at u-23 development players.

As for Mark Ellis's contract, I put it in anothe rhtread, Martin Ling clearly said in no10's Saturday that Mark had indicated to him and the board that he want's to stay, if I have read correctly betweent he lines, I think a decision has been made to get the football season finished, and Mark's wedding out of the way, before any final decisiom is made.

cambgull wrote: He can only pass on what he's heard and wouldn't know whether it was bullsh*t or not, would he? That's usually how rumours work.

Thanks 'cambgull' for your comments and a bit of common sense.

I have heard many things over the last several years which have all proved to be true. Clearly there are always going to be some things that are not. The intention with this post was not to pass on anyone's lies and if I knew they were such; I wouldn't even entertain them. Nor was it an attempt to imply I had any inside knowledge in order to win any popularity contest. The source of this information clearly stated that Mark's Dad had previously been his agent in that he represented him but he had recently brought in a proper agent. If this is untrue and has offended the player or his father then clearly I apologise.

As 'cambgull' said - we live with rumours in football, some result in us thinking 'there's no smoke without fire' others are conjecture. I just wonder why the slightly aggressive tone and given the number of rumours on here - why you felt it necessary to single me out?

Aussie wrote: Right I asked Mark and his dad yesterday about this agent business and they both said they read this absolute bullsh1t and it was so untrue it`s unbelievable! Please refrain from making stuff up or refrain from passing on other peoples lies!

Aussie - did he indicate he would be signing new terms in the near future?