Great new regarding Sam Sodje

[Boney Crisp]

Margate legend Sam Sodje is set to sign for Premiership side Reading for a fee £360,000, which could rise to £500,000 depending on appearances. Sodje has yet to agree personal terms with the club but is expected to make the switch.

[Gate Watcher]

It was just a matter of time before a Premiership club signed him up. I'm thrilled for Sam. You could tell when he was with us that he could make it at the highest level.

[Boney Crisp]

I dont think he will get many games with his first season at Reading.

[Hempstead Gaz]

He'll be the main event soon - in an 8 round match with Amir Khan!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[MargateFan]

Great news and well done to Sam.

Lovely guy.

[P.W.]

[color:"blue"]Congrats to Sam - a great team man & deserved fan favourite ... just a shame he had to leave us when he was out of contract or we'd have had a share of any sell-on fee.

[BlueGate Alan]

Well done Sam, my son still has his first Margate shirt at home with Sam's name on it! Good luck at Reading

[IsleOfButeFan]

Good luck to Sam but I'm sure I can't be the only person a little uncomfortable about this. He goes from Margate to Brentford for nothing, then from Brentford to Reading for £350,000...

[Cookie]

Best wishes from me too. Shall look for him on M.O.T.D this season with interest.

[TonyM]

Well done SAM the MAN,he told me back at the Syko challenge that he wanted Reading,all the best to a GREAT footballer.

[IsleOfButeFan]

Quote:

IsleOfButeFan said:
He goes from Margate to Brentford for nothing, then from Brentford to Reading for £350,000...

It seems that nobody shares my concern about this. In my view, promising players should be given long term contracts so that the club at least gets a fee if they are lured away, preferably with a sell-on clause included.

[JohnKirby]

yeah and youngs players with shed loads of ambition will quite happily sign their life away to margate. Contracts i don't think really come into it, I think their should be very specific rules over non league clubs getting spoils from players making the grade.

[P.W.]

[color:"BLUE"]Agreed in principal (see my post on this thread before yours), however remember at the time of his departure the future of the Club was in turmoil.

 

We had just lost our Chairman - who walked out on us, were being delayed with the ground redevelopment, had a pitch that resembled a motor-cross course, had been rejected by the Conference for an extension on our short-term groundshare at Dover (but offered an option of a 10-year deal, with Dover wanting to 'up-the-ante') and decided to voluntarily take relegation to the Conference South (as a survival tactic).

 

Given those circumstances it just wasn't feasible to offer Sam or anyone else a Contract (given those circumstances, Sam would have been mad to have signed one anyway) - let alone a long term one.

[JeremyJacobs]

Brilliant news regarding Sam. First Margate player since Tommy Jenkins to play in the top-flight of English Football. ( well maybe ) - and where did Tommy Jenkins go? - Reading then Southampton.

[blueblood]

"Isle of Bute fan". I have always assumed to get a fee for a player you 1st have to have a player who is actually under contract. If a player always refused a contract(because he was always convinced he was going into the league) then obviously you cannot demand a fee.

Good luck Sam.

[blueblood]

Do not forget former Margate youth player Leroy Lita. Now at Reading and a England u21.

[IsleOfButeFan]

It's a shame that money doesn't filter down to grass-roots clubs like Margate who need the money as much as anybody. Obviously Margate are owed nothing, but maybe they could ask Reading for a friendly match as a goodwill gesture for having nurtured Sam in earlier days. It's got to be worth a try. Have we got an ambitious secretary?

Incidentally, I remember Tommy Jenkins very well. A great winger from great days.

[michael]

I think I of Bute's point re: friendly is well made, and even possibly supported by Sam,albeit, i suspect SS would see C Kinnear as his mentor, and we are arguably a 'different club' these days.

 

I keep on reading that Sam is a Nigerian international-have i missed something, or as i suspect are the press confusing him with Efe Sodge

[Boney Crisp]

I think a friendly will be a good idea and if Reading will allow it have Sam Sodje playing for Brentford in the first half and Margate in the second just as a little thakyou to both clubs, but play it at preistfeild as that is basically in between Brentford and Margate.

[IsleOfButeFan]

I was thinking actually of Reading playing at Hartsdown Park! Maybe before season 2007/8? I think Steve Coppell is a thoroughly decent guy, and a well-worded letter from the supporters club might achieve a sympathetic ear. Reading will be looking for pre-season friendlies next year - why not Margate! (Burton played and beat Wolves today, so they're not useless exercises).