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[Hamilton]

Yes Griffith wasn't honest with the club, but a conversation with a few individuals from his previous clubs would have unearthed that he was well past it. The Vale fans knew that he was crocked.

Nonetheless, you expect a player to have at least a degree of integrity to their fellow pros.

[markecky]

As had been said by many, he has had us over.  

I would expect Lee is also very disappointed as he must know the lad personally so it's pretty sh*t to do that to a manager who you have a connection with.  He thought he could wing it and he couldn't. Probably saw Richmans fitness and went "good God"

The decent thing to do would be to say "sorry lads, thought I could cut it but I can't, not been able to show you what I can do, I can see how hard people work here at every level to get the money in to pay us, I've taken my share of it up to now but wish you every success and it's time for me to do other things, you get someone else in, all the best."  Sadly with him being an ex league player there was probably very little chance of that and he has is evidently done a job on us with the help of the PFA.  

From "the clubs" side the chairman has been very open with us fans, held his hands up said we trusted him and he let us down and all we can do is learn from it.   Now the facts are looked back on I'm sure there have been many conversations of  things we wished we had done, all we can do is ensure that we do everything to stop anyone else doing it to us again and I am sure his behaviour will make it very hard for anyone to repeat this.  We have signed hundreds of players the same way without a hitch.

I would imagine that the fact he turned up with a second job as a personal trainer, looking fit as a fiddle also helped with the act.  I know you can't see what is within (in both body and mind) but 28 is no age for a degenerative condition and working in the fitness industry I reckon that has helped with the hoodwink.

Everyone will be annoyed with it as it's money raised by all of us he has stolen.  

Thankfully it looks like nearly everyone (aside from some disgraceful comments on not giving anymore money to the club after this I read on another forum) feels the same on it.  Lesson learned and I really hope that's the last football sees of Mr Griffith.

[ripleym]

Well said mate.

[Hale Alty]

The club has been wasteful by not doing its homework. How hard would it have been to telephone  his previous manager to check there weren't any issues with his fitness? What hasn't been explained is why if the degenerative condition dates back to before the contract was signed why the player is then not in breach of his contract for not declaring it. Considering the fans are always been asked to put their hands in their pockets to fund/bail out this that or the other its only reasonable to ask how much this has cost the club. Certainly needs asking at the AGM.

[bighairedmike]

I completely agree with what everybody has said on here regarding the situation and I think Ecky hit the nail on the head, especially regarding the fact that Sinnott and Griffiths have known each other so long. To be able to do something like that to a man that has trusted you and given you a chance for so long is unthinkable. How he could look anybody in the face after that is beyond me.

I'm surprised that we don't have some kind of clause in our contracts that say something along the lines of, if you have an ongoing medical condition that you don't disclose prior to being signed that is then found out about later on, the contract can be ripped up with no monetary obligation by the club to the player. However, I don't know the entire legality of this or whether players would sign a contract with such a wording, because for example, previous knee ligament damage or such could be used against them. It's certainly something I'll be asking our Chairman about on Saturday, and I urge anybody who has any questions or anything constructive to say on the matter to talk to him. He's a very approachable man, and more than happy to discuss things with you.

As an aside, my memory might be playing tricks on me here, but weren't we unable to sign Stevie Connors on a permanent basis due to ongoing legal problems with his then club (Cambridge Utd?) over the fact he had, allegedly, not disclosed information about a long-term knee injury? I would have thought that this may have stuck in the clubs mind in signings after that with it not being in the too distant past?

It's a f**king awful thing for a player to do and it leaves us more in the sh*t, especially with our current injury record, but whats been done has been done and as Mr Rowley says, the club can just hold their hands up and admit they got this one wrong, so onwards and upwards. The last thing we need at a time like this is fractions within the club (we have enough of those because of people not liking the manager, his family, etc) and we'll just have to pull together and support the boys on the field.

Come on alty!

[eightiesrobin]

Is Griffith on twitter or anything - I'm seething and feel personally aggrieved at what he has pulled off.

No idea mate...... https://twitter.com/agriffithjnr

That is the wrong man, he plays for Mickleover Sports.

[MarpleAlty]

We move onwards, the club has learned a lesson in trust (which it shouldn't have had to), and we'll be stronger for the experience.

I suspect the bookies have already suspended betting on the Knobsock Of The Season Award 2015-16.

[Mick]

The club has been wasteful by not doing its homework. How hard would it have been to telephone  his previous manager to check there weren't any issues with his fitness? What hasn't been explained is why if the degenerative condition dates back to before the contract was signed why the player is then not in breach of his contract for not declaring it. Considering the fans are always been asked to put their hands in their pockets to fund/bail out this that or the other its only reasonable to ask how much this has cost the club. Certainly needs asking at the AGM.

Since GR has been a Director / Chairman then the word "fund" ( help fund) may be apprpriate. However to say  "bail out" is incorrect and unfair

[Hale Alty]

The time the supporters trust was pressurised into selling off its shares to raise money for the club looked very much like a bail out to me.

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Yes Griffith wasn't honest with the club, but a conversation with a few individuals from his previous clubs would have unearthed that he was well past it. The Vale fans knew that he was crocked.

Exactly.

On hearing that we had signed Griffith, a friend asked a Carlisle United supporter about him and was geeted with the response: "Why on earth have you signed him? He's finished."

Two minutes of research via the likes of Wikipedia or soccerbase.com would have revealed just how few appearances Griffith had made during the 2014/15 season and should surely have raised immediate concerns.

Yes, we have been hoodwinked here by a dishonourable man but the management's/board's naivety and negligence have opened the door to a nice severance payment for him.

So, for the second season in succession, we have effectively handicapped ourselves by squandering money and a vital squad place on an individual who hadn't played much football in recent times and who will hardly contribute anything of worth to our cause.

At least Gillespie did stick it out until the bitter end last season, albeit as a spectator for the majority of it.

Griffith can just sit at home on Saturday afternoons and watch the DVD of Pumping Iron that he's bought from Amazon at Alty's expense.  

What a shyster!



  

  
 

[Nasha]

I think people need a reality check here. Yes, maybe the club in hindsight could had done more. However, when our limited resources are stretched with CSH, looking at other ground improvements and keeping a competitive squad in this league, could we really do much else except take the word of a 'professional' footballer. Professional is a key word there, as he has been anything but professional. Also remember that 99% of the players we've signed in the 20 years I've been watching are decent, honest people. Why would the club think any different with him?

Personally, I was happy we signed him as I thought if he had the fitness would be the sort of player we needed, getting stuck in and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Instead, he has left us with it being even more critical we get a decent cup run this season.

[Hale Alty]

The reality check is that when you haven't got much money to spend you are doubly careful how you spend it.

[dunhamalty]

http://www.halecountryclub.co.uk/about/personal-trainers/#gk-popup-personal-trainer-24

Check out the third one down, I think this is our man...... A personal trainer in Alty. He puts injury prevention on his list of skills maybe deceit and lying would be more truthful.

The man has no morals end of, if you are not fit to do a job a decent man just leaves and tears his contract up.

[Hale Alty]

"Having just left playing professional football in league 2 due to injury"

Even just googling him might have thrown up this rather revealing fact!

[ripleym]

http://www.halecountryclub.co.uk/about/personal-trainers/#gk-popup-personal-trainer-24

Check out the third one down, I think this is our man...... A personal trainer in Alty. He puts injury prevention on his list of skills maybe deceit and lying would be more truthful.

The man has no morals end of, if you are not fit to do a job a decent man just leaves and tears his contract up.

There's a few PTs on that list I wouldn't mind letting loose on my tight groin!