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Williamson: “Deal will be completed in the next 48 hours” say SSN.

Posted on January 25th, 2010 | 40 Comments |

Mike Williamson: Big lad.
Mike Williamson: Big lad.
Broadcaster, Sky Sports News are reporting that a Newcastle United deal for Portsmouth centre back, Mike Williamson should be complete within the next couple of days.

They reported that they “understand a deal will be be completed in the next 48 hours”, though there has been no official statement from either Newcastle United or Portsmouth on the deal at the time of writing.

Whilst a fee of around £930,000 had been agreed with the South coast club, it was then revealed that they would owe more than this (around £1.2 million) in a sell on clause with the player’s previous club, Watford. This was agreed when the club paid £2 million for Williamson (rising to £3 million depending on performance) to Watford barely four months ago.

A reported knee injury to Steven Taylor, sustained during the clubs 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion in the league, will have increased the urgency of manager, Chris Hughton’s hunt for experienced defensive cover in the quest for promotion back to the Premier League.

Williamson, a big lad at 6’4″, started his career at Torquay in 1999. 2001 saw a move to Southampton for a fee of £100,000. However, he seemed to spend much of his time there on loan, returning back to Torquay initially, then moving on to Doncaster until he was spotted by Tony Adams at Wycombe Wanderers in 2004. A loan spell there eventually turned into a permanent contract, with Williamson spending a total of five years at Wycombe until moving to Watford in January, 2009. Despite signing a three and a half year contract with the Hornets though, he created controversy there seven months later by declaring himself “unfit” for a game against Swansea and handing in a transfer request. He eventually secured the move to Portsmouth mentioned above, a club he will have been with for barely four months if this transfer does go through.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1060 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

40 Responses

  1. Not excited in the slightest…I think he will find it hard to settle in at newcastle having played for some of the best clubs in Europe :)

    Do you think we will sign anybody we have heard of?
    :)

  2. sirjasontoon says:
    January 25, 2010 at 2:29 am

    “Not excited in the slightest…”

    Of course you aren’t excited, you’re Sir Jason Gloom and Doom, the undertaker of the NUFC Blogs. If you were actually happy or excited about Newcastle United, it just wouldn’t seem right somehow! :-)

  4. Not the most attractive transfer but a needed one so it will do..Plus if tony Adams saw something in him maybe not that bad huh..And whats the status with Geremi is finally going?

  5. We really need to make a few moves this week to tighten up some loose ends or this campaign might fall to the waste-side so shell out Jabba geez

  6. I think in the championship he’ll be able to slot straight in (from what I hear). If we go up I guess it’s a case of wait and see how he does in the prem, at least we’ll have some cover should he be needed as I can’t imagine him breaking the Taylor/Colo partnership barring injuries and suspension.

  7. Poor Newcastle – They look to sign someone and they get slagged for it… Don’t sign any one and they get slagged for it. We certainly need cover now that Taylor is injured. If he plays with heart and gives it his best, he could be a good signing…Let us not condemn the lad before he has a game… Who was Sebastion Bassong Prior to his stint with us…. There is plenty of potential stars out their that have not had a chance to shine because they have to wait their turns behind “big name” players.. Hughton and Co have chosen well up to date when it comes to players (with the non existent budget they have) Let’s wait and see before we write this guy off..

  8. Aussie – Take no notice of SJT, it could be John Terry and he’d still find fault ;)

    I guess it’s just a hard slap in the face for fans who, for years, have been used to us signing marquee signings.

    I actually think the lad has half a chance of being good, even in the prem. Players like Dawson from Hull, the 2 Birmingham centre halfs, Krygiakos at Liverpool, just a few examples of defenders who were described as average at best, yet are all excelling at premier level.

  11. What makes me uncertain about Williamson is that for one, as you say worky, Hughton is looking for an experienced defender. And yet this is a kid who could quite easily have played twice as many games for a 26 yr old, as he has done.

    Someone having played over 200 or 300 games is experienced in my book. And he’s also only played a handful of games at this level. His biggest stint was in League One, where admittedly he seems to have done well.

    I’m also wary of the way he manufactured his way out of Watford. I was hoping we were getting away from the players just in it for themselves. We have to accept that many players will look after themselves first, but it would be nice to think that players we bring didn’t have something like that publicised previously. What we don’t want is players who would happily jump at the first chance.

    And is he actually any good? Portsmouth haven’t given him a chance yet?

    And why the hell does it seem like they’ve allowed a flat rate sell-on clause in his contract? Surely it would be a percentage of the next sale? Seems barmy, unless I’ve misinterpreted?

  12. According to the Mirror, Harewood’s broken a bone in his foot and will be out for weeks.

    Ah well, that’s another one gone!

  14. This lads had his head battered before he’s even signed. If sites like these had existed when Andy Cole signed, what would have been said? Arsenal reject playing in the lower leagues at Bristol. Thank god we gave him a chance.

    Creative midfielder essential. I still think Nobby could have played in the middle for this season and created more. To be honest he could have been on the right and done better than Guthrie has on some occasions, for all his 35 years.

  15. Howay Smithment!! 8O

    Andy (sorry Andrew) Cole was 21 and had scored a goal every other game in the 2nd tier and was on top of his game.

    Hardly a good comparison?

    More than happy to be proven horribly wrong by Williamson but just got my doubts. I’m sure he’s a confident lad, after all he seems very ambitious so I guess we’ll see.

    Guthrie is playing out of position but is still one of our better footballers by a country mile. I would have taken Solano though. I guess they thought his legs had gone, which is a crying shame. His best football was in his head anyway.

  16. We need someone in before wedensday evening . S taylor injured , Simpson injured and R Taylor suspended for that game . who the hell are we going to pick in defence for that game , geremi is at the anc so we cant use him at rb either . One option staring hughton in the face , bring back Zurab on loan he would slot straight into rb position and leave Kadar alongside Colo .

  17. Tavernier will slot in at right back unless Simpson somehow gets himself fit.

    With Ameobi struggling, the ‘young ‘uns’ are going to be making up most of the bench.

  18. I emailed the club and let them know I’m avialable but carrying a knock. I didn’t hear back until I followed up with an email to say I’ll play for nowt, and I’ve since been told that my application is under consideration.

  19. bowburn – It’s under consideration? tell ’em you’ll pay some cash and play, that will seal the deal.

  21. AXEL…I can smell the desperation….Kurab :)
    So we are 25 days in and as expected another window to forget.
    No preparation=Fail.
    Can’t see any half decent players on the radar….Mike Williamson haha

  23. Heard the Harewood news…think we where a bit daft letting him go,don’t think he would have been coming back anyway,next!

  24. Mike Ashley ownes NUFC, so he can obviously do what the hell he wants. And … he is!
    If you spend £40 at Ashley”s sports shop ”Sports Direct” in the next couple of days … you get a FREE ticket to the Newcastle v Crystal Palace match on Wednesday.

    Newcastle obviously don”t benefit in money-terms … but Ashley does.

    However, the thinking behind it is that the attendance will obviously be larger, and that is more fans to get behind the team.

    See … everyone is a winner (well … Ashley financially … the Toon vocally).

    Clever Move that.

  25. aye sjt , half a dozen bags of shite & ticket for wed’s game…..no thank’s mike – you robbing b@stard.

  26. Here we are again, people bitching and moaning before they have even seen the lad play. Just because he isn’t a Pique or a Woodgate. Who had heard of Bassong before we signed him, be honest, who had heard of Collocini and Jonas.

    The lad sounds like a totally decent championship CH, an a man mountain of a one at that, who last summer earned himself a move to the premier league.

    When Steven Taylor is out for potentially the rest of the season he gives us two things at the back which we currently haven’t got, height and experience. Kadar is just learning his trade and will probably be needed at LB at some point. Without Carroll coming back for corners we lack physical presence at the back, especially with S.Taylor out. I know it sounds silly, but it’s things like that that make a difference in this league.

    Like someone said if Tony Adam’s saw something in him, and CH who is a defender, he can’t be that bad.

    Wait till the lad plays first and if he is c### fair enough, but please don’t slag the guy off before he has even signed.

  27. bowburnmag says:
    January 25, 2010 at 9:13 am

    “Someone having played over 200 or 300 games is experienced in my book.”

    When I wrote “experienced”, I meant someone who has had alot more first team games than Tamas Kadar. There are some players with less than 300 first team caps who are the same sort of age as Sol Campbell and Nicky Butt!

  28. worky – I know, I wasn’t really trying pull you up. I was just thinking more along the lines of, is he experienced at the sort of promotion push we’re going for? I only worry that he hasn’t broken into Pompey’s team. It just begs more questions than answers it provides?

    I’m guessing criticism of writing players off before they’ve even started is partly levelled at me, considering there’s only me and SJT being slightly negtative.

    I’m just concerned and I think you’ll always be wary when it’s an unknown quantity? And my issue is more with the image portrayed but I’m willing to give anyone a chance to prove themselves.

  30. bowburnmag the rumours are pompey have not let him play because after so many games they would have to pay another 1 million that they dont have . I get your point about an unknown quantity at premiership level at least . He has had games in the ccc for watford and thier fans loved him by all accounts , trouble is i dont think he will be coming now anyhow and zurab has today joined reading for the rest of the season . our options are running down fast , i am starting to get a nasty feeling about the rest of the season . Wheels falling off maybe ? it has happened to us before .

  31. AXEL – aye good point actually. Possibly discount the Pompey bit but I guess as a result he’s not match fit and still maybe unproven.

    He’d no doubt be a legend in keeping with my recent appraisals of players.

    It is worrying when you consider what we have available for Wednesday night though…

  32. OMG,
    axel mate,
    just cos things have happened in the past with:
    a) a completely different team.
    b) different manager.
    c) even different owners ffs.
    d) in a different league.
    e) & a completely different decade.

    can you see where i’m going with this?

    Peoples ‘in built’ fears are…ah! You fill in the blanks.

  33. bowburn man,
    stop fanning the flames of other peoples fears mate, please.

    Shit!
    We lost a game, mostly cos the ref was a tit, get a grip on yourselves lads.

  34. CLiNT FLiCK its not because we lost that i am starting to worry , We were never going to go a whole season unbeaten . Its the injurys that are starting to mount up showing just how small our squad is . You are right though the last time the wheels came off was in a diffrent decade to now . Trouble is being a toon fan all of my 39 years you do tend to start to worry at certain times :)

  35. CLiNT FLiCK – see AXEL’s reasoned response as my answer as well.

    No panic buttons or hissyfits over here. Just airing my concerns. Tis all…

  36. Axel,
    tbf mate, i didn’t really mean it to you, i think i was just using you as a stalking horse, sorry mate.

    I know we seem a right worrying bunch & i only mentioned the loss cos it seems to have brought the whole fear factor thing back up.
    I’m like you in terms of time served, but i think we must try & keep our nerve.
    After all, when talking to other teams fans in this league, they seem to think we’re the team to beat & are scared of us, yet we are worrying away like, well worrying things, aren’t we?

  39. Finally some sense being spouted.

    Some of us where predicting this debacle back in September. I take no enjoyment of my negative opinion starting to un wind. Call me Naustradamous. lol

    It wasn’t rocket science, when you have a small squad and when you’re ‘just doing enough’ in every single game things are going to catch up with you. That’s why things are tightening up in the league.

    I just hope the players have enough energy to keep ‘Just doing enough’.

    Better players than these have got tired and lost form before though.

  40. sweet mate.

    I know it’s a pain in the butt that all our deals aren’t coming off atm, but we can but try.
    Let’s just hope some come good soon.