03 Feb 2025 15:17:50
Ed001 you said a while back that Rushie didn't want to go to Juve but the club needed the money. Could you elaborate on this please mate?.
{Ed001's Note - wanted the money mate, not needed.}
03 Feb 2025 16:48:34
Did Rushie want to go Ed? Was the money for players?
{Ed001's Note - Rushie wanted to stay but was not really given much choice. It was different times and players had little real say then. Off the top of my head, I can't remember what the money was used for. I know Aldo came in to replace Rush for less, but the rest is hazy now.}
03 Feb 2025 17:24:25
The start of Moores's greed?
{Ed001's Note - I can't remember whether it was Moores then or not.}
03 Feb 2025 17:31:02
Ok thank you ?.
03 Feb 2025 17:39:25
We signed Aldridge, Barnes and Beardsley in the summer that we sold Ian Rush. They were all superb for us. Beardsley was the most expensive and I don't think we'd have made much of a profit, if any, but it was three top players for one.
The rumour at the time was that we signed Aldridge because he looked similar to Rush and we were going to send them Aldo instead of Rush.
It was a joke, obviously.
03 Feb 2025 17:50:17
Was a British record transfer fee at the time, I believe. Somewhere around the £3m mark. The whole deal was a bit strange I think. I believe he signed in the summer of 1986 but didn't transfer until the following summer in 1987. And then he came back after one year. All of which was very close to the Heysel tragedy and the subsequent ban of English clubs from Europe. I've heard it said that one reason Rush was sold was to cover the loss of revenue from not playing in Europe. Not sure if that is accurate or not (and the sums involved obviously wouldn't be anything like today) .
In the mean time Liverpool had signed Beardsley, Barnes and Aldridge (and possibly Ray Houghton) for not much more than they received for Rush (Barnes for £900,000 seems so cheap even for the 80s) and were arguably even better without him.
03 Feb 2025 17:53:43
I was wrong about John Aldridge. He signed a few months and the season before Barnes and Beardsley.
A quick check showed me that we sold Rush before the start of the 86-87 season and he was loaned back to us.
It was for big money and it makes sense that that was why he went especially when we had the European ban at the time. We also spent big on the three players and I reckon they would have cost more than we got for Rush.
When we bought Rush back, not long after he was sold, I think we sold Aldo to Sociedad (? ) and that was also against his wishes.
{Ed001's Note - yeah we sold him to Toshack and he became the first non-Basque to ever play for Sociedad.}
03 Feb 2025 18:02:48
Beardsley and Barnes. Two of my two all time favorites!
03 Feb 2025 18:12:13
The sale of Rush helped bring about arguably our greatest ever side. When Rush came back I never thought he was the same player.
03 Feb 2025 18:36:50
That was a fantastic side, Rome.
We signed Aldridge before Rush went and then signed Barnes, Beardsley and Houghton. The team got results and played fabulous football.
Didn't we have every contender for goal of the season one year?
It was a great side and it's a shame that we never got to take on the great Milan side of that time.
03 Feb 2025 19:43:26
I was going to mention Houghton - played his part in one of our best sides I’m my lifetime.
03 Feb 2025 20:15:20
If I remember correctly it was 1.9 million for Beardsley. I loved that player and then we got Barney’s as well. I grew up watching that team, was an absolute joy. Anyone remember the Forrest at Anfield game? Was total football by us and I think if I remember right we won 5-0.
03 Feb 2025 22:48:27
Yeah, it was £1.9m for Beardsley and £900,000 for Barnes, I think.
I can't remember the Aldridge fee but we made a good profit on him.
04 Feb 2025 09:38:56
I heard that the Heysel tragedy played a part in that transfer being agreed between the clubs.