Congratulations to Ebanks-Blake on his Football League Awards....
As I noted back in November! And also this: From Holloway's Autobiography[Funny cos I read recently about how wonderful that we had Paladini who had such good relationship with Ferguson!]Ian Holloway in his autobiography about signing Ebanks-Blake
But Holloway admitted persuading Ferguson to sell Ebanks-Blake was the hardest part of the deal.
The striker had only made two first team appearances for Manchester United, both in the Carling Cup, but Ferguson rated him highly.
Ebnks-Blake had been highly recommended to Holloway by Gary Penrice, his lifelong friend and now Argyle's chief scout.
Holloway says in his autobiography: "Pen had given me a list of
strikers he felt were worth pursuing during our time at QPR.
"I had kept the list and one of those players was Manchester United youngster Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Pen had suggested a loan deal for him. "There was also a kid called (Fraizer) Campbell and Pen had suggested United might be willing to sell him and it was worth trying.
- "So I spoke with Sir Alex and asked him about Ebanks-Blake. He had already said 'no' to loaning the player a year before.
- "While we were chatting, I also asked him about the availability of Campbell, John Evans and another youngster and Sir Alex said: 'My God. Who's telling you about those lads?'
- "I told him it was Gary Penrice and he said: 'Well tell him he's got a good eye'. Then he proceeded to say no to the lot!
- "I wasn't going to give up so I said: 'Well, you've got this lad called Campbell coming through and you're bound to want to play him in the reserves, why can't I buy Sylvan?'
- "It went quiet at the other end and then he said: 'Er, well how much are you thinking?'
" 'So you would think about selling him then? I don't know, how much were you thinking?'
" 'About £200,000.'
"I said: 'What, £200,000 guaranteed?'
" 'Well, there'd have to be a few bits and bobs if he does things.'
"I agreed, depending on how it was paid and he said: 'Well I might then.'
" 'I think you should.'
" 'Well, I might.'
"I told him I needed to speak with my chairman (Paul Stapleton) and that he should think about the bits and bobs he wanted attaching to the deal and I'd think about ours and then we could try and meet somewhere in the middle."
Holloway admitted the transfer was agreed in the 'most amicable way imaginable' but he then had to get Ebanks-Blake to put pen to paper for Argyle.
Ferguson also gave Watford permission to speak to Ebanks-Blake so Holloway had to move decisively.
He said: "I called the chairman to tell him how things had gone and that Sylvan would be coming to have a look around.
"I said: 'Look, all we've got to do is make sure that he gets the same kind of reception I got on my first visit to the club' and told him we needed to pull out all the stops - put him in a top hotel and show him around the city and what Plymouth was all about.
"I got a Plymouth shirt with Ebanks-Blake and No 9 on the back and put it in a frame and presented it to him when he arrived at Home Park and said: 'There you go son, how do you fancy wearing the No 9 shirt then?'
"I'd briefed all the staff what his name was and to address him accordingly so he'd feel straight at home and people were saying things like: 'I've heard a lot about you Sylvan, I hope you sign for us' and I think it all worked a treat because he did sign for us over Watford.
"Several other clubs came on the scene at the death, all of them bigger than us, but he wanted to work with us and learn more about being a striker."
Forty-five league games and 12 goals later, Ebanks-Blake's education is making encouraging progress.
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Also this:
January 2008"... Manager Paul Sturrock has defended Argyle's board of directors over the sale of top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to Championship rivals Wolves.
Ebanks-Blake had a clause in his contract that allowed him to talk to any club submitting a £1.5 million offer for him - and Wolves were recently made aware of that.
They have now snapped him up on a lucrative contract, which one reliable source has told Herald Sport will pay the striker 'in excess of £10,000 a week'....
Ebanks-Blake had also been linked with Queens Park Rangers but Sturrock insisted Wolves were the only club to make a firm bid.He said:
"Other managers muted to me their thoughts about the deal in the last 24 hours, but they had other targets in mind."All they were doing was marking my card that they knew about the release clause and if their other targets fell through they might come in for him
Ebanks-Blake made a total of 74 appearances for Argyle and scored 23 goals.
And this:Daily Mail - April 2008 (which is more debatable given that he was already at Wolves)Meanwhile QPR boss Luigi De Canio is reportedly keen on signing Wolves striker Sylvain Ebanks-Blake to lead the Rangers' attack as they chase promotion next season.
The forward has scored nine goals in 16 games since his £1.5m move from Plymouth in January.
www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-560257/QPR-miss-Mancienne-De-Canio-eyeing-Ebanks-Blake-John.html