That was looking like an excellent strike partnership until McGrath sold Philliskirk and bought Graham Shaw instead. I never thought Philliskirk ever really got his chance at Deepdale. And Shaw proved temperamental. Was there any background story to what really happened?
Ellis / Philliskirk
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- Aug 22, 2004
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Phillislirk feel out with John McGrath.He was dropped for the Play Off games and Jemson played instead.
To be fair Graham... you weren't a bad striker yerself
yes there was a background story.....which I am sure others will know the truth of.
Philly been running Oldham academy for years now but has hit some disciplinary issues after the end of the season.....which again I'm not at liberty to give details of.
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Lol yes indeed. A fox in the box type.
Shaw looked decent when paired with Ronnie Jepson
He looked gutted away at Stoke in the cup when we'd swapped him for Ellis and the fans were giving him a bit of stick. Long time ago but I'll never forget the look on his face.
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I agree the Ellis-Philliskirk partnership looked promising and - whatever the reasons for the latter's departure - it seemed a bad sign for the partnership to be broken just after a play-off season and so it proved. Perhaps not a coincidence that after leaving Philliskirk scored loads of goals against North End (unlike Mr. Ellis....)
I couldn't believe it when Philliskirk was sold, he'd looked the ideal partner in that twin striker role. I'd always thought mcgrath had been told to sign him to balance the books, so just accepted it as quite a few decent players were sold around then, Patterson to Bury for example, could not get my head round that one!!!
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Patterson was a fine player and his sale and that of Tony Ellis a few weeks earlier were signs the club was in a serious decline with relegation just a matter of time. Whether finances were the key reason for sales or John McGrath was losing the plot I don't know - the former seems more likely. As regards Graham Shaw he always struck me as lightweight and well-below the calibre of Ellis and Philliskirk but at least he played some matches unlike one of McGrath's last buys - Tony Hancock...
it was around then McGrath got sacked wasn't it? i remember a big demonstration outside the old board room in Lowthorpe Road. Sack McGrath chants. Keith Leming got a lot of flack too, though unbeknown to us he was propping the club up out of his own pocket, Hancock was signed fromBurnley, got a bad leg break shortly after and never really recovered. I saw him play once for the reserves.
Aye, Leeming out, I remember it. Finney said in his book it was grossly unfair.
there was a group of supporters on the old west paddock facing the pavilion where the board members were, during the match against Leyton Orient I think it was, an evening kick off, held up individual lettered cards saying S A C K T H E B O A R D. think we lost 3-0, Mike Stowell, one of my neighbours at the time played in goal on loan from Everton. Happy days.
there were people outside the ground handing out 'sack papers' for the fans to raise at a pre determined time - i.e. 8.00pm.
The team started that game quite well without scoring, but the nearer it got to 8 the more nervous they became.. once the cards were held up all round the ground ( I refused to hold one up ) they went to pieces and soon conceded the 1st goal and it was downhill from there.
Mc Grath lost the fans when he sold JT, saying JT had become 'too big' for PNE, (or too big for him to keep down - after JT had been our leading scorer.
Philly wasnt sold for financial reasons - or so I was told - he was 'allegedly sold for 'scoring once to often'.....and JMc caught him scoring with Mrs Mc....allegedly.....hence the quick sale.
However when I worked with Philly for a season very recently I didnt have the guts to ask him if it was true......
I seem to remember a “red card” demonstration around this time. Think it might have been against McGrath.
Sadly the legend started to lose his football marbles, particularly in the striker department, and became known as “Mad” McGrath.
He alwAys seemed reluctant to play JT, even in the promotion year, and I’m not sure they truly got on. That was why he was sold for a pittance and we signed inadequate replacem3nts. Philliskirk too was another striker I rated who didn’t get on with McGrath.
He started to play Mooney up front, where, in my opinion, he was wasted, and bought Graham Shaw.
Sadly the legend started to lose his football marbles, particularly in the striker department, and became known as “Mad” McGrath.
He alwAys seemed reluctant to play JT, even in the promotion year, and I’m not sure they truly got on. That was why he was sold for a pittance and we signed inadequate replacem3nts. Philliskirk too was another striker I rated who didn’t get on with McGrath.
He started to play Mooney up front, where, in my opinion, he was wasted, and bought Graham Shaw.
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- Jun 2, 2015
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- Joined
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So John Thomas was playing away - with John Thomas!
Hancock’s finest half hour in a PNE shirt was having a piss in the Poachers car park!
I did think it was a red card too - but another poster mention the letters held up and so I just presumed my memory was wrong.
NO D. Harry - not JT but TP...... sorry to spoil the joke though...