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Trialists or No Trialists?

I find this quite amazing...

Here is the team line-up from The Scotsman for last night's Reserves friendly in Cumbernauld:

Davies, Thompson, Garbutt (Bidwell 46), Wallace (Savic 80), Nsiala, Mustafi, Schepers (Akpan 60), Barkley (Craig 69), Vaughan (Hope 73), Silva (Kinsella 54), Baxter

And here's the team line-up from the official Everton website:

Davies, Thompson, Garbutt (Bidwell 46), Wallace, Nsiala, Mustafi, Akpan, Barkley (Craig 69), Vaughan (Hope 73), Silva (Kinsella 54), Baxter.

Spot the difference? The Scotsman seems to have invented two players, Schepers and Savic that simply weren't involved, according to the Official Everton website.

The identity of Savic remains uncertain but Bob Schepers was linked with the club and various sources report that he is apparently on trial... So why the cloak and dagger deception? Okay, so he is of uncertain status... is that any reason to engage in blatantly false reporting?

Or was The Scotsman inventing what they saw?

Well... there used to be nothing quite like photographic evidence ? at least before photoshop!
Michael Kenrick, ToffeeWeb Towers Posted 21/07/2010 at 14:56:39

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Robert Heaton
1 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:08:20

Bob Schepers is apparently having a trial and according to many different sources played yesterday.

The OS''s match report has no mention of him though - not even in the team sheet where Akpan (his replacement) is said to have started.

Does anyone know about the boy? How did he play ? does he look like he might have a chance with us?

Mike Allison
2 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:11:04

There always used to be a tradition of not naming triallists in any official lists, although I'm thinking primarily of goalscorers ? you used to see 'A Triallist' listed as a scorer. I wonder if the official site is in some way reflecting this, although it seems odd to omit them entirely.

That's a bloody good photoshop job if Schepers wasn't playing.

Aidy Dews
3 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:11:02

Schepers definitely played, I've seen the pics on another forum but I've not seen anything of Savic, just seen that in The Scotsman he came on for Wallace after 80 mins, which seems a little odd to be giving a trialist 10 mins at the end of the game.

Apparently it was Stefan Savic, a 19-year-old Montenegro youngster who had trails with Arsenal at the back end of last year, start of this and also claimed himself that he was going to agree a pre-contract with the Gunners in May of this year but obviously nothing ever came of it and now he's on trail with us.

Maybe it isn't mentioned on the OS as we don't want people, or clubs should i say, getting wind that we have two promising youngsters on trail and them seeing they've done well and stepping in first, hence why they may not have been mentioned... I saw on SSN at the weekend that Blackburn did something similar and gave a trailist a false name in the programme and wouldn't say who he was or where he was from to the Sky people who was covering the match.

I find it to be a good idea actually as it doesn't give other clubs information or the chance to scout players if they don't know about players being on trail at clubs due to not giving away their identity or having no record of them even being apart of teams/squads.

Richard Harris
4 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:22:15

There I was, thinking that for generations the Trialist boys went from club to club, scored a few goals but never seemed to get an extended run in the team and go on to greatness. Are you telling me that the great history of the Trialist family is the product of my imagination? That the family tree, coat of ams and verified artifacts are all fake? And where is this photoshop where I can get my Kodak instamatic prints developed?

Michael Kenrick
5 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:55:11

'A Trialist' I could possibly accept for the tenuous reasons quoted... but come on, get with it! Surely we've just demonstrated once again the power of the internet to thwart and circumvent such shenanigans.

And if dumbshits like us who are not part of the professional game can figure it out, do you REALLY think that's going to fool professionals in the game?

Oh... I'm forgetting... many of them are largely uneducated ex-footballers aren't they. Now I get it.

Jamie Yates
6 Posted 21/07/2010 at 17:39:29

I was at the game, Bob Schepers did indeed play from the off with Akpan on the bench (he came on second half and looked busy). He played down the left flank and showed a few bright touches, including once smashing flick over his shoulder, over the Clyde full back, before running onto it and putting a cross in.

The official team sheet as passed round to Clyde fans before the game (picked up a copy on my way out) lists number 14 Andelko Savic, who came on for the final ten minutes in central midfield and immediately looked to make space and get on the ball, little time though he obviously had to do so.

Ross Barkley was excellent through the middle of the park for the first hour or so, big Nsiali was a mountain at the back, althought the back four as a whole were ponderous (see conceding a second goal moments after Barkley's equaliser). Bidwell looked really up for it, a big nasty full back in the making, when he replace Garbutt at half time. Silva was quiet, but took the chance which was saved for Barkley to follow up nicely on the turn. Their keeper made a good stop to parry.

A nice evening's entertainment all-in-all, although our lads could have done with keeping the ball on the floor early on and playing with a little more patience and craft.

Jamie Yates
7 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:10:22

Ok, nerd of the century here, but I've been doing some detective work. The number 14 who came on late was in fact Gerard Kinsella, number 16 who replaced Joao Silva was in fact Andelko (or Andjelko) Savic of FC Basel, a 17-year-old striker: http://www.fcb.ch/sport/show/playerDetailByID/-/29590/64/9/34/-/-/25793.

Get the Rumour Mill updated! ;-)

David Hallwood
8 Posted 21/07/2010 at 19:08:19

Blimey! I wish I didn't have to work, so I could while away the days trawling the internet for shite like this. Roll on 65! or whenever the bastards we let me retire.

Jamie Yates
9 Posted 21/07/2010 at 20:50:49

"Blimey! I wish I didn't have to work, so I could while away the days trawling the internet for shite like this. Roll on 65! or whenever the bastards we let me retire."

I manage to work full time and run a small business from home and STILL have time to trawl for shite. Crazy old world we live in...

Dick Fearon
10 Posted 21/07/2010 at 22:28:44

What this really demonstrates is the sheer waste of time to seek up-to-date club news on the club's own official site. I ask myself why do I bother with it. Maybe because I am retired and have nothing better to do in the very early hours of an Australian morning.

Steve Collins
11 Posted 22/07/2010 at 12:15:00

The guy in the pic Michael posted at thre top is definitely Bob Schepers.

Check out this link the pic he is identical:

http://www.cambuur.nl/news/article342084.ece

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