All in favour say AJ
For
1.
3.
4.
5.
12.
16.
Against
19. Not played with Paolo Di Canio
The Checklist
(The origins of these clues can be found here)
1. Is he English?
2. Is he currently married?
3. Has he played under at least 4 managers?
4. Has he had a transfer between 2 Premiership clubs?
5. Was he a Premier League player in January 2011?
6. Has he played with a group of French players at one club?
7. Has he played with a striker who refused to move unless the pass went exactly where he wanted it?
8. Did he play for one manager for a considerable amount of time who was great before losing it?
9. Has he played for a manager who lost the dressing room?
10. Does he have a friend who plays for Liverpool?
11. Might he think Harry Redknapp is the Messiah?
12. Has he appeared as a pundit? (TSF probably doesn’t do so)
13. Did he have a long term girlfriend as a younger player?
14. Had/has a strong father figure.
15. Not an Arsenal or Man City player (at end of 2010-11 season).
16. Did he play a match at some point towards the end of March or first few days of April 2011?
17. Not a keeper.
18. Has a daughter.19. He played with Paolo Di Canio –removed by public demand 20. Someone who’s got a chat about ‘another season’ coming up -see revealing tweet post
21. He’s been involved in a last day relegation battle
22. He’s played for a newly promoted Premier League club
23. Has been subject to a deadline day transfer
24. TSF is Caucasian
25. Has a good friend who is African and has played for a team in Russia
26. Has been diagnosed with depression
27. Played in the lower leagues at start of career
28. Played against Liverpool for a lower league club
29. Was one of the best players in a very successful team
30. Played for a club that got themselves in financial trouble
31. Plays the Paul Scholes role
32. Played under a captain who will go down as one of most successful in the club’s history, without having earned it
33. Played under a stand-in captain wearing a large tubi-grip with a marker pen-written ‘C’ as captain’s armband
34. Has played as captain
35. Has played for a club who promoted their assistant manager to manager (and went on to get bad results)
36. Not a Liverpool fan
37. Played in a team that won promotion to the Premiership
38. Following on from clue 21: That team got relegated due to a goal going in at the other end of the country in the dying minutes of the final game of the season
39. Clue 38 was his last game for that club
40. His wage at the time of clues 38 and 39 was the best part of £100,000 per month
41. He went on to play in the Premiership again after the relegation in clue 38
27 responses to “Andrew Johnson”
I’m fairly sure it’s Andy Johnson.
who’s the African player in russia? Samba or martins
In the latest article published (undercover in the premier league)the TSF states that he won two back to back player of the year awards which AJ did with Crystal Palace in 2004/2005.
Definitely Johnson…the last day relegation battle is with Crystal Palace in 04/05. He talks about the groan from the fans because of a result elsewhere, has to be West Brom’s great escape.
I think it’s Dean Windass…
It can’t be Windass TSF is still playing.
Palace POTY 04 & 05, old 1st Div winner 03-04 + various top scorer/Prem POTM awards (at a push you could call those trophies). Put in transfer request when Reading were relegated (although didn’t move in the end). Record transfer for Everton. Married, kids (not sure if a daughter or not).Talks about new dads receiving Harrods hampers – big hint for Fulham connection. Plenty of injuries in the last couple of years, a likely source of depression. Not sure about other stuff, but it’s a better fit than anyone else yet…
“Everton’s most expensive purchase”
I don’t think it’s him – from the article a week ago:
“The contrast between clubs at the top and the bottom of the ladder is huge. At the lower league club I played for, we had one kit man and one physio, who treated everything with ultrasound because that was the only machine he had. Most of my clubs since have included numerous kit men, physios, masseurs and fitness coaches, working at a training ground with at least five practice pitches, full-time chefs and designated car parking.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/10/secret-footballer-undercover-premier-league
AJ hasn’t played at a ‘lower league’ club that matches this description.
AJ was at Luton as a junior before joining Birmingham so that could be the lower league club he’s referring to.
Iain Dowie is the manager he’s referring to who lost the dressing room.
TSF mentioned suffering from depression in some of his recent articles – I’ve heard rumours that AJ suffers from something of that nature. Can’t say anything more about it, though. Also I’ve heard that his goal celebration (the loopy finger beside his ear-thing) is something to do with that
He’s also fairly articulate.
AJ’s actually my second cousin. Honestly… I’ve never met the guy as an adult. However he went to my upper school (Mark Rutherford in Bedford town) and I’ve bumped into his parents once or twice in the past and, frankly, I’d be very suprised if they made him read Dickens and Shakespeare in the car on family trips. That said though my Nan’s commented before about how creatively minded and smart he is so who knows.
Pretty sure its Andy Johnson!
Superb. Have a friend who’s a diehard fulham fan and read him the checklist. He’s not read a single TSF article, but he immediately said: “AJ”
It ha to be, really.
He didn’t leave Palace after their relegation though! A few things in there which don’t ring true.
And it’s definitely not Windass, he can barely string a sentence together!
In the last chapter of the book TSF mentions being the club’s record signing. According to this website AJ was Fulham’s record signing: http://transferleague.co.uk/premiership-football-club-comparisons/record-transfers.html
He also talks about playing at Liverpool for a lower league club in a cup game. 2002-03 FA Cup 4th round, Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 2-0. Johnson was in the team.
It’s definitely Andy Johnson.
There are other little things that suggest the player has played in the North West and in London. He refers to a Christmas party in Cheshire, which would make sense for an Everton player. And then he also refers to nights out in West London, as well as a Christmas play where someone took the piss (riskily) out of the chairman. Could be anyone of course, but that sounds like a good fit for Fulham/Al Fayed to me.
Stan coldly more just said Sean Derry played for 2 of his clubs.
Savage dislikes who ever it is.
He and Jonson had a big argument when savage accused him of diving when black burn v efc
In 2001, he played in Birmingham City. In this year, the captain, Darren Purse broke his wrist. He might be the one who wore the ‘C’ on his plastered hand.
Last day relegation West Brom thumped Portsmouth 4 or 5 nil, started scoring early so I don’t think it is him. Additionally the book says he was a bit of a wasted talent & could have gone further, not AJ who was 100% tryer, IMHO
Andrew Johnson came through a academy (luton town)
It says in the book that he got a depression in 2002. That would the the age of 21 which is plausible.
And he told two managers about the depression. It could be the Crystal Palace manager and the Birmingham City manager, because he transfered between those two clubs in 2002.
No. West Brom lost to Portsmouth.
West Brom won 2-0. You’re thinking of Norwich, who lost 6-0 to Fulham when a win would have guaranteed safety.
Can’t be AJ. Access all areas has him saying biggest regret not joining QPR. he had a couple of seasons with us.
10000% can confirm it is NOT AJ. In Access all areas he talks about going to millwall on trial. This player would have to have been on trial there most likely season 2000-2001 maybe during season before when they won the league as Mark McGhee became manager September 2000 and he talks about him being gaffer at the time. AJ WAS AT BIRMINGHAM FROM ’97. Whoever it is did not have a pro club until at LEAST 2000/01 season.