Griffs a gonner !!!!

[Warren]

Sad to see him go. He's been a good player for us the last few years, you can't begrudge him the step up.

 

The fact is however that we need goals from central midfield, and he wasn't going to get them. If Loft is back in centre-mid next season then we need someone with an eye for goal alongside him. For that reason i'm not that disappointed as Loft + A-N-other is better than Griff + A-N-other. Still would have been good to keep him at the club though.

 

I used to watch Stoke and Port Vale in the late seventies and early eighties. People will recall Paul Bracewell. The Stoke fans never really appreciated him that much - until he left. Then when the opposition come straight down the middle of the pitch on to the centre halves you realise that it was his tackling, marking and work rate that prevented that. Paul Bracewell leaving Stoke was one of the key events that sent Stoke down to the lower divisions for a quarter of a century.

 

What I also liked about Griff is that he did his tackling without being nasty and dirty.

[Warren]

Im laughing, he said he wanted to better himself & wanted get to the championship....so he joins Orient? a team whose total support when they are doing well is less than ours at our worst, a team who will be passed by Vale in the next 2-3yrs & who are at their maximum level.*

 

Griff is an average one dimensional player who couldnt pass, shoot or head & whose one attribute more often than not held us back. We need an enforcer who can offer a lot more than a "tackle".

 

Now if a few more of these average players would have the decency to leave, non scoring strikers, wingers who cant cross, full backs who can barely do anything against a semi pacy player & goalkeepers who cant catch a cold then we might stand a chance of doing something next season if we bring in good quality.*

 

Im very happy with this news.

 

Orient fans feel very threatened by the potential move of West Ham in to the Olympic stadium and directly on to their turf.

[Jacko51]

I'm please that Griff has had the good grace to make his decision early rather than fanny about for weeks until the end of the June. It helps the manager with his planning I assume. Thanks for your efforts, Griff.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

I used to watch Stoke and Port Vale in the late seventies and early eighties. People will recall Paul Bracewell. The Stoke fans never really appreciated him that much - until he left. Then when the opposition come straight down the middle of the pitch on to the centre halves you realise that it was his tackling, marking and work rate that prevented that. Paul Bracewell leaving Stoke was one of the key events that sent Stoke down to the lower divisions for a quarter of a century.

 

What I also liked about Griff is that he did his tackling without being nasty and dirty.

 

That's a good post and further to it Bracewell went to Everton and ended up in a title winning side.

 

I liked Griff for a number of reasons and I've seen him as a bit of a 'poor man's' Andy Porter. Unless he's replaced we'll miss him and I'm glad at least he's going to a club in a different division than us.

 

Good luck Griff, I wish you well and thanks for your service to the Vale.

[Burslem native]

Good luck to Griff,he's replaceable,Those who think different are too used to seeing below average players.

[Average Valiant]

Skillful, maybe not. Committed, definately. Those hard-but-fair tackles were great - especially on Crewe's tosspot "wonderkid".

 

Thanks and good luck Griff.

 

Thanks a million Miller, Oliver, Lloyd, Deakin you vermin

[big ee]

No loss as there are better players. Yes he tackles but overall is distribution is appalling for a professional footballer. The only time he passes it to a player is when he's going backwards.

 

I won't have to listen to the utter tripe by the bloke who sits behind me and actually thinks griff is some sort of world beater.

 

Bye Griiff enjoy the relegation battle next season

[George is here]

Strange move for a northern lad to join a struggling div one London club. Think he might be back in div two before too long. I liked Griff, but he is by no means irreplaceable.

 

Agree. He is a tremendous tackler and has great work ethos and energy. Is that enough in a midfield player? If we are to get promotion next season we need creativity and goals as well as the defensive qualities that Griff had. If he did stay, a manager would have to build in the quality around him to create the chances and goals elsewhere. Orient might well do that whereas we have not hence the midtable or just above we are at present.

 

My opinion was Griff to re-sign but at home he would not be in the team next season because of the need to win more at home. Away from home though he would have been an asset.

[SuperValiant1876]

griff will be missed. I remember Bournemouth away the other year, and Griff goes off, Fraser comes on we lose 4-0. We will miss him and those that haven't been attending for whatever reasons may not realise how much for the team Griff actually did. Big loss and hard to replace.

[tisdeano]

Griff was a team player with out doubt, all be it a very technically limited team player

[Lady_Vale]

griff will be missed. I remember Bournemouth away the other year, and Griff goes off, Fraser comes on we lose 4-0. We will miss him and those that haven't been attending for whatever reasons may not realise how much for the team Griff actually did. Big loss and hard to replace.

 

Griff was sent off though - we did have 10 men

[Shropshire_Valiant]

Thanks for your efforts Griff and I wish him well. At the end of the day it can't have been easy for any of the players over the last year or two at Vale. He probably feels like a new challenge n to work somewhere else.

 

Strange choice in Orient but good luck to him apart from against vale in the future!

[jk77]

He always gave 100%,but dont think he'll be that much of a loss tbh..

[snowdrifter]

If we get a beer footballer who can stamp his authority on the game, then great.

 

Gary Roberts?

[Andyregs]

Gary Roberts?

 

Ha ha damn iPhone...*better!