Been reading all about Rory's progress since he left TCS and been nothing but impressed. Albeit at a much lesser level, he is making a huge contribution to his side who sit at the top of the league. His goal scoring record is tremendous and week after week you read opposition managers saying that he was the difference between the teams.

This has got me thinking if he has another shot in him at a higher level or is his success down purely to the level he is playing at. Is he another Andy Barrowman or a potential Bernie Slaven (for younger posters he left Albion Rovers for Middlesborough and became huge even making the ROI World Cup Squad)?

I think someone will take a punt on him and I hope they do.

Thoughts?

Been reading all about Rory's progress since he left TCS and been nothing but impressed. Albeit at a much lesser level, he is making a huge contribution to his side who sit at the top of the league. His goal scoring record is tremendous and week after week you read opposition managers saying that he was the difference between the teams.

This has got me thinking if he has another shot in him at a higher level or is his success down purely to the level he is playing at. Is he another Andy Barrowman or a potential Bernie Slaven (for younger posters he left Albion Rovers for Middlesborough and became huge even making the ROI World Cup Squad)?

I think someone will take a punt on him and I hope they do.

Thoughts?

Dropping down a level or two was just the experience Rory needed and he is doing well from it. Good luck to him.

He got a hell of a lot of criticism for someone so young when he was here. This is where the reputation buttons would have become interesting, so we could see just how vocal the anti-vote was. He's doing brilliantly and I certainly wouldn't be against us taking another chance on him. Still a young lad remember.

It always bugged me the amount of stick that could be dished out to that young lad, FROM HIS OWN SUPPORTERS. Even when he wasn't playing some of the boo boys were more than happy to dish out dog's abuse on here.

The same thing happened up to a point with young Nick Ross whenever he appeared last season. Even when he scored the only goal of a game against Morton, he was criticised for lacking a Tokelyesque physique. Thankfully he now appears to have shut up most of his critics in the best way possible.

There's just no pleasing some people.

I'd have him back. We need cover n a proven goal scorer he is!

The experience will be doing him no end of good, thats for sure, he is proving he can score goals but he was punted because he couldnt do the job at that time .

I still feel he would struggle against SPL defenders, be interesting to see if Brechin get into the 1st Div how he gets on, maybe county will secure his services in january, they could do with him for sure.

maybe county will secure his services in january, they could do with him for sure.

Finally, that Barrowman/McAllister dream team you always wanted!

maybe county will secure his services in january, they could do with him for sure

Indeed, but unlikely to happen based on this interview from earlier this year, in which he said "there would be no point, for example, just moving to the lower end of the First Division" :biggrin:

Anyway, Rory is doing a plumbing apprenticeship at the moment, and to give that up for full time football would be something of a wrench.

Let's be honest - Rory was poor for us. He showed potential in the reserves and on a couple of occasions coming off the bench but he never really cut the mustard. His last appearence for us was against Morton in the league cup and he was abysmal that night, one of the worst performances I've seen from a striker. He is doing really well in Division Two and I am pleased for him as he always had a bit of potential and did get a lot of unwarrented stick.

For those that want to sign him, how are St Mirren getting on with the players they have signed from the Second Division this season? How did Andy Barrowman do for us after a similar scoring record at the same level of football?

maybe county will secure his services in january, they could do with him for sure

Indeed, but unlikely to happen based on this interview from earlier this year, in which he said "there would be no point, for example, just moving to the lower end of the First Division" :biggrin:

Anyway, Rory is doing a plumbing apprenticeship at the moment, and to give that up for full time football would be something of a wrench.

Oh the jokes keep coming and coming...

He was given a good run of games the season that Dargo and Wyness were both injured, i think it was 2007. He did not impress, it must have been a run of about 10 games. That had made up my mind about him after that.

Even when we sent him out on loan to Peterhead he didn't impress and they cut his loan early i think.

He was in need of a fresh start and he grabbed it with both hands at Brechin, well done to him. He will either get promoted with Brechin or earn himself a better move elsewhere. It will be intresting to see if he carries on his form in Division 1.

Edited October 26, 201015 yr by ajsict92

I think that if he has any pride, he'd tell us where to go if we tried to get him back, after the way he was treated by quite a lot of posters on here!

The same thing happened up to a point with young Nick Ross whenever he appeared last season. Even when he scored the only goal of a game against Morton, he was criticised for lacking a Tokelyesque physique. Thankfully he now appears to have shut up most of his critics in the best way possible.

There's just no pleasing some people.

But Nick Ross has proved to come good, Rory never did that with us and thats why he got the stick. Rory was pretty dire when he was with us and i'm not convinced he would be worthy of a second chance with us. At least not until he's banging them in at first division level. Its good to hear how well he's doing these days but as its been said before Andy Barrowman banged them in at 2nd division level, its nothing special just yet.

Rory has always had an eye for the net. I haven't watched him play for Brechin so I cant comment on how he plays. I've always felt that given the service he'd be in the right place to score. When I last seen him play he was pretty lazy but if a ball came to him he'd take the chance. It may well be he's still the same player but getting the service and scoring from that. It may well be he's totally changed but there is still a big difference between the lower leagues and SPL.

Neither Craig Brewster nor Craig Dargo were much cop either in their teens. I wouldn't write off McAllister yet. We should definitely keep our eye on him.

I'd have him back. We need cover n a proven goal scorer he is!

Let's not foget that he is doing the business in Div 2 - a far cry from SPL or even the top half of the Div 1. I honestly don't think ICT would gain anything by taking Rory back at this time. He is doing well where he is and I'm sure he will be enjoying being the top man at Brechin.

As one or two others are saying, the abuse Rory took from his own fans was really poor.

Fans criticising their own players seem to have no idea the effect they have on the said players confidence and obviously their subsequent performance !

In my opinion MacAllister didn't do an awful lot to suggest to me that he was going to be a valuable player, EXCEPT on one occasion against Celtic no less. I can't remember what game it was but as I recall Rory came on as a sub early and played a superb match.

I definately think that there is something there, but there is probably something lacking as well, possibly confidence.

I definately think that there is something there, but there is probably something lacking as well, possibly confidence.

Try having the right attitude. That's what saw him released from Aberdeen before he came to us. Maybe he has found his level now (like Prunty) and has improved his attitude accordingly.

I must admit I do still find it funny when I think of the article on how he was using ICT as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

I wonder what the site search engine would turn up in reference to Rory for those chastising "others" who gave him a hard time?

Anyway......I sang the lads praises on many occasions, and also had the benefit of seeing him produce some great performances for the reserves. However, he could never reproduce that for the first team and was probably given more chances than most to do so.

I don't think it was attitude, youth, style, position, support, consistency or whatever that was to blame....he just wasn't good enough to compete at SPL level and, in all the chances he was given, even those like myself who believed in the lad had to admit he showed little (if anything) to make us believe he ever would be good enough.

Glad to see he is doing well (and hope he is enjoying his football) where he is at, but I would be very surprised if he managed to succeed much beyond the level he is playing at now.