Trialists.   We've had many of them of over the years and while some were signed up and were both great successes and tragic failures, others have disappeared into the mists of time.

 

So aside from those who were signed up, who else have we had over the years?  How many of them them were missed chances?  And how many of them were lucky escapes?

 

I think we should go one at a time, it's more fun that way!

 

I'll start us off - 

 

Vladimirs Koļesņičenko - A Latvian international attacking midfielder who came on trial at the same time as Pavels Mihadjuks.  Brewster decided not to sign him.  Seems afterwards he played for clubs in Azerbaijan and the Ukraine as well as two spells at Skonto Riga, who he is now chairman of!  They also have Nauris Bulvitis playing for them as well!  

Edited September 12, 201311 yr by Renegade

Ryan Harper - Scottish striker/winger who'd only played in Spain came on trial in 2009 after not winning a contract after a trial at Partick Thistle (then in the First Division) and after at deal at Hamilton Accies fell through.  He later went onto play for the Real Betis B team and is currently at CF Fuenlabrada in the third tier of Spanish football.

 

Seems his younger brother Jack is or was in the Real Madrid youth team.

Edited September 13, 201311 yr by Renegade

What about the teenager from somewhere in the Midlands who wasn't with any club, just played Sunday league or such like, and came up a few years ago, scored the only goal in a game (reserves v Clach possibly?), but got sent home without an offer?

Liam Molesworth!  Seemed a bit of a cocky wee lad who scored against Brora or somewhere from what I remember in a North of Scotland Cup match.  Was looking him up the other day funnily enough and I see he was at The Cove SC in the South Australia State League after trials with Kilmarnock and Bouremouth.  He's now at the wildly named Adelaide Blue Eagles in the South Australian Super League (probably a standard akin to the Highland League).

Edited September 13, 201311 yr by Renegade

His (self-written, no doubt) Wikipedia page unashamedly announces that he "scored on his debut" for ICT! The career stats also has him as played 1, scored 1, for us! I'll sort that out.

See it also says that he played twice and scored once for Bournemouth.  If you actually read the page it says he was a trialist and the linked article he actually scored in a friendly against the Swansea reserve team.

 

We were going to sign him on a two year deal for the U20s but there was some dispute between his agent and someone on the ICT board which meant the offer was removed apparently.  One article about him also says that he couldn't join Killie because "their squad list had already been submitted"   and has also been linked with moves to Adelaide United and Perth Glory.

 

Sounds like he's trying to big himself up quite a bit to be honest.

Edited September 13, 201311 yr by Renegade

Darren Lough - Another former Newcastle youth who played at left-back against Clach along with Callum Morris.  Wasn't offered a deal and is now at Knattspyrnufelag Akureyrar in Iceland.

Edited September 13, 201311 yr by Renegade

Was Richie Hart not on trial when he was with us ? And wot about Mr Vigurs ?

 

You are on a fine line Johndo........................has there been others?

Did Scott Macdonald come on trial with ICT for a few days before he went to Motherwell?

Are you asking us or telling us? Can't say I've ever heard that one before. He definitely had a trial with Dundee Utd shortly before joining Motherwell, in 2004.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, it's very hard to imagine that Robbo would have thought Hissy and Bayne were better options than Scott McDonald!

I have a faint memory of it but I could be wrong.

 

Nothing wrong with Hissy, BTW.  a much under-rated player, in my opinion.

Edited September 13, 201311 yr by Kind of Blue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Robertson_(footballer_born_1971)

Jean Francois Chrisophe - big centre midfielder who came on trial but never actually played a game due to injury. Was not offered a contract and is currently plying his trade at Belgian club KVK Tienen in the 2nd Division.

Juanjo - Came back on trial at the same time as Lionel Djebi-Zadi, but was not offered a deal.  Afterwards went on trial with Ross County, Airdrie and Bournemouth but failed to win a contract with each of them.  Later played for Mataro in Spain, Gibralter United, Aris Limassol and APEP in Cyprus.  It's unclear where he is now.

Edited September 16, 201311 yr by Renegade

Was Patrick Kisnorbo not on trial with us once? Went on to play for Hearts and Leicester amongst others, not a bad player but cant remember if he was on trial at us for sure.

Yeah I think he was.

...alleged to have made inappropriate contact.

Inappropriate contact?  During Brewster's spell in charge?...

 

Allegedly!

 

 

I may be wrong here, but did we not have Robert Snodgrass on trial years ago?  In the English Premier League with Norwich now.

 

Had a look at the aforementioned Molesworth's Twitter today.  Seems like we dodged a bullet there.  Comes across as a right twit!

Edited September 19, 201311 yr by Renegade

We didnt have Snodgrass on trial but we were looking to sign him and James McPake from Livingston...in the end the idea was shelved so we could sign...wait for it

Barrowman.

Callum Reidford - Ex-Rangers, Dunfermline and Dundee keeper, who came in on trial prior to the start of our season in Division 1 as a potential back-up to Esson.  In the end he wasn't signed, despite playing a couple of friendly matches.  Afterwards, he went to Clyde and then Stirling and is now at Stenhousemuir.

 

Also, does anyone remember two Slovakians (or possibly Slovenians!) who came in on trial around the same time?  I'm sure one of them or possibly both of them were strikers and one of them scored against Deveronvale or somewhere.  Think he was called Oli or Ogi or something?

Edited October 19, 201311 yr by Renegade

Reidford just signed for Stirling Albion. He was on the bench against Whitehill in the Scottish.

Aye he played for us in a 5-0 win at Brechin and looked awfy wee.

Nobody mentioned Stratford. It was a trial watching him.

Callum Reidford - Ex-Rangers, Dunfermline and Dundee keeper, who came in on trial prior to the start of our season in Division 1 as a potential back-up to Esson.  In the end he wasn't signed, despite playing a couple of friendly matches.  Afterwards, he went to Clyde and then Stirling and is now at Stenhousemuir.

 

Also, does anyone remember two Slovakians (or possibly Slovenians!) who came in on trial around the same time?  I'm sure one of them or possibly both of them were strikers and one of them scored against Deveronvale or somewhere.  Think he was called Oli or Ogi or something?

 

The two slovakians/slovenians started up front against Forres. They played in the same game as Jonny Hayes trial. They were absolutely dreadful

Edited October 23, 201311 yr by fraser

They were youngish Slovakians called Robert Ujcik and Jaroslav Machovec.

 

Ujcik plays in the Slovakian 2nd division (club with ground capacity less than 2,000 which perhaps gives you some idea of the level).

 

Machovec played briefly in the Slovak top flight and is now in the Czech 2nd division, for a club in the town where Budvar is brewed. He is now listed as a defender/midfielder.

 

Doesn't sound like we missed on much.

At the same time as Reidford we had another keeper, Greg Kelly.  In fact they both got some game time in the 5-0 at Brechin.

 

 

Edit to add : just looked him up, he went on to have a season with Annan but then seems to have disappeared from senior football.  I did find though that in the last couple of years a Greg Kelly has been keeper for the Scottish Police football team.

Edited October 23, 201311 yr by Yngwie