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Loach to Sign on Thursday Wednesday, 18th Jul 2012 21:08
TWTD understands that Scott Loach will sign for the Blues tomorrow. The 24-year-old Watford keeper has been at Portman Road this evening to undergo a medical and will complete a £150,000 switch from the Hornets on Thursday.
A deal is all but agreed and the former England U21 international appears certain to become Town's new number one, despite reported interest from Blackburn.
Loach is unlikely to join up with the Blues squad in Holland for tomorrow’s match against Den Bosch but will be a Town player well in time for their UK-based friendlies.
The Nottingham-born keeper, who we reported was the subject of a Town enquiry in late June, was previously with the Blues’ academy between 1997 and 2000 before his family relocated back to his home town. Town's other senior keeper Arran Lee-Barrett would also have been at the academy at the same time.
The 6ft 4in tall keeper established himself as Watford’s number one during 2008/09 but after a drop in form fell out of favour at Vicarage Road last season with Manchester United’s Tomasz Kuszczak — Town’s number one keeper target until he joined Brighton - coming in on loan.
In addition to his spells as a youngster with the Blues — where he will have worked with current keeper-coach Malcolm Webster and returning academy director Bryan Klug - and Nottingham Forest, Loach was also with Southwell United and Lincoln City's youth set-ups, spending time on loan with the likes of Bourne Town, Radcliffe Olympic, Boston Town, Spalding United, Stamford, Lincoln United, Gedling Miners Welfare and Grantham Town while with the Imps, who will receive 15% of the fee the Blues are paying the Hornets.
In April 2006, Loach moved on to Watford, Lincoln receiving £50,000 in compensation. Prior to breaking into the first team at Vicarage Road he went on further loan spells at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford City.
Loach can be seen in action for Town’s academy in this short film.
Photo: Action Images
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At last..... This move should have happened about 3 years ago! Well done all concerned. With a CB and Keeper on board we can now start talking progress.
I have read that the £150,000 is actually the amount that Lincoln City are set to receive once the deal goes through. Watford are saying that the amount is 'less than £300,000' so I guess it could be anything.
In the build up to this move some Watford fans were joking that Ipswich always overpay with their signings, well clearly not with Clegg in charge of things.
Well done Clegg and PJ for pulling this off. I'd also like to see Kello as mentioned above though.
Lets give the guy a chance hey?! as we should with any new signing. He is 24 which as we all know is young for a keeper. Form is temporary, class is permanent!
I have a theory about goalkeepers - at the age of about seven they volunteer to play in nets and are never seen outfield again. You can imagine it at Scott's school - "It's OK, Loachy will go in goal."
TheWizardDeVos: 'Wow! What a coup. We've signed mighty Watford's reserve keeper! We're going up!'
Thank you for your application for TWTD's position of 'Village Idiot', WizardDeVos.
Unfortunately that position has already been taken by H32 and Jas999.
To reapply more successfully, please show more of the following: - personal insecurity issues - Childish typing, like using capital letters in your posts - a large ego you spend a lifetime defending, because you are masking your own personal failure and immaturity to debate like an adult - a lack of football knowledge (though you did well in the test) - a lack of social skills with other humans (I suggest Rent-a-Friend.com for those moments you remember why no one wants to hang out with you) - a generally weak gullible mind, easily led by propaganda and trends (ie Jewell, Clegg) - plus a tendency to jump on a negativity bandwagon (ie Clegg, Jewell), in particular where there's no proof. - also make sure you don't apologise to the person you've slandered and ridiculed when you get it wrong (ie Jewell, Clegg). That would take a real man, and fairness, which is not required for the position of TWTD Village Idiot.
[Please see H32's and Jas' posts for examples of these character flaws]
@tractordamage: To be fair to jas, he has had a very good last 3/4 months and been pretty objective with his comments. He has also identified any negative remarks toward PJ & SC as his own opinion rather stating it as though it were fact. Right or wrong, he is just as entitled to his opinion as any of the rest of us. You know, I kind of miss the old jas sometimes!
Forgive me tractordamage for having an opinion of my own, one which has taken on just a hint of sarcasm when it comes to new signings and all things ITFC generally. The reality of the situation is that we are now feeding off scraps from other teams in our division, who are clearly looking upwards and onwards. We had our chance to splash the cash and employed totally the wrong idiot to do it. My words may be born out of frustration but reflect exactly how I feel about where my beloved club is currently heading. I'm into my fifth decade as a Town fan and maybe some of you younger upstarts still remain optimistic. Good luck to you, though wisdom comes to all. With the current squad, we will be lucky to improve upon last season's woeful performance and head for another season of mediocrity. Search your feelings and consider this - Which Town players are good enough to form part of a promotion winning side? Cresswell? maybe Chopra? perhaps. Beyond that i'm struggling, as we will be next term.
You have a point, Len. Jas has calmed down a bit (and I like his ability to spellcheck his posts). But when a person has been so aggressively inaccurate and vocal about others, and uses opinionated language to suppress the debate, it's a sign of maturity and bravery to redeem yourself with appropriate remorse and an apologetic attitude. Hiding behind 'reduced aggression' is the mark of a coward. Particularly as he has been championing Roy Keane's managerial skills for so long (making his football opinion somewhat null and void).
Without a fair attitude to others, he has earnt the right to be a target himself. It won't surprise me these guys won't be able to 'take what they dish out' - one of the usual character flaws of someone like that.
If someone spread lies that he was a paedo, would it be ok for that person to simply say it less and carry on? No, you would want that person to show remorse at his inadequate judgement and ignorance (the damage is done when weak-minded sheep follow the negativity, as we see on here too much). As I said, being fair is the sign of a decent character. People are forgiven, when they earn it.
Much better fella, a measured opinion instead of dramatic 'look-at-me!' comments. But I notice you have said nothing to Toepunts destruction of your intial assertion. I notice you also assume I am young, thanks! But I'm 38, and meant to have one of the highest IQs in the country (though I reckon I've drunk away many of the brain cells). I've had a season ticket since I was 3-years-old and am from a family of Town fans who have been attending games since the early 1900s. Be careful with your condescending attitude to others: as the saying goes...'To ASSUME makes an ASS out of U and ME'. You don't see me accusing you of dementia, right?
Is anyone else getting concerned that nothin has happened so far today? From previous articles it sounded like all that needed to happen today was sign on the dotted line....
Tractordamage, Toepunt's stats prove one thing - Loach was Watford's first choice keeper in season's gone by but due to them becoming tired of his error strewn displays, they dropped him last season after 30 games, making him their.......wait for it..............RESERVE keeper, to the unpronounceable lad who's gone to Brighton. They are also content to let him go before signing a replacement. I accept that Zola will want his own players in but he must've received some guidance from someone in the know. So that's put that argument to bed then! As for my sarcastic comment about us going up, there is no way on earth this bunch of misfits are good enough (in my humble opinion, if I can be so bold to offer it) to sustain a push for promotion. Time will tell if i'm right on that score but I have a hunch I may just be. You may find it very difficult to believe but I really hope I'm wrong!
Let's get behind him and support him and not listen to those who believe what Watford "fans" are saying. After all, i have pre-conceived ideas about the majority of people who post on here - but i am sure you are all not in bred, idiots.
Watford fans - What would they know about him anyway?! I know he is the perfect choice for us because he's........erm............a Town fan, yeah that's it! and he's 6 foot 4 and he's great on Champ Man!
Thewizarddevos by your own admission you sound like a grumpy old man living in the past glory days of an exceptional side ,probably never to be achieved again . On your comment about who is good enough it is a team playing together and for each other who will be good enough not individuals , no one would have predicted that Blackpool,Burnley,Hull,Swansea ,Norwich Reading or the Saints were good enough at the start of their respective promotion seasons but all went up . Add to your list Loach,Chambers , Bullard,Drury,Jet,Carson,Martin all capable of getting a team promoted
Wow once again the negativity on here never ceases to amaze. No he's not Peter Shilton, but he is an experianced 24 year old keeper, who has played for Engalnd U21's and after a crisis of confidence he slipped down the pecking order at Watford. He should be given our full backing until such a time as he fails to deliver, as with the rest of the squad. New season clean slate, and I will be backing them as long as they put in the effort and wear the shirt with pride. It's sad to see people/fans who apparently have the same goal, getting into petty squabbles, when essentaily they have no idea what the future holds. COYB
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