Former Greek keeper signs

no not Greece, Exeter City

James Bittner Signs

Looks like he will be coaching the kids on the side too. Dont know much about him but im sure the Exeter fans on here can shead light on his skills but to me he seems an alright choice as a backup.

Possibly a better coach than gk? Cheap springs to mind also. Only 45 games for city (think they were in the conference then also). First summer signing which doesn't impress me (although he will be a reserve).

Chemical Ali wrote:

Possibly a better coach than gk? Cheap springs to mind also. Only 45 games for city (think they were in the conference then also). First summer signing which doesn't impress me (although he will be a reserve).

To be fair he will be sat on the bench 9 times out of ten so just aswell he is cheap. Glad he will coach the kids and manage marjons team so he is earning a wage and being of some use to the club.


Very odd he has used the right to be forgotten law on google and has no wiki page though   

Cheap and allows shez to bust the hymen of his budget on a centre mid. Good signing

It's a good job we don't have experience of Luke being injured for a long period of time....  

Hopefully he is able to catch. If so, an improvement. Cheap and cheerful springs to mind.

Seems to be getting ribbed quite a bit on fb by his mates for 'signing for the scum'

Did anyone think whoever was signed as a keeper for us was going to be on a par or better than Luke and at the same time going to be happy sitting on the bench or sharing the spot like cole? i dont think many would be interested in that imo number 1 or nothing.

There are only two types of keeper willing to be a backup in this league and league 1, a vet like bittner who is willing to coach kids on the side while being ready to step in if needed or a young keeper like dawson looking to gain exp from the number 1 and coach and being prepared for the chance if it comes.

Bittner will do he maybe cheap n cheerful but he ill do. I fully expect Hannah to step into the backup role next season.

In anybodys book a shocking signing, if MCcormicks injured then what? relying on a bloke who's played a few games for Exeter and thats it? he's really going to push" Super Luke" for the first team spot. Promotion Push my arse.

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Nandos on his own tonight the poor dear. Staying in a hotel too, better be the feckin travelodge

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

Angry wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

It would seem to be a safe bet to say that, bearing in mind the promotion of Wotton to coaching duties and the sale of Hourihane to a club that Argyle should at least be competing with,the answer is no.Which obviously raises deeper issues about the immediate and medium term future of the club.

Angry wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

We should have the money Angry! Whats happened to the supposed two hundred grand we collected for selling the club captain? Jake Cole looks a far better keeper than this guy.

It looks like we are hoping to have a small squad with no injuries- unfortunately we don't have the magical powers of Paul Maxwell anymore. Cox is injury prone, Reid has been most of his career (apart from last season) and others will get knocks. We may have a decent squad of 12 - 14 players but 1 or 2 injuries and we are buggered.

At the ATD meet Brent Meeting I think it was Jones that said that Fletcher had two budgets (ok his player purchases were abysmal)- an initial one for the squad and some in reserve for emergency loans etc- perhaps we are still keeping to that but I see little point in signing a keeper who wasn't good enough for Torquay or Exeter and has spent 95% of his career in the non-league- if Luke gets injured we can't rely on this bloke surely?

Chemical Ali wrote:

It looks like we are hoping to have a small squad with no injuries- unfortunately we don't have the magical powers of Paul Maxwell anymore. Cox is injury prone, Reid has been most of his career (apart from last season) and others will get knocks. We may have a decent squad of 12 - 14 players but 1 or 2 injuries and we are buggered.

At the ATD meet Brent Meeting I think it was Jones that said that Fletcher had two budgets (ok his player purchases were abysmal)- an initial one for the squad and some in reserve for emergency loans etc- perhaps we are still keeping to that but I see little point in signing a keeper who wasn't good enough for Torquay or Exeter and has spent 95% of his career in the non-league- if Luke gets injured we can't rely on this bloke surely?

Depends how we play the loan market

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

Angry wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

We should have the money Angry! Whats happened to the supposed two hundred grand we collected for selling the club captain? Jake Cole looks a far better keeper than this guy.

i can tell you were most of it went CVA agreement and ipswich town. We were left with £70-80 grand at the end of it i beleive so not much at all.

Bittner is cheap and cheerful and i do agree two good keepers fighting for the number one spot would be ideal however with brent keeping his wallet strapped i would rather we put the resources that we do have left in signing a decent replacement for Hourihane who can match or better his impact in the team than sign another first choice keeper, when at the end of the day you can only ever play one at the time and we will be paying the other one to sit on the bench and with no reserve football again this year(BIG MISTAKE IF YOU ASK ME) it doesnt make sense to do it.

Luke is the out right first choice and would have been if cole was still here as Shezza said and with that being the case then we may aswell just have soemone like bittner who is happy sit on the bench and help out with youth coaching and isnt going to cost too much.

Chemical Ali wrote:

It looks like we are hoping to have a small squad with no injuries- unfortunately we don't have the magical powers of Paul Maxwell anymore. Cox is injury prone, Reid has been most of his career (apart from last season) and others will get knocks. We may have a decent squad of 12 - 14 players but 1 or 2 injuries and we are buggered.

At the ATD meet Brent Meeting I think it was Jones that said that Fletcher had two budgets (ok his player purchases were abysmal)- an initial one for the squad and some in reserve for emergency loans etc- perhaps we are still keeping to that but I see little point in signing a keeper who wasn't good enough for Torquay or Exeter and has spent 95% of his career in the non-league- if Luke gets injured we can't rely on this bloke surely?

I think i read someone that John Sheridan plans to use the Loan market if injuries happen but wants to keep the squad small for financial reasons so he can bring in quality not quantity.

I feel he will signed one or two in anycase before the deadline day as we are very thin on numbers who can play down both flanks either full back or wing and with the argie turning down the contract this remains an issue.

Angry wrote:

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

Angry wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

We should have the money Angry! Whats happened to the supposed two hundred grand we collected for selling the club captain? Jake Cole looks a far better keeper than this guy.

i can tell you were most of it went CVA agreement and ipswich town. We were left with £70-80 grand at the end of it i beleive so not much at all.

Bittner is cheap and cheerful and i do agree two good keepers fighting for the number one spot would be ideal however with brent keeping his wallet strapped i would rather we put the resources that we do have left in signing a decent replacement for Hourihane who can match or better his impact in the team than sign another first choice keeper, when at the end of the day you can only ever play one at the time and we will be paying the other one to sit on the bench and with no reserve football again this year(BIG MISTAKE IF YOU ASK ME) it doesnt make sense to do it.

Luke is the out right first choice and would have been if cole was still here as Shezza said and with that being the case then we may aswell just have soemone like bittner who is happy sit on the bench and help out with youth coaching and isnt going to cost too much.

Let's just leave it at that and hope that Luke doesn't get injured early on.

Greenskin wrote:

Angry wrote:

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

Angry wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

`rgill wrote:

I concur with the above, the lowest of low of low quality signings.

Thirded.Complete rubbish to say that the goalkeeping position is one where you can "just get by" with any old Tom,Dick or Harry as the back up.People need meaningful competition to keep them on their A game and this bloke's recent record suggests that he's not really the man to do it.No disrespect to him of course and due good wishes for his Argyle career but an unimpressive statement as to the direction the club seems to be taking.

Do we have the money for two first choice keepers?

We should have the money Angry! Whats happened to the supposed two hundred grand we collected for selling the club captain? Jake Cole looks a far better keeper than this guy.

i can tell you were most of it went CVA agreement and ipswich town. We were left with £70-80 grand at the end of it i beleive so not much at all.

Bittner is cheap and cheerful and i do agree two good keepers fighting for the number one spot would be ideal however with brent keeping his wallet strapped i would rather we put the resources that we do have left in signing a decent replacement for Hourihane who can match or better his impact in the team than sign another first choice keeper, when at the end of the day you can only ever play one at the time and we will be paying the other one to sit on the bench and with no reserve football again this year(BIG MISTAKE IF YOU ASK ME) it doesnt make sense to do it.

Luke is the out right first choice and would have been if cole was still here as Shezza said and with that being the case then we may aswell just have soemone like bittner who is happy sit on the bench and help out with youth coaching and isnt going to cost too much.

Let's just leave it at that and hope that Luke doesn't get injured early on.

If he does there is the loan market

Got a friend who has met him. Insists he was a top keeper (at Conference level) and is also a top bloke. Hence living for the youth work, coaching, mentoring and community work.

It seems he is the ideal running mate for McCormick.

Whereas Luke is not ideal to be mentoring children or working in the community, Bittner will embrace it. And he will do it for cheap. He is capable of stepping in if Luke gets injured, should JS not want to loan, and can do it well unlike Hannah who is young and raw.

If Cole was on £750 a week and Bittner is on £250 with coaching and community work thrown in, what is there to moan about? Cole was only needed last season due to a freak accident (how many keepers get sidelined through injury?) And was otherwise a waste of a wage.

My guesses at wages are exactly that, but there is no doubt this situation is cheaper. We have signed a reserve keeper who knows he is the #2 and his happy to be here. He is happy to be paid what a backup keeper gets paid. Cole hqd no appetite to be a backup keeper, nor to be paid as one - yet I imagine the standard between 'one of the best keepers in the Conference' and Cole really isn't too dissimilar. .

£250 a week equates to less than the minimum wage!

Two mid-fielder turned us down this week

looks a crap signing given how good Jakey cole was lets all keep our collective fingers crossed that "super Luke stays fit" for the promotion push!