Ex-Saint leaves Eastleigh for Basingstoke (From Daily Echo)
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Ex-Saint leaves Eastleigh for Basingstoke
10:50am Saturday 9th June 2012 in Eastleigh FC
By Wendy Gee
EX-SAINTS youngster Jordace Holder-Spooner has left Eastleigh to sign for Blue Square Bet South rivals Basingstoke Town.
The 19-year-old Reading-based winger was released from St Mary’s last summer having joined Southampton at the age of 14.
He was part of Saints’ academy intake of 2009 which included England starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
He played his first game for Eastleigh in a 4-1 pre-season friendly win over a Saints XI last summer and made his competitive debut as a substitute against Basingstoke on the opening day of the campaign.
The pacy, powerful wideman went on to start 12 games for the Spitfires, scoring three goals, but his season was interrupted by a bad ankle injury sustained against Romsey in the Hampshire FA Senior Cup which sidelined him for nine weeks.
His Eastleigh contract expired at the end of May and, although Baird had talks with his agent about the possibility of keeping him, Holder-Spooner chose to play closer to home with Basingstoke.
“Being out injured for that length of time didn’t help Jordace, and his girlfriend having a baby meant he lost his focus a bit, which is not unusual,” said Baird.
“In one way I’m disappointed to lose him because the lad’s got tremendous ability. But in another way I’m not. He was supposed to be on the bench for the Hampshire Cup final but arrived 20 minutes late.
“He didn’t seem to have a watch.
“Hopefully Basingstoke will get him one so that he turns up on time for training and games!
“Jordace needs to reassess and realise he’s got to put in 100 per cent effort if he’s going to make it as a pro or at high level of non-League.”
Comments(8)
pear shaped
says...
3:15pm Sat 9 Jun 12
Ian Baird often makes these kind of remarks when players leave the club. It does no one any good and does not need to be said. Why can he not just wish the young lad well, instead of making a snidey comment just because a player chooses to go elsewhere for a more realistic chance of first team football. There really is no need for it and I am disappointed by his remarks.
OSPREYSAINT
says...
12:12am Sun 10 Jun 12
Bluenose65
says...
7:19am Sun 10 Jun 12
pear shaped wrote:Not sure I agree
I think you mean a disrespectful comment?
Ian Baird often makes these kind of remarks when players leave the club. It does no one any good and does not need to be said. Why can he not just wish the young lad well, instead of making a snidey comment just because a player chooses to go elsewhere for a more realistic chance of first team football. There really is no need for it and I am disappointed by his remarks.
Ian actually says that the player has qaulity.
pear shaped
says...
8:33am Sun 10 Jun 12
StevieSteve
says...
8:59am Sun 10 Jun 12
pear shaped wrote:If he turned up on time there wouldn't be any such comments! How can you respect a player being 20 minutes late for a cup final?? Lol
...but he still cannot resist throwing in backstabbing comments at the nd. That was my point. You can say all the nice and complimentary things you want, but if you finish it with a snidely comment, that's what sticks in people's mind. Hence your initial comment, which was backing the snide remark. Again, disrespectful.
pear shaped
says...
10:49am Sun 10 Jun 12
allmove4ward2geva
says...
11:06am Tue 12 Jun 12
Bluenose65 says...
2:54pm Sat 9 Jun 12