' Cardiff City player told by a text message '

' Another story from This Forum by Steve Tucker '

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Tony Watt reveals he was set to seal Cardiff City transfer when transfer embargo scuppered deal
“I had three days worth of medicals at Cardiff and I was going to sign on the dotted line when I got a text about the embargo,” said Watt.

Tuesday 2nd Feb 2016

BY STEVE TUCKER

Watt has now played for three different clubs in three successive games after moving to Blackburn


Tony Watt was bent over his Cardiff City contract, pen in hand ready to sign on the dotted line when suddenly his phone went.



It was a text, but unfortunately for Bluebirds supporters it wasn’t one congratulating him on signing a permanent deal in the Welsh capital, instead it was a message telling him to drop that pen, as Cardiff had been placed under a transfer embargo .

The 22-year-old striker has revealed just how close he came to signing for Russell Slade’s side following his successful loan spell with the Bluebirds from Charlton.

Two goals in nine games and, perhaps more importantly, the fresh impetus going forward he had brought to the side, had convinced Slade and the Cardiff hierarchy to make Watt their number one target in the January window.



But then all bets were off, as it was announced the Bluebirds had been placed under a transfer embargo for breaching the Football League’s Financial Fair Play regulations and no permanent signings could be made.


Watt put down his pen and departed back to Charlton. He has now arrived at the Bluebirds’ Championship rivals Blackburn on loan and has confessed just how close things came to being so very different.

“I had three days worth of medicals at Cardiff and I was going to sign on the dotted line when I got a text about the embargo,” said Watt.

“I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason and now I’m at a massive club.”

All the controversy has meant that Watt has joined a very select club having played for three different clubs in three successive games.



His last game for Cardiff was in the 2-0 defeat at Hull last month, ten days later he started for parent-club Charlton as they drew with Blackburn in the Championship.

Then, a week later, remarkably, he was playing for Blackburn in the FA Cup as Rovers downed Oxford 3-0 in the fourth round even marking the occasion with his first goal for the Lancashire club on his debut.

Watt could be forgiven for feeling a tad confused by it all, but he insists now he is just fully focused on the future at Ewood Park

The Scottish marksman added: “I’m happy I’ve moved on to Blackburn. We’ll see what happens in the summer, I’d love to be working here with the gaffer. I’m happy to be settled and that the gaffer showed trust in me. With the players around me, it’s very positive.”

For the Bluebirds, meanwhile, it remains very much a case, of the one that got away.

Players and managers seem to find out they've been sacked, sold or released by text all the time, these days. Respect and loyalty is not what it used to be.

Players and managers seem to find out they've been sacked, sold or released by text all the time, these days. Respect and loyalty is not what it used to be.

Very true and Roy Keane was disrespectful to Sunderland when he quit by a text.

Fair play Annis looks like you got this one spot on too

It all happend so quick, a text was probably the quickest and eisiest way to convey the message before he signed, what we supposed to do send a feckimg telegram ???

I don't suppose the club were too happy about being placed on a transfer embargo either and had a few other issues to sort out.

Stop moaning you were a decent player for us and gave your best but, that's life, it could be a lot worse !!!

That's the norm these days.

Fair play Annis looks like you got this one spot on too

It does show that teams shouldn't fk about in the transfer window. If you want a player sign him, don't wait til the last few days of the window and have something like (embargo) crop up