City and bringing on players from lower divisions

[isab23502]

Back in the 70's - United and Liverpool seemed to be capable of scouting-up and bringing on some quality from the lower divisions (United with Pearson (Hull), Hill (Brentford), Coppell (Tranmere), (various jocks and Irish) and Liverpool with the likes of Keegan (Scunny), Neal (Northampton), Clemence (scunny)) - whereas City seemingly just put there own reserves/ youth team in and topped up with a few top-of-the-range buys.
Have we ever successfully bought-in players from the lower leagues? Any particular players or periods (in the last 40 years or so)? If not - any particular reason?

 

[Anonymous]

The likes of Mick McCarthy , from Barnsley , did a good enough job for us , but i wouldn't call him top class ..... Shaun Goater too , proved a bargain buy ..... and i did like Kevin Horlock too

but obviously , prior to the late seventies , the Likes of Bell , Lee and Summerbee had been unbelievably good purchases for this club.

 

[Why Always Ste]

Colin Bell - Bury 1963–1966

 

[Bilboblue]

Tony Book did ok I seem to recall.

 

[kunaguero10]

wouldn't happen nowadays

 

[blueste41]

Joe Hart-Shrewsbury and The Goat Bristol City are just 2 that spring to mind!

 

[isab23502]

Joe Hart-Shrewsbury and The Goat Bristol City are just 2 that spring to mind!

I was thinking more of as an overall policy than odd ones - eg Keegan's policy (in general) was buy aging past-it big names.

 

[East Level 2]

Colin Bell - Bury 1963–1966

Bury were in the same division as us when we bought Bell.

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

Adam Johnson, made a decent profit for him as well.

 

[Ducado]

I am not sure there are many British players in the lower leagues that are the right calibre nowadays, the FA needs to get a shift on in sorting out the coaching methods in this country