clanfordimp
Vital 1st Team Regular
Tom Pett talking about how he and Lee Frecklington were made to train on their own while at Lincoln under Appleton. @clanfordimp and I were pretty heavily criticised for making up rumours when we raised this a few years ago.
Robins midfielder Tom Pett's story so far
Experienced midfielder Tom Pett became Darrell Clarke's first signing for Cheltenham Town in Novemberwww.google.com
Yes libertine, I was told by the Chairman that he knew nothing about it and nothing had been said to him either by Liam or Appleton but they were hardly likely to were they. And to be fair Liam wouldn't be at the training ground on a daily basis so he wasn't likely to know and i dont think either player had spoken to anyone regarding the situation but it was true because it came from Tom himself.
He had a driving offence and was on a an awareness course and my son was on the same course and they sat next to each other and chatted all day and was fully open and candid with what he said.
Both Tom and Freck were not treated with respect and in the right way by Appleton.
Appleton largely ignored them both and they had to train on their own most of the time and he said that he sometimes got on in the last 5 minutes or so of a training match. Freck even had his GPS taken off him.
Tom was upset at his treatment by Appleton. He had an opportunity to leave to go to MK Dons but this was around the covid time and it had fell through partly because he didn't want to upskittle the family at this time.
He said he could understand a manager coming in and not fancying them and not being part of their plans but said it didn't matter how hard he and Freck trained Appleton just ignored them and didn't even have the curtesy to explain the situation to them, which he said he would of excepted but instead Appleton didn't tell them anything and ignored them.
Those of you who are gullible enough to just take in and drink up everything the club feeds you and that they tell you the gospel truth all the time take heed of this story.
It's not a massive story but it's 100% true and these type of things do go on in clubs but it's not the way Freck should of ended his career at the club as a local lad and someone who had given magnificent service to this club.
Yes, Appleton gave the club one of its greatest seasons ever but he had a lot to learn when it came down to the man management of (some) of the players.