Dom Ballard

[Saint86]

He's 20 years old, playing for one of the worst sides in the league, and is joint top scorer. Pleased for him, but thats a right balls up by saints. The trajectory we're on he'll be above us in the football pyramid in a couple of seasons. Wouldn't be at all surprised if clubs look at him after this season if he keeps going like that. Top scorers in League 1 generally get picked up and end up playing at championship level, potentially even premier league level ultimatley.

Wonder if he'll follow a similar trajectory as Kane (albeit not to the same levels) - who had his first real senior experience at Leyton Orient as a teenager. Plenty of other strikers that have made their way up the pyramid from league 1 as well - Vardy, Toney and Lambert being just a few prominent examples. Billy Sharp as well, although with less success at top level.

Good luck to the lad, really pleased to see him getting regular minutes and goals - if he carries on improving you'd like to see him back at saints scoring for us as he clearly loves the club.

Edited January 13 by Saint86

[Gloucester Saint]

Tricky one. I’m not adverse to criticising SR and the abject club leadership but on this occasion it’s easy to revert to hindsight.

Dom had a serious injury, hadn’t pulled up any trees after that at Cambridge, and isn’t the hold up player we’ve sorely lacked post-Che. He isn’t better than AA at this level, and Archer had prior form at Champ level.

As it’s turned with hindsight, I’d have loaned Archer out/sold him as he’s only been bothered v Birmingham, and given Dom a further opportunity, but it really does require hindsight. 

Edited January 13 by Gloucester Saint

[Chez]

It was very unfortunate that he suffered the injuries he did, which effectively put him back a season and made it difficult for Saints as he came to the end of his contract. I guess they could have given him a new deal, but he hadn't really done enough to justify it, even if the potential was there. His lack of size and difference to AA and Archer also didn't help.  I know we have made serious money from Dibling, Morgan and Ballard, but it's a bit of a shame we haven't benefitted on the field more from this crop of talented youngsters. Hopefully we can find a few gems in the next batch...and keep them abit longer.

[Nordic Saint]

36 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

He's 20 years old, playing for one of the worst sides in the league, and is joint top scorer. Pleased for him, but thats a right balls up by saints. The trajectory we're on he'll be above us in the football pyramid in a couple of seasons. Wouldn't be at all surprised if clubs look at him after this season if he keeps going like that. Top scorers in League 1 generally get picked up and end up playing at championship level, potentially even premier league level ultimatley.

Wonder if he'll follow a similar trajectory as Kane (albeit not to the same levels) - who had his first real senior experience at Leyton Orient as a teenager. Plenty of other strikers that have made their way up the pyramid from league 1 as well - Vardy, Toney and Lambert being just a few prominent examples. Billy Sharp as well, although with less success at top level.

Good luck to the lad, really pleased to see him getting regular minutes and goals - if he carries on improving you'd like to see him back at saints scoring for us as he clearly loves the club.

He scored again, against Cardiff, at the weekend. I can see him at least making it to Championship level. That Cardiff team will be little changed next season when they are in the Championship.

It's not hard to envisage Ballard being a more prolific scorer than Archer at Championship level.

Orient fans already think that he's destined for a bigger club:

Jan 10, 2026 at 5:20pm buffalobill said:
Ballard is potentially the most valuable player we have on our books.
Only a matter of time until the vultures start circling

https://lofcforum.boards.net/t

[sadoldgit]

Would he get the same service here that he gets at Orient?

[Patrick Bateman]

5 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

More fixation on your part.

Away with the doom and gloom, no way are we going to be relegated this season. 

Oh I don't know. You read most of this forum, we're as good as relegated ..... 

[Crab Lungs]

5 hours ago, swedish dave said:

......have followed Dom's progress since he was 16 playing in U18's.

He almost seemed to score for fun at times, and his goal tally was way above that

of JJ Morgan and Dibling, who were in the same squad.  Got badly injured whilst 

out on loan, but by the time he was fit , there was no-one left on the staff who knew

about his past, or his potential.  Bad deal for Saints, a good one for Orient who will 

surely be forced to sell him on at some stage. Saints (supposedly) have a meaty %

sell-on clause, but that will be no replacement in finding someone new of his ilk.

We could do worse than buy him back. The reward would be greater than the

shame of the inept decision to sell him in the first place.

I read this like I would a poem 😭

[Tommy Mulgrew]

6 hours ago, swedish dave said:

swedish dave

I’m guessing - Welcome back, Dave; it’s been a while since I used to read your strangely-formatted posts on this forum.

[BarberSaint]

3 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

Would he get the same service here that he gets at Orient?

Tea and toast by the seaside c/o Alpine's B&B?

Nope, probably not.

[Charlie Wayman]

7 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Oh I don't know. You read most of this forum, we're as good as relegated ..... 

Many of our fans flip from feast to famine at the drop of a hat. In truth we are a mid table side this year and will likely end up about mid table (13th/14th). Disappointing perhaps but not an absolute disaster after all the shenanigans of last season.

It is clear to me (at least) that we are in the middle of a rebuilding exercise which is still a work in progress. There are some very talented but raw young lads in our squad and still a few journeymen who need to be moved on. We need one or two more quality players for key positions. Given time all these pieces may fall into place but patience is needed to allow that process to complete and stabilise. Next season should be a lot better than this

[swedish dave]

20 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

I’m guessing - Welcome back, Dave; it’s been a while since I used to read your strangely-formatted posts on this forum.

Thanks for the greeting Tommy.  Firstly, I was away on a long, pensioners summer holiday and 

decided to ignore the site - until all the fan aggression disappeared after that awful relegation.

As a fan for over 60 years, I have experienced relegations before but I never reacted in the manner

that some apparently did by posting incessant abuse day after day. 

Later on I had major problems with my e-mail account, and got lost and was forced to begin again

with a new ID, leaving my previous 11, 000+ posts disappearing into the dusts of time.

[swedish dave]

21 hours ago, Crab Lungs said:

I read this like I would a poem 😭

Oh....was that a compliment, or a criticism?  I do write in a lot in differing styles, (and even had some poetry

published - back in the day).  Nowadays my hobby is writing film scripts that may never see the light of day, 

and responding to postings on football sites that are written in understandable English.  

[Crab Lungs]

1 hour ago, swedish dave said:

Oh....was that a compliment, or a criticism?  I do write in a lot in differing styles, (and even had some poetry

published - back in the day).  Nowadays my hobby is writing film scripts that may never see the light of day, 

and responding to postings on football sites that are written in understandable English.  

A backhanded compliment, I got halfway through and realised it wasn’t a poem 😂
 

don’t stop - it’s unique

Edited January 14 by Crab Lungs

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 hours ago, Crab Lungs said:

A backhanded compliment, I got halfway through and realised it wasn’t a poem 😂
 

don’t stop - it’s unique

I've listened to enough radio 4, to be able to read Dave's posts as poetry. Finishing with things like "dusts of time" adds real gravitas to them.  More please!

[swedish dave]

17 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I've listened to enough radio 4, to be able to read Dave's posts as poetry. Finishing with things like "dusts of time" adds real gravitas to them.  More please!

Thank you H&W , (that's 3 of you who have commented), although there used to be "someone" on here who

periodically criticised me, but the only thing I can recall was that he rarely used a Spell Checker. I don't go out 

of my way to be different, but I was the kid who read a lot of books when young, (and then teachers wanted

me to read my scrawling aloud  to the class), which frequently made me unpopular with those ...who didn't. 

 

The tone of some postings tends to brings out the cynic in me, but as I am in a generation too old to care,

the one thing I have learned ...is to be pragmatic. Changing managers and even owners, and surviving

bankruptcies is just par for the course for me after 66+ years as a fan, although to be fair there are times -

when provoked - that quite frankly - I just don't give a da*n. 

Edited January 15 by swedish dave

[Badger]

On 14/01/2026 at 13:13, swedish dave said:

Thanks for the greeting Tommy.  Firstly, I was away on a long, pensioners summer holiday and 

decided to ignore the site - until all the fan aggression disappeared after that awful relegation.

As a fan for over 60 years, I have experienced relegations before but I never reacted in the manner

that some apparently did by posting incessant abuse day after day. 

Later on I had major problems with my e-mail account, and got lost and was forced to begin again

with a new ID, leaving my previous 11, 000+ posts disappearing into the dusts of time.

Welcome back. 

[Fabrice29]

Funny for this thread to be bumped over some good performances in the league below us when there’s a young lad invigorating Wolves season in the one above who was in our U18’s for a period 2 years ago.

Edited January 15 by Fabrice29

[Tommy Mulgrew]

51 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

a young lad … who was in our U18’s for a period 2 years ago

Did his elder brother score for Senegal against Egypt yesterday?   🤓

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, Fabrice29 said:

Funny for this thread to be bumped over some good performances in the league below us when there’s a young lad invigorating Wolves season in the one above who was in our U18’s for a period 2 years ago.

Yes, it’s definitely funny that a thread started 4 years ago about a 16 year old would be bumped to update on his progress. Very funny indeed.

[Ted Bates Statue]

On 14/01/2026 at 13:13, swedish dave said:

Thanks for the greeting Tommy.  Firstly, I was away on a long, pensioners summer holiday and 

decided to ignore the site - until all the fan aggression disappeared after that awful relegation.

As a fan for over 60 years, I have experienced relegations before but I never reacted in the manner

that some apparently did by posting incessant abuse day after day. 

Later on I had major problems with my e-mail account, and got lost and was forced to begin again

with a new ID, leaving my previous 11, 000+ posts disappearing into the dusts of time.

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Funny for this thread to be bumped over some good performances in the league below us when there’s a young lad invigorating Wolves season in the one above who was in our U18’s for a period 2 years ago.

Presume you refer to Mateus Mane. I'm not sure of his history but records show he played one game for our U18s in 23/24. Strange because there is no transfer history for him other than he went from Rochdale to Wolves.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 minutes ago, saintant said:

Presume you refer to Mateus Mane. I'm not sure of his history but records show he played one game for our U18s in 23/24. Strange because there is no transfer history for him other than he went from Rochdale to Wolves.

According to 

https://alwayswolves.co.uk/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wolves-mateus-mane/

"The promise was clear to see and, despite a trial with Southampton, he opted to sign for Wolves in the summer of that year."

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

According to 

https://alwayswolves.co.uk/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wolves-mateus-mane/

"The promise was clear to see and, despite a trial with Southampton, he opted to sign for Wolves in the summer of that year."

Ah, so his appearance for us was as a trialist and he opted to join Wolves. Presume for some reason he never met Ankersen or he'd have certainly joined us 🙂

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Funny for this thread to be bumped over some good performances in the league below us when there’s a young lad invigorating Wolves season in the one above who was in our U18’s for a period 2 years ago.

Seems it was one game as a trialist and he decided to join Wolves.

[Badger]

3 minutes ago, saintant said:

Seems it was one game as a trialist and he decided to join Wolves.

Or it was one game, we’d seen enough and didn’t pursue it.

This seems a non-story to me. Plenty of players have passed through our trials and either chosen elsewhere (Gascoigne for example) or been overlooked (Kevin Phillips for example). Others have slipped the net elsewhere and ended up at Saints. 
 

Big deal. What was Fabrice’s point ? 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

4 minutes ago, Badger said:

Or it was one game, we’d seen enough and didn’t pursue it.

This seems a non-story to me. Plenty of players have passed through our trials and either chosen elsewhere (Gascoigne for example) or been overlooked (Kevin Phillips for example). Others have slipped the net elsewhere and ended up at Saints. 
 

Big deal. What was Fabrice’s point ? 

About to make a connection between the Arias playing for Wolves and our Federico Arias from around 20 years ago?

[saintant]

20 minutes ago, Badger said:

Or it was one game, we’d seen enough and didn’t pursue it.

This seems a non-story to me. Plenty of players have passed through our trials and either chosen elsewhere (Gascoigne for example) or been overlooked (Kevin Phillips for example). Others have slipped the net elsewhere and ended up at Saints. 
 

Big deal. What was Fabrice’s point ? 

Not sure. He seems to suggest that Mateus Mane was a member of our U18 squad but that appears not to be the case.

[Fabrice29]

34 minutes ago, Badger said:

Or it was one game, we’d seen enough and didn’t pursue it.

This seems a non-story to me. Plenty of players have passed through our trials and either chosen elsewhere (Gascoigne for example) or been overlooked (Kevin Phillips for example). Others have slipped the net elsewhere and ended up at Saints. 
 

Big deal. What was Fabrice’s point ? 

I thought this place would have a bigger hissy fit over Mane than Ballard, that’s all. He’d have been much more useful this season. Anyway, as you say, non story and no big deal. Far too sensible approach. 

[Fabrice29]

15 minutes ago, saintant said:

Not sure. He seems to suggest that Mateus Mane was a member of our U18 squad but that appears not to be the case.

Well except for the time he played and trained for them. But yeh not the case 😂

[swedish dave]

15 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

According to 

https://alwayswolves.co.uk/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wolves-mateus-mane/

"The promise was clear to see and, despite a trial with Southampton, he opted to sign for Wolves in the summer of that year."

Only bought himself a little time. He rejected us (as a relegated Prem. side) but will likely be playing Championship

football next season if he stays with Wolves. 

[Gloucester Saint]

17 hours ago, Badger said:

Or it was one game, we’d seen enough and didn’t pursue it.

This seems a non-story to me. Plenty of players have passed through our trials and either chosen elsewhere (Gascoigne for example) or been overlooked (Kevin Phillips for example). Others have slipped the net elsewhere and ended up at Saints. 
 

Big deal. What was Fabrice’s point ? 

Newcastle put Shearer in goal when looking at him from the reports for Wallsend Boys. Jack Hixton, Lawrie’s man in the North East knew better.

Kevin Phillips was a full back in our youth team and by his own admission a very middling one. Took an injury crisis at Watford to become an emergency forward.

Edited January 16 by Gloucester Saint

[washsaint]

BY the week, looking more and mroe of a ridculous decision by the wankers in charge of our club.  Utterly clueless.

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Scored another hat-trick today; six shots, four on target, three goals, won four free kicks and won both attempted tackles.  Yet he’s not good enough for the mighty Saints.

Edited January 17 by Tommy Mulgrew
84 goals and 20 assists in 152 games, according to transfermarkt

[macca155]

Another hatrick for Ballard, I could weep. What utter madness to sell him.

[Mboto Gorge]

7 minutes ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

Scored another hat-trick today; six shots, four on target, three goals, won four free kicks and won both attempted tackles.  Yet he’s not good enough for the mighty Saints.

Hang on, are you telling me that our owners have made a bad decision? Not sure that’s possible, they’re usually bang on with everything they do 

Edited January 17 by Mboto Gorge

[Football Special]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Ps1TW6pcw/

 

 

Edited January 17 by Football Special

[Nordic Saint]

22 minutes ago, macca155 said:

Another hatrick for Ballard, I could weep. What utter madness to sell him.

At least, according to Orient fans, we get a cut of the fee when he's sold to a bigger club.

League One Top Scorers - BBC Sport

[EBS1980]

I think it was the right call to sell him, he had a few loans an hadn’t done anything and wasn’t at the level we needed. Was no point keeping in the b team as was too good for that level.

Whether he can do it higher than L1 we don’t know but hopefully we have a sell on so we get more cash when he moves on in the summer lol 

[Lighthouse]

7 minutes ago, EBS1980 said:

I think it was the right call to sell him, he had a few loans an hadn’t done anything and wasn’t at the level we needed. Was no point keeping in the b team as was too good for that level.

Whether he can do it higher than L1 we don’t know but hopefully we have a sell on so we get more cash when he moves on in the summer lol 

I agree. There's a lot of hindsight going on here recently for a player who's still never done anything at Championship level. Last year's L1 golden boot went to Charlie Kelman. This season he has as many non-penalty goals as Ross Stewart, so making the step up is hardly guaranteed.

Ultimately, Dom needed a fresh start at a lower level. He got it and he's thriving, so fair play to him. If, in summer, we'd signed a man who last season scored three goals in League 1, to spearhead our promotion push to the PL, people on this board would be apoplectic.

[lambtiss]

8 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I agree. There's a lot of hindsight going on here recently for a player who's still never done anything at Championship level. Last year's L1 golden boot went to Charlie Kelman. This season he has as many non-penalty goals as Ross Stewart, so making the step up is hardly guaranteed.

Ultimately, Dom needed a fresh start at a lower level. He got it and he's thriving, so fair play to him. If, in summer, we'd signed a man who last season scored three goals in League 1, to spearhead our promotion push to the PL, people on this board would be apoplectic.

Wrong to brand it as all hindsight. At the time, most Saints fans I knew were sad to see him go and were disappointed to see potential like Ballard’s squandered for less then £1m at a time when we were clearly short of attacking options and dropping a division to the Championship. To then see us spunk 7-10 times the fee we received for one of our own for on an unknown from the German 2nd tier just rubs salt into the wound, particularly when he turned out to be useless. 
 

it’s just another example of SRs transfer incompetency. 

[washsaint]

10 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Wrong to brand it as all hindsight. At the time, most Saints fans I knew were sad to see him go and were disappointed to see potential like Ballard’s squandered for less then £1m at a time when we were clearly short of attacking options and dropping a division to the Championship. To then see us spunk 7-10 times the fee we received for one of our own for on an unknown from the German 2nd tier just rubs salt into the wound, particularly when he turned out to be useless. 
 

it’s just another example of SRs transfer incompetency. 

Amen to this - he was a Saint through and through and it's clear he's got an eye for goal.  I couldn't believe he was sold without being given a chance whereas that donkey DOwns was signed and looks like he's never played the game before.  Look at how well it's worked out not binning off Cam Bragg (who you could argue has been our best midfielder this season) who also struggled on loan at L1 last season.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Another sliding doors moment for SR, that they are always on the wrong side of. Ballard had been injured, and he was probably a season back on pushing through. We went with the more proven Archer.

It's not so much bringing in Downs, as Ballard being behind top scorer AA and 15 million Archer. 

We could, and possibly should, have extended his contract and loaned him out for the season. Assuming he was willing to do that. Then moved Archer on, if possible.

[Lighthouse]

15 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Wrong to brand it as all hindsight. At the time, most Saints fans I knew were sad to see him go and were disappointed to see potential like Ballard’s squandered for less then £1m at a time when we were clearly short of attacking options and dropping a division to the Championship. To then see us spunk 7-10 times the fee we received for one of our own for on an unknown from the German 2nd tier just rubs salt into the wound, particularly when he turned out to be useless. 
 

it’s just another example of SRs transfer incompetency. 

I will say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if Ballard was still here he would not be getting into the team ahead of Armstrong and that if he did he wouldn't have come close to his scoring record so far. People are rather weirdly pretending that L1 and the Championship are the same level. They aren't.

[Junkyard Dog]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I will say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if Ballard was still here he would not be getting into the team ahead of Armstrong and that if he did he wouldn't have come close to his scoring record so far. People are rather weirdly pretending that L1 and the Championship are the same level. They aren't.

I would of liked if he was given a chance also he would have been good cover when needed

[lambtiss]

13 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I will say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if Ballard was still here he would not be getting into the team ahead of Armstrong and that if he did he wouldn't have come close to his scoring record so far. People are rather weirdly pretending that L1 and the Championship are the same level. They aren't.

Nobody is suggesting that he would get into the team ahead of Armstrong. But he would have been a much better option than Downes off the bench and possibly Archer. 

[bugenhagen]

11 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I will say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if Ballard was still here he would not be getting into the team ahead of Armstrong and that if he did he wouldn't have come close to his scoring record so far. People are rather weirdly pretending that L1 and the Championship are the same level. They aren't.

I think you are right in this. I would have loved for him to stay and been given a chance with us, as I did rate him, but I think this was the best move for his career.

He would be shit in our setup. Just look at James Bree. Nobody was too bothered about him going out on loan, he wasn't that good. After playing 20 odd games for Charlton, he looks like a proper player. Watch him come back, and suddenly become as shit as all our other defenders.

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Nobody is suggesting that he would get into the team ahead of Armstrong. But he would have been a much better option than Downes off the bench and possibly Archer. 

Imagine this press statement from Spors in summer:

"We've been looking at two 20 year old players for the last few months. We had the option of signing either another sub-6ft striker for £1m from Blackpool, he's just scored three goals in League 1, or a 6'4" USA international for £7m, who's just scored ten goals in Bundesliga 2. We're going with option A because it's much cheaper."

How do you think that goes down?

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

I think you are right in this. I would have loved for him to stay and been given a chance with us, as I did rate him, but I think this was the best move for his career.

He would be shit in our setup. Just look at James Bree. Nobody was too bothered about him going out on loan, he wasn't that good. After playing 20 odd games for Charlton, he looks like a proper player. Watch him come back, and suddenly become as shit as all our other defenders.

It's a fair point and you have to question the fitness training and coaching at our club. We buy some good players who progressively get worse the longer they are here and we're seeing that at the moment with Azaz, Scienza and Jander. On the flip side the likes of Bree, Adams, Bednarek have all thrived since leaving. It's no coincidence.

[lambtiss]

6 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Imagine this press statement from Spors in summer:

"We've been looking at two 20 year old players for the last few months. We had the option of signing either another sub-6ft striker for £1m from Blackpool, he's just scored three goals in League 1, or a 6'4" USA international for £7m, who's just scored ten goals in Bundesliga 2. We're going with option A because it's much cheaper."

How do you think that goes down?

Simple, you would sack the press officer who came up with such a ridiculous statement. 

[bugenhagen]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

It's a fair point and you have to question the fitness training and coaching at our club. We buy some good players who progressively get worse the longer they are here and we're seeing that at the moment with Azaz, Scienza and Jander. On the flip side the likes of Bree, Adams, Bednarek have all thrived since leaving. It's no coincidence.

True. The biggest difference for me in Tondas good period, and the shit we have been served before and after is willingness to run and work hard. Its mostly the same players and tactics, but in that brief spell there was a willingness to run for each other. That opens up spaces, lets us play faster passes etc. Also pionts to the fact we could only do it for about 45 minutes pr game, and certainly not over the Christmas period.

When players struggle mentally and are losing a lot, they have not suddenly turned into shit footballers. But the stop running for each other. Just a little less. And that makes a huge difference.