7:00am Tuesday 2nd December 2008
By Simon Parker
Willy Topp has left City by mutual consent.
The Chilean striker, signed a year ago for £35,000, is likely to head for Spain after last night agreeing to cancel his contract six months early.
He started just six games since his much-hyped arrival from South America, failing to score a goal, and had been restricted to only two appearances as a substitute this term.
Joint-chairman Mark Lawn admitted: “It’s not worked out for Billy but that’s just down to the style of football.
“It’s unfortunate because he’s undoubtedly got talent, and Stuart (McCall) believes that as well, but we couldn’t find a formation we could play him in.
“Billy believes he will do better in Spain, so he is looking at a club over there to take him. He goes with all our best wishes.”
But Lawn dismissed the “fallacy” that Topp’s convoluted capture was a chairman’s signing.
He said: “That is absolute nonsense. Stuart looked at him and decided whether to sign him. I just had to find the finances.
“He was brought over by Paul Topping, so people thought I was involved with him, but it was Stuart’s decision.
“Unfortunately Billy has not been able to get in the side and he wanted to leave the club. We all decided it was probably the best for him to go.”
Topp found himself well down McCall’s pecking order this season, although the manager was sympathetic with his position.
McCall said: “He is pleasing on the eye; he has a lovely touch and produces some nice flicks. But you’ve got to have an influence on the game.
“As I said in the summer to Barry Conlon, forwards are judged on the goals they score or, in the case of someone like Peter Beardsley, the number they can create.
“In Barry’s case, he didn’t score enough last season and that’s why he was given a short-term contract. You need to make an impact.
“I remember Billy playing well against Shrewsbury and there was the great overhead kick he scored in the reserves this season. But I look at him in training as well as games and he hasn’t really made that impression.
“I can understand he is a young lad who is a long way from home and things haven’t worked out for him.
“Since I had a chat with him a few weeks ago, Billy has kept coming in and trained and done everything asked of him. There’s no personal issue here or hidden agenda.”
Topp’s time at Valley Parade has not lived up to the anticipation after red tape held up City’s initial efforts to sign him for three months.
He burst onto the scene with a dazzling debut against Shrewsbury but struggled to hit those heights again. Topp never played a full 90 minutes, complaining of cramping up, and underwent a double calf operation in April.
He went home to Chile to recover over the summer – and stories emerged that he did not want to return.
McCall said: “I thought it would be hard for him going back to his family and I got told through a source that he didn’t want to come back. But when you are contracted, you’ve got to.
“We had a chat when he returned and I explained we’d brought in Michael Boulding and replaced Luke Medley like for like with Rory Boulding. Also, I didn’t know at that time that Leon Osborne was going to push through from the reserves.
“I said that if Billy performed and did well, he would be involved like everyone. There were a lot of new faces in the squad and everyone was starting with a clean slate.
“But for a few reasons, it’s been stop-start for him and he kept having niggling little injuries. In the meantime, the three main strikers have got 25 goals between them, while young Leon has emerged after doing exceptionally well in the reserves.
“Early in the season, Rory was scoring goals for fun before he got injured, so we’ve got five strikers up for two places. I will always go on merit and I couldn’t guarantee Billy a place in the side.”
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