Looking over the shoulder - Darren Caskey

Last updated : 26 March 2004 By Richard Brown

Caskey in his earlier Notts days
Caskey arrived at the club back in the July 2001 with the expectation that he will live up to his pedigree and the fact that the best years of his career will help steer Notts away from mediocrity.


And for the first time I saw this man turn out in Notts’ colours in the 2-1 friendly defeat of West Ham United, I honestly thought; ‘this is it’.

Since then, however, the Notts number 8, or the number 24 which he sported for the best part of his Notts time, has had a career at Meadow Lane clouded by the taboo issue of his weight and thus his fitness, or lack of it.

The early stages of his time with Notts started well, helping Notts up to eleventh in the Second Division, picking up nine points from five games.


However, such fortunes were a rarity for Darren and co. as the slippery slope down the league began, costing the jobs of Jocky Scott and Gary Brazil on the way.


Towards the end of the season were where Cask’s most telling contributions came following the arrival of one of the better midfielder partners of whom he has been paired with during his two-and-three-quarter season stint with the club, Jeff Whitely during the Great Escape.


It was here where Caskey made games his own with a high-standard of performance that helped to secure the club’s Division Two status.


And following that season of ups-and-downs for Darren, the thought that the number 24 could repeat such performances with the potential of a more uncompromising display of his attacking strengths and the occasional set-piece masterpiece, such as those against
Huddersfield and Swindon, was a prospect that Notts fans relished.


However, as was the case with his first season with the club, the supporter’s expectations were rarely met by the standards of the former-Spurs and Reading man.


The few highs that did come for Caskey in the 2002/03 campaign came in the much-awaited Notts vs. Mansfield clash at Meadow Lane where he helped Notts gain a point with one of the greater moments of his time with the club.


But despite moments of brilliance from the midfield architect, his few moments in the sunshine were always to be shadow by the ever-present issues of his fitness and discipline concerns, as his 113 game long spell at Meadow Lane saw Caskey pick up 29 yellow and 2 red cards.


And then there was his somewhat devil-may-care attitude which the Notts faithful were quick to criticise as so often, it seemed as though his only concern in the world was where his next pay package was coming from – and what a hefty package it was too as it was no secret whatsoever that Caskey was one of the lavish gambles taken by Peter Storrie and his associates. A gamble which crippled the club, or as one fan described it; ‘They tried to buy a dream, but ended up with a nightmare.


A statement which could easily have been hung around Caskey’s neck.


Caskey however continued to enjoy a run in the starting line-up due to a combination of the clubs inability to bring in new players and the experience factor which he did bring to those makeshift Billy Dearden outfits. And his run continued right until his final games with the club.


The 2003/04 was about as remarkable as the two that went before them, therefore not very.

Doing what he does best, looking on.
But after a performance at Stamford Bridge, one which fans of the club claim the now number eight to have; ‘put [Juan] Veron and [Joe] Cole to shame’ there looked to be light at the end of a near ever-lasting tunnel for Caskey.
However, this illusion proved to be not as much of tunnel as it was a whirlpool, gently pulling the now fading and condemned, by Gary Mills and Billy Dearden before him, Caskey down.


Although the appointment of Mills gave Caskey the kick in the backside which he so desperately needed as he suddenly caught on that, suddenly, he was playing for a contract, for his future and, ultimately, for his livelihood.


But with his, amongst many other players, contract expiring at the end of the season it seemed inevitable that the cruel wheels of the rumour mill were churning once more. With Caskey constantly being linked with moves away from the ‘Lane as
Peterborough, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and Northampton, amongst others, all mentioned.


So perhaps it is somewhat of an irony that Caskey, instead of moving to play further down the leagues, is now changing from Magpie to Robin as he joins the promotion-chasing
Bristol City. Football is a weird and wonderful thing.


Despite all the negatives mentioned above, we at NCM would like to wish Caskey a prosperous future at Ashton Gate.