08 Mar 2026 02:07:30
I watched the Arsenal game (8:15pm kick off is always nice) and must say Dowman looks a level above. Quite often with the younger lads you can see the nerves, understandably, and they are looking not to make a mistake. That kid plays with zero fear. Looked the best player on the pitch by quite a distance, which is bonkers for a 16 year old.

Probably could've had 2-3 as well with some better luck/finishing. He's already had a /50 card sell for $7.5k over here which might be saying more about Chinese money than actual value, but he definitely will be exciting to watch going forward.

1.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 10:41:10
Hey Melbourne, hope you're good. I've not seen Dowman play, but have been reading a lot of hype about him. Interesting, he seems the real deal, though obviously so much can go wrong between here and their prime for players, as we've seen so many times before.

I was just curious reading your assessment (seen you say it somewhere else as well), but when you say 'a /50 card' selling, what are you referring to? (Feel like an old guy asking.)

2.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 11:18:16
What's good, EdW?

It was the first time I've seen him play, but he just glides past players with the ball. Very similar to the feeling of seeing Estevao a few times this season. Definitely not out of place on a field with men.

Football cards come numbered.

So you have the regular cards and then numbered cards, with 1/1 being the most valuable, and numbers going all the way up to 299, usually. Although the collectibles market has been pretty insane since Covid, it's somewhat seen as a way to diversify from traditional investments.

3.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 12:49:46
Ah, thanks Melbourne! So, like baseball cards are traded in the States, the card manufacturers release the rares in limited numbers. I didn't realise football cards as a collectible were a thing, really - I had only heard about cards from kids playing FIFA (which I think also had value, weirdly).

Thanks for filling me in! I will look out for Dowman as well. I think we tried to get him to sign last summer, or the summer before, didn't we, in line with our club policy of throwing money at whichever highly rated teenager is being talked about in coaching circles.