Blue Square Bet Premier club Crawley Town beat Tuesday`s transfer deadline with minutes to spare to secure the signing of last season`s Conference Premier player of the year Richard Brodie.
Brodie, 23, has been signed from York City for an undisclosed fee after the player completed a medical and agreed terms late on Tuesday afternoon. The formal documentation was registered at the Football Association and the Football Conference only 3 minutes from the 6pm deadline.
Transfer deadline day proved to be an extremely busy day for Reds` boss Steve Evans. A closed door match with Peterborough United was on the agenda but the frenzy started when York gave permission for Brodie to talk to the Reds.
At the same time discussions were ongoing with an experienced goalkeeper and as he is not affected by any transfer window restrictions, those negotiations will continue today.
Speaking on Tuesday evening after Brodie was confirmed as a Crawley player, Evans said: “What a day that has been and despite the late hour it has not finished yet.
“We have tried to sign young Brodes since July but on several occasions we could just not make it happen for one reason or another. The deal became live again shortly after lunchtime when I received a call from the chairman at York City. I immediately spoke with Bruce Winfield, took instruction and we got the deal done.
“The lad is a terrific player, he works very hard for the team and gets a goal. Our supporters will love him.
“We are looking forward to working with him and he comes into a football club who are looking to progress over the next few years. Brodes was last season`s Conference Premier player of the year, that was voted for by all the managers and I was one of them. He won that by a landslide. The boy was also joint top goalscorer in the Blue Square Premier with our own Matty Tubbs. I am just delighted, he is a great signing.”
The manager also confirmed discussions with an experienced goalkeeper and said he will be looking to send a couple of Reds` players out on loan next week when the loan transfer window re-opens. Evans added: “I am confident we will have secured an additional experienced goalkeeper but those talks will continue.
“I will look at our squad in further detail this week, look at all the possibilities and then sit down with Bruce Winfield to propose a couple of the lads need to go out on loan to get some first team football.”
