Seagulls stupidly sign seasoned shot-stopper, so says Sack...errrm...Back of the Net's Paul Watson...
Brighton boss Gus Poyet has admitted his âÂÂcrushing disappointmentâ at completing the signature of 53-year-old former goalkeeper Chris Woods, despite the newcomerâÂÂs jubilant presentation to the press yesterday.
The Seagullsâ boss had been hinting at a permanent move for New Zealand striker Chris Wood, who scored two goals in a 2-2 draw with Millwall last night while on loan from West Brom.
But to PoyetâÂÂs horror, he appears to have instead snapped up ex-England nearly man and affable former custodian Chris Woods, nearly 14 years after his retirement from the game.
âÂÂI canâÂÂt deny itâÂÂs a bitter, crushing blow for me,â Poyet told FourFourTwo, tactically avoiding Woodsâ gaze at a press conference to mark the new manâÂÂs accidental unveiling.
âÂÂI had been dreaming of adding a gifted goal-getter to my overachieving Championship squad, but instead I have, errr, given a second youth to a charming yet hapless face from the past.âÂÂ
Apparently unfazed by Poyet then describing the âÂÂwave of nauseaâ that accompanied his arrival in Brighton, or the âÂÂdeluded, simple grinâ on his âÂÂwrinkled yet handsome faceâÂÂ, Woods then spoke of his delight at getting the call from Brighton.
âÂÂObviously you start to think that your career is over,â Woods beamed. âÂÂBut thatâÂÂs life for a âÂÂkeeper, you have to expect the odd tough decade.âÂÂ
The ex-Sheffield Wednesday man then stressed his belief that an England recall is imminent, spending several minutes revelling in the retirement of Peter Shilton who he labelled a âÂÂflash in the panâÂÂ.
Woods spent much of his career in ShiltonâÂÂs shadow, figuratively as ShiltonâÂÂs reserve at Nottingham Forest and for England, and literally as Woods famously walked just a little slower than Shilton, leading him to suffer intermittently from bouts of rickets.
Editor's note: this is satire and not a serious accusation - all quotes are fictionalised. But you knew that, because you're not stupid.
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