From the Anus
"Albion veteran Guy Butters is today celebrating the offer of a new contract.
The Seagulls are giving the centre half another year, which will keep him at the club beyond his 36th birthday.
It is the perfect tonic for Butters as he prepares for Saturday's nostalgic FA Cup trip to his first club Tottenham.
Manager Mark McGhee revealed: "Guy will be offered a new contract, a year's extension. He accepts it can only be a year, given his age, but I think he has done brilliantly.
"He's maintained his fitness, in fact he has improved his fitness, and his performances have been impeccable. There is absolutely no reason to think he cannot play again next year."
Captain Charlie Oatway, another of the 13 players out of contract in the summer, has been told he will be offered a new deal.
McGhee is also optimistic young defender Adam Hinshelwood will agree a three-year contract and he has not given up hope that England under-21 leftback Dan Harding, linked with a move to several clubs, will accept a long-standing offer.
"We are trying to persuade Hinsh, the same as Dan Harding," McGhee said.
"He is not quite playing the same game as it were as Dan, but he's not signed yet so there is an issue there which is ongoing.
"I am pursuing it with some vigour to try and get it settled and I'm hopeful."
Leon Knight exclusively revealed to The Argus on Tuesday that he will sign a new contract.
Albion are offering him terms for the rest of this season plus the next two, although that could become three depending on negotiations with his agent.
Chairman Dick Knight is also living up to his promise, made in The Argus in November, of a new contract for McGhee to replace the 18-month deal which runs out at the end of the season.
"The whole situation is starting to look brighter," McGhee said. "Leon has said what he's said and the chairman has indicated to me that he wants to sit down with me at some point soon.
"I hope these things are going to encourage the likes of Hinsh and Dan to commit themselves. If I am going to commit myself here then I want to know that I've got that nucleus.
"This job wouldn't be half as attractive if I didn't have the likes of Harding, Hinshelwood and Leon Knight to develop."
Albion, unbeaten in four Championship matches over Christmas and the New Year, have a clean bill of health for Saturday's sell-out at Spurs with the exception of long-term casualties Ben Roberts and Chris McPhee.
"We've had a right result coming through four games of such intensity and such competitive games without an injury," McGhee said. "The general character and spirit is so good that it takes a lot to knock them down.
"Also, they all want to play in the Spurs game and there is the issue of contracts with some of them as well, so they have a bit of an edge to get through things they would normally be in the treatment room for."
McGhee refused to be drawn as to whether Birmingham's want away midfielder Robbie Savage would be coming to the Albion on loan for the rest of the season to be nearer to his parents in Wrexham.
"Albion veteran Guy Butters is today celebrating the offer of a new contract.
The Seagulls are giving the centre half another year, which will keep him at the club beyond his 36th birthday.
It is the perfect tonic for Butters as he prepares for Saturday's nostalgic FA Cup trip to his first club Tottenham.
Manager Mark McGhee revealed: "Guy will be offered a new contract, a year's extension. He accepts it can only be a year, given his age, but I think he has done brilliantly.
"He's maintained his fitness, in fact he has improved his fitness, and his performances have been impeccable. There is absolutely no reason to think he cannot play again next year."
Captain Charlie Oatway, another of the 13 players out of contract in the summer, has been told he will be offered a new deal.
McGhee is also optimistic young defender Adam Hinshelwood will agree a three-year contract and he has not given up hope that England under-21 leftback Dan Harding, linked with a move to several clubs, will accept a long-standing offer.
"We are trying to persuade Hinsh, the same as Dan Harding," McGhee said.
"He is not quite playing the same game as it were as Dan, but he's not signed yet so there is an issue there which is ongoing.
"I am pursuing it with some vigour to try and get it settled and I'm hopeful."
Leon Knight exclusively revealed to The Argus on Tuesday that he will sign a new contract.
Albion are offering him terms for the rest of this season plus the next two, although that could become three depending on negotiations with his agent.
Chairman Dick Knight is also living up to his promise, made in The Argus in November, of a new contract for McGhee to replace the 18-month deal which runs out at the end of the season.
"The whole situation is starting to look brighter," McGhee said. "Leon has said what he's said and the chairman has indicated to me that he wants to sit down with me at some point soon.
"I hope these things are going to encourage the likes of Hinsh and Dan to commit themselves. If I am going to commit myself here then I want to know that I've got that nucleus.
"This job wouldn't be half as attractive if I didn't have the likes of Harding, Hinshelwood and Leon Knight to develop."
Albion, unbeaten in four Championship matches over Christmas and the New Year, have a clean bill of health for Saturday's sell-out at Spurs with the exception of long-term casualties Ben Roberts and Chris McPhee.
"We've had a right result coming through four games of such intensity and such competitive games without an injury," McGhee said. "The general character and spirit is so good that it takes a lot to knock them down.
"Also, they all want to play in the Spurs game and there is the issue of contracts with some of them as well, so they have a bit of an edge to get through things they would normally be in the treatment room for."
McGhee refused to be drawn as to whether Birmingham's want away midfielder Robbie Savage would be coming to the Albion on loan for the rest of the season to be nearer to his parents in Wrexham.
it is far too early for me to be posting as i seem to always get caught out!!!
