[Albion] Lewis freestone signs U23

[Postman Pat]

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed former Peterborough United defender Lewis Freestone on a one-year contract.

The 19-year-old left Peterborough at the end of last season, and has been on trial with Albion over the last fortnight.

Under-23 coach Simon Rusk commented, “Lewis is a versatile left-sided defender who has been with us during pre-season. He has impressed enough to earn a one-year contract.

“That will give us the opportunity to work closely with him on his development over the coming season in our under-23 set up.”

Freestone, who made eight senior appearances for Posh, spent much of the last three seasons out on loan in the non-league system, and spent the 2018/19 campaign with Nuneaton Borough and Bedford Town.

https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2019/july/albion-sign-posh-defender/

 

[Whitechapel]

Can he play right back, holding midfield and upfront at the same time?

 

[Shirty]

Sounds pretty lightweight

 

[essbee1]

Why, when I see these signings, does my heart sink? I feel bad for saying it, but so many of these
signings end up disappearing into nothingness. In fact I can't think of one in the past five years that
has given me hope that they will be different.

 

[Nottseagull]

Aren't they supposed to hold up a shirt with their name on the back?

 

[Nottseagull]

Why, when I see these signings, does my heart sink? I feel bad for saying it, but so many of these
signings end up disappearing into nothingness.

You mean playing for the likes of Nuneaton Borough and Bedford Town?

 

[GT49er]

Cox out on loan then?

 

[Lower West Stander]

Absolutely fantastic signing. We are a club of action in the transfer market constantly looking for potential stars to enhance our already successful first team squad.

Our track record is second to none in this area and I fully expect us to become the byword for youth development in the future.




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[albion534]

I always find these ones weird. Do we see something that a smaller club like Peterborough don’t. I can understand if they’ve been released by prem teams. Hope I’m proved wrong.


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[Blues Rock DJ]

Absolutely fantastic signing. We are a club of action in the transfer market constantly looking for potential stars to enhance our already successful first team squad.

Our track record is second to none in this area and I fully expect us to become the byword for youth development in the future.




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can I have a pint of what you're on ??

 

[AZ Gull]

I always find these ones weird. Do we see something that a smaller club like Peterborough don’t. I can understand if they’ve been released by prem teams. Hope I’m proved wrong.


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Some of them do seem a little strange; left-back Joe Tomlinson signed last summer after being released by ......Yeovil Town. Almost immediately sent out on loan to .... Bognor, where he ended up spending the season and was then released.

Or Billy Collings, goalkeeper signed from Reading in January 2017, contract extended for a further two seasons only for him to be a perma-sub and virtually never start a match.

They certainly have me scratching my head but I guess someone knows what the thinking was.....

 

[Icy Gull]

Shame we aren’t so active in obtaining first team players

 

[Nottseagull]

can I have a pint of what you're on ??

I was 50:50 about whether the post was sarcastic or not

 

[Gabbiano]

Some of them do seem a little strange; left-back Joe Tomlinson signed last summer after being released by ......Yeovil Town. Almost immediately sent out on loan to .... Bognor, where he ended up spending the season and was then released.

Or Billy Collings, goalkeeper signed from Reading in January 2017, contract extended for a further two seasons only for him to be a perma-sub and virtually never start a match.

They certainly have me scratching my head but I guess someone knows what the thinking was.....

I imagine these players are brought in as a cheap easy punt to offer U23 backup, if the first choice U23 gets injured and we don’t feel the upcoming U18 contingent is ready.

However it does seem a little cynical to sign players for these purposes who are unlikely to actually progress their careers with us very much.

But let’s look for the positives - this kid has 8 appearances for the Posh first team unless I’m reading it wrong. Could have been released by them for all sorts of reasons, not necessarily because they thought he wasn’t good enough. Maybe some other circumstances involved?

 

[Lower West Stander]

can I have a pint of what you're on ??

Bit of irony.....


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[essbee1]

Absolutely fantastic signing. We are a club of action in the transfer market constantly looking for potential stars to enhance our already successful first team squad.

Our track record is second to none in this area and I fully expect us to become the byword for youth development in the future.




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I totally agree with the sentiment - but when is it going to start paying off? We haven't exactly been prolific with
getting players through the ranks have we? And I'm sure we were talking about this soon after we moved to the
Amex.

 

[Peteinblack]

Shame we aren’t so active in obtaining first team players

Agree. I'm sick of these U-23 signings - "one's for the future" - when we need some 'Premier ready' first-team players.

We sign them, loan them out to a lower league club for a year or two, and then release them.

We signed Richie Towell (actually 24 at the time) four years ago: he played one league game for us, spent two seasons on loan at Rotherham, and has recently signed for Salford City. What was the point?

Although marginally better, perhaps, than signing foreign players who we can't obtain work permits for, so have to loan-out overseas for a year or two - are Tau or MacAllister ever going to play in the blue-and-white stripes at the Amex? I very much doubt it.

 

[Icy Gull]

Agree. I'm sick of these U-23 signings - "one's for the future" - when we need some 'Premier ready' first-team players.

We sign them, loan them out to a lower league club for a year or two, and then release them.

We signed the (admittedly 24 year old) Richie Towell 4 years ago: he played one league game for us, spent two seasons on loan at Rotherham, and has recently signed for Salford City. What was the point?

Although marginally better, perhaps, than signing foreign players who we can't obtain work permits for, so have to loan-out overseas for a year or two!

Dunk and March remain the only two who have made it to the first team, and they were from our Withdean years. I get the Chelsea model of buying and selling players who never get a sniff of holding a place in the first team as a business model but I have absolutely no interest in any Albion team apart from the first team.

The academy is unlikely to bring through first teamers now we are Premier League imo but if it makes money for the club I guess it has a place. Excuse me for not being that interested though

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Agree. I'm sick of these U-23 signings - "one's for the future" - when we need some 'Premier ready' first-team players.

We sign them, loan them out to a lower league club for a year or two, and then release them.

We signed Richie Towell (actually 24 at the time) four years ago: he played one league game for us, spent two seasons on loan at Rotherham, and has recently signed for Salford City. What was the point?

Although marginally better, perhaps, than signing foreign players who we can't obtain work permits for, so have to loan-out overseas for a year or two - are Tau or MacAllister ever going to play in the blue-and-white stripes at the Amex? I very much doubt it.

Let's all hope then that Steven Alzate - signed from League 2 Leyton Orient when 18 years old - makes a big breakthough this season.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Agree. I'm sick of these U-23 signings - "one's for the future" - when we need some 'Premier ready' first-team players.

We sign them, loan them out to a lower league club for a year or two, and then release them.

We signed Richie Towell (actually 24 at the time) four years ago: he played one league game for us, spent two seasons on loan at Rotherham, and has recently signed for Salford City. What was the point?

Although marginally better, perhaps, than signing foreign players who we can't obtain work permits for, so have to loan-out overseas for a year or two - are Tau or MacAllister ever going to play in the blue-and-white stripes at the Amex? I very much doubt it.

#bedwettersareus