WHEN RICHIE TOWELL signed on the dotted line with Brighton on 30 November, they were the only remaining unbeaten team in all four divisions of the Football League.
Sitting top of the Championship table with 10 wins and eight draws from their opening 18 league fixtures of the season, Chris Hughton’s side were looking good for promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s 114-year history.
In the past six weeks, however, the Seagulls’ fortunes have changed considerably. They haven’t tasted victory since the opening weekend of December and their last six results read LLDLDD.
Even more worryingly, they have gone six hours without a goal after failing to hit the back of the net against Wolves (0-1), Ipswich (0-1), Brentford (0-0) and Middlesbrough (0-3).
That poor run of form has seen Brighton drop down to fourth in the table with Boro and Derby occupying the automatic promotion spots and Hull three points ahead of them in third.
Hughton, who celebrated one year in charge of the club on New Year’s Eve, has pinpointed individual defensive errors and a lack of cutting edge in front of goal as the reasons behind the recent slump.
After a promising start to his loan move from Manchester United with two goals in his first three games, striker James Wilson is going through a dry patch while Bobby Zamora hasn’t scored in a month.
They’ve also been hit with a number of injuries, while midfield pairing Dale Stephens and Beram Kayal, who have been excellent this season, have looked tired in recent weeks which isn’t overly-surprising when you consider they’ve both already played 24 times in the Championship this term.
Which brings us to Towell.
Along with fellow recent signing Liam Ridgewell (who arrives on loan from the Portland Timbers after claiming the MLS Cup last month), he had to wait until today before being able to receive international clearance once the January transfer window re-opened.
Handed squad number 29, Towell trained with his new team-mates in December but was given permission to return to Ireland and spend time with girlfriend Kelly and newborn daughter Meadow over the Christmas period.
The 24-year-old has already stated that he intends to push for a first team place as soon as possible and his versatility means he could potentially be tried in midfield, on either wing or in behind a frontman.
Towell may yet have to bide his time but Saturday’s away trip to Hull in the FA Cup third round is the first of five fixtures this month so there will be plenty of opportunities to hand him a debut if Hughton feels he needs to freshen things up.
Brilliant stuff lads – cheers for that. Some great recommendations.
You can add A Year Till Sunday. Best GAA documentary
@Gerard Browne: never knew there was a doc on Ring, will watch for sure
@Gerard Browne: Was coming here to comment the same thing. An absolute classic. Watched it again last week. Ja is the man!
@Stevie D: John Divilly…..sin é!
@Gerard Browne: Not just GAA, one of the best sports docs ever made
@Fr Chewy Louis: it was before its time. Even a cameo appearance by Eamon Dunphy haha
If anyone has BBC 4 I cannot recommend OJ Simpson- made in America, highly enough. It’s a 5 part 30 for 30 documentaries series. It’s one of the greatest documentaries ever made- probably a bit of a stretch to put it in the sports bracket given the subjects infamy & notoriety. Part 2 is on tonight if anyone wants to series link.
@Robert O Farrell: check out a documentary called ‘madness on wheels rallyings crazy years’. Its about when car rallying turned into an arms race to make crazier faster cars in the 1980s with the inevitable banning of the particular group b class due to driver and spectator deaths. If it’s no longer on YouTube it will be on dailymotion
@Robert O Farrell: 30 for 30 are class, some great documentaries, Sole Man is a personal favourite of mine. Their podcasts are good too.
@Stephen Lyons: slaying the badger is hilarious. Hinault is meant to be the baddy as opposed to Greg lemond but hes so cool even in middle age you find yourself rooting for him
Hoop Dreams a great doc to watch on YouTube
Formula 1 drive to survive is superb
For anyone missing Irish basketball there’s ‘We Got Game – The Golden Age of Irish Basketball’. A brilliant documentary on basketball in the eighties featuring Kelvin Troy, who once kept Larry Bird to 6pts in a college game, Dave Hopla, still regarded as the best shooter in the world, and Mario Elie, who went on to win 3 NBA titles after his time in Ireland. Whether you’re into Irish basketball or not it’s a fascinating sports documentary and well worth a watch.
The gatti ward fights were unbelievable and round 9 will go down as one of if not the best round of all time
@Warren Mcdermott: two absolute warriors
The weight of a nation, a documentary on New Zealand’s 2011 world cup win is brilliant too. Surprised it wasn’t in the original list.
If you’re interested in American Sports, would recommend Foul Play, the series documenting the Ole Miss/ Laremy Tunsil scandal, and how corrupt the NCAA system is.
https://youtu.be/_Qm-P2foSE4
Great article guys. Thanks for the recommendations.
Jim Stynes – Every Heart Beats Through. Watched it on YouTube last week for the first time in ages. What an inspirational man.
@Patrick McCarron: Great shout. An incredible watch.
‘A Sunday in Hell’ free on YouTube, for cycling fans.
The Bert Trautman story on YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvDhsv8jjw
If you have amazon then I highly recommend the best of men, it’s about Ludwig Gutterman he created the Paralympics
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Men-Eddie-Marsan/dp/B00IWLJ3H0
@Richard Cronin: also I rather enjoyed the toughest trade
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+toughest+trade++
The 2009 Lions documentary is also available on YouTube. ROG like.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=97uxJmXMQuc
Road (2014) The story of the Dunlops and Knuckle (2011) are top documentaries
@Richard McBriar: Excellent
“All for one” also for cycling fans.
Great doco showing the team effort of a cycling team and that to a layman it may come across as an individual sport, but it is really anything but. The trials and tribulations (not to mention the funny sides) of a cycling team.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ch1m085rpU
For me it’s the one and only ringy!! ( Christy Ring) xx
‘The Names on the Cup’ brilliant documentary and ‘The Broadstreet Bullies’