Barnett backs Reds to win promotion after sealing big-money move (From The Argus)

Barnett backs Reds to win promotion after sealing big-money move

9:30am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Sport By Steve Hollis

Tyrone Barnett has backed Crawley to win promotion without him after becoming the club’s first £1million footballer.

The striker joined Peterborough on loan for the rest of the season yesterday with a guarantee the deal will become permanent in the summer for a fee which “far exceeds” £1million.

The transfer – reported to be for £1.4million – smashes the club records for both Crawley and Peterborough and is also the highest ever received by a League Two club.

Barnett’s departure follows the exit of Matt Tubbs to Bournemouth for £800,000 three weeks ago and has raised question marks over Crawley’s ability to maintain their challenge at the top of League Two. Between them the pair had shared 33 of the 64 goals Crawley had scored this season.

Reds boss Steve Evans responded yesterday by brining in striker Shaun Batt on loan from Millwall until the end of March and had previously signed forwards Sanchez Watt, Billy Clarke and Karl Hawley during the January transfer window.

Barnett said: “Football is not a one man game. Obviously the club’s two top scorers have left but they have still got top quality players left. I’m sure Steve Evans will bring more top class players in so I believe they can kick on and get promotion.

“The manager (Evans) tried to convince me to stay. He wants to get promoted so doesn’t want his best players to leave but this opportunity was too good to turn down.

“It would have been nice to stay at Crawley until the end of the season to finish the job but chances like this don’t come along too often in football.”

Read the full story plus an exclusive interview with Tyrone Barnett thanking Crawley for turning him into a £1million-plus player in The Argus today