Albion also release McFaul, Martot and Rents (From The Argus)

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Albion also release McFaul, Martot and Rents

11:26am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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By Andy Naylor »

Albion have axed three more members of the squad which missed out by a place on the League One play-offs.

Young leftback Sam Rents, Irish midfielder Shane McFaul and French midfielder David Martot have all been told they are not being offered contracts for next season.

Youth team product Rents has played third fiddle this season to Matt Richards, on loan from Ipswich, and Kerry Mayo.

McFaul's first team opportunities have been limited since he was signed on a short-term contract from University College Dublin during the January transfer window.

Martot, on loan from Le Havre, is now expected to return to France and sign for Metz.

Mayo plus fellow stalwarts Gary Hart and Guy Butters have also been released, along with versatile Australian Paul Reid.

What do you think?

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mark, brighton says...
11:49am Tue 6 May 08

this is black tuesday, lets hope loft and hinshlewood get the elbow too, as it seems rents is better bet than either of the two knight puppets,

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Phil, Tadcaster says...
11:49am Tue 6 May 08

It must be hard to make these decisions, but they are the right ones. Mayo has been a fantastic servant to this club, and I've never seen Gary Hart give less than 100% to the cause. I'll miss him, but his time has come and gone. Guy Butters should be kept on in a coaching role. Reid hasn't recovered form since his injury, and REnts and McFaul obviously haven't lived up to their promise. No problem really with any of these decisions, thanks lads and all the best for the future.

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Andy, Brighton says...
11:53am Tue 6 May 08

I really hope this is a sign to say that we have some good signings coming up and not a cost saving exercise. I agree with Mayo, Butters, Hart and Mcfaul - not sure about Rents, Reid and Martot though - why hasn't Hinshlewood been shown the door - don't you think he been given more than enough opportunity to prove his fitness - agreed he is injured but if we are really looking at a top 6 finish next season do we not need as much resource as possible. If we were to sign some good replacements then I can understand Rents, Reid and Martot going. What's the story on Westlake and Richards - are we looking to sign these on a permanent basis?

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James, T.Wells says...
11:54am Tue 6 May 08

The clearout begins and so far a good start. Pleased to see the back of Reid, with Butters, Hart and Mayo off the wage bill we can hopefully get some good quality into the side.

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Bert, Crowborough says...
12:21pm Tue 6 May 08

Good luck to all the players being released especially the long standing one's that have given their all to the club, many thanks for what you have given to the club and us over the seasons.

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Mike, Portslade says...
12:27pm Tue 6 May 08

Rents has had plenty of chances and hasn't stepped up and progressed when needed. Football is cut throat business and when you get precious opportunities you have to take them or face the consequences

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Brighton_Tom, Kent says...
12:31pm Tue 6 May 08

this is a bold move by the club as releasing mayo and rents means we are left without a permanent left back, lets hope Richards signs!

The only player i feel we may miss is martot as he gave us options in midfield, and next season we will need strength in the depth of the squad to get us promoted.

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Drew, Burgess Hill says...
1:08pm Tue 6 May 08

Brighton_Tom wrote:
this is a bold move by the club as releasing mayo and rents means we are left without a permanent left back, lets hope Richards signs! The only player i feel we may miss is martot as he gave us options in midfield, and next season we will need strength in the depth of the squad to get us promoted.

Couldn't agree more ragarding Martot. Presume that Richards is going to sign as I can't see the management losing all three left backs.

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Jon, Hove says...
1:30pm Tue 6 May 08

I'm really looking forward to seeing Sonny Cobbs come through, whether at left-back, centre-back, midfield or a combination of those positions. Hope and trust he is staying.

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Hector, China says...
1:30pm Tue 6 May 08

Thanks to all of them, especially Hart, Mayo and Butters who have all been exemplary pros.
The only one I'd question letting go is Rents who will surely find a club either in League One or Two.
Hinshlewood, if fit and it is clearly and if, is a quality League One player and is worth the further gamble on his fitness.

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Hector, China says...
1:32pm Tue 6 May 08

And I very much hope Fogden (esp) and Chamberlain are retained

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DJ, WORTHING says...
1:32pm Tue 6 May 08

Interesting moves from the Albion as they start to re build,surprising about the left back situation getting rid of both rents and mayo and not confirmed whether Richards will return, i would have kept Rents as he wasnt a bad young prospect, agree with Hart & Mayo, they have been great servants to the club but it was time for them to move on. Butters is a shame, surely he could have some input on the coaching front, developing youngester like he did with Elphick. Martot i feel could offer something he had to good games in the centre midfield and then didnt feature after that which is a shame as he was a versatile squad player, Mcfaul i feel wasnt giving a chance and in my opinion was just brought in to make up the numbers of the 5 signings promised.Reid is an injury prone but again when fit is a handy player, but if you want to invest you gota cut the wage bill. Be interesting to see what Wilkins does with the likes of Fogden Chamberlain Gargan Sullivan and co.

Who will be kept in my opinion only Sullivan will feature with maybe Gargan as he has had some good loan spells.

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mick, btn says...
1:37pm Tue 6 May 08

just heard that the club have let go dean white!! does this mean kfc will lay off staff?

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seagull sam, brighton says...
1:38pm Tue 6 May 08

So far so good apart from Martot. Now get shot of Loft and sick note Hinshelwood
Surely we cant release Martot and keep Loft, can we???

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mark, brighton says...
1:41pm Tue 6 May 08

Jon wrote:
I'm really looking forward to seeing Sonny Cobbs come through, whether at left-back, centre-back, midfield or a combination of those positions. Hope and trust he is staying.

just heard they have released him as well!! thought he was new kid on the block, looks like lewes will have a cracking side!!!!

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steve, Brighton says...
1:48pm Tue 6 May 08

Hopefully this is the sign of things to come. Getting rid of players with large contracts and signing some decent players to get to the championship. Time will tell though. Barry Lloyd must have a few players lined up!

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Aaron, brighton says...
1:56pm Tue 6 May 08

so anyone know when the decisions on the rest of out of contract players will be made?

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Matt, Worthing says...
2:15pm Tue 6 May 08

It would make sense to keep Hinshelwood on a short term deal, maybe month by month. We have been paying him for three years for very littl return so it would be daftto let him go if in fact is now fit. If he is fit he would be great addition to the squad. So a month by month or pay as you play type deal seems the sensible option.

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katie, eastbourne says...
2:17pm Tue 6 May 08

good luck to all the players released, even the ones people are continually critical about! i bet nobody on here would like there boss to come in and say you dont cut it leave!
anyway its a good move from wilkins, he inherited a team and players, next season it will be his team moulded in his way and the buck will stop with him! just because we have an opinion on here does not mean we are right!
if wilkins gets it right he will be a hero if he gets it wrong he can only blame himself if hes on the social! he deserves the chance to sign his own players and deserves the full support of the albion faithfull!
come on albion!!!!!!!!!!!

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mark, brighton says...
2:38pm Tue 6 May 08

mark wrote:
this is black tuesday, lets hope loft and hinshlewood get the elbow too, as it seems rents is better bet than either of the two knight puppets,

glad to see dick having his say on the squad, loft is 24 and has been here for three years! same money would have kept rents . and rents is 3 years younger, disgraceful decision

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LochLomond, Scotland says...
2:46pm Tue 6 May 08

mark wrote:

mark wrote: this is black tuesday, lets hope loft and hinshlewood get the elbow too, as it seems rents is better bet than either of the two knight puppets,
glad to see dick having his say on the squad, loft is 24 and has been here for three years! same money would have kept rents . and rents is 3 years younger, disgraceful decision

Following Mark's logic we should sign a 12 year old who is 12 years younger than Doug Loft - would that 12 year old be you Mark????

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chris, brighton says...
2:49pm Tue 6 May 08

Loft isnt 24 he's 22. Rents should of been kept as he is by far the best left back at the club. Sullivan has been offered a year as well

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GJ, Brighton says...
3:04pm Tue 6 May 08

mark wrote:

Jon wrote: I'm really looking forward to seeing Sonny Cobbs come through, whether at left-back, centre-back, midfield or a combination of those positions. Hope and trust he is staying.
just heard they have released him as well!! thought he was new kid on the block, looks like lewes will have a cracking side!!!!

If it is true that Sonny Cobbs has been released, I will be seriously cheesed off. How can anyone release Sonny (big future) and keep Loft (never has been and never will be). Oh, 3 words: Dean bloody White. The Loft decision has everything to do with the KFC Kid's Hastings connection and nothing to do with Loft's talent, or rather startling lack of. I can see Wendy and Loft getting a lot of stick next season, if he gets anywhere near the team.

As for the Lewes comment, I'm sure Sonny can play a lot higher than that already.

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peter, hove says...
3:04pm Tue 6 May 08

read what mark says!! loft been here three years, joined as same age as they release rents¬ so if rents cant improve till he is 24 why release him? loft has done nothing in three years, why keep him over rents? when rents could play same positions as loft.

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George Chippendale, Basingstoke says...
3:07pm Tue 6 May 08

Why have we released Rents. He is great cover at left back. He is great from dead ball situations and its a shame he's going.Also why the **** have we offered Doug Loft a new deal, he's useless.

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bob, cheshire says...
3:08pm Tue 6 May 08

doug loft 25/12/86

21 years old

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katie, eastbourne says...
3:12pm Tue 6 May 08

LochLomond wrote:

mark wrote:

mark wrote: this is black tuesday, lets hope loft and hinshlewood get the elbow too, as it seems rents is better bet than either of the two knight puppets,
glad to see dick having his say on the squad, loft is 24 and has been here for three years! same money would have kept rents . and rents is 3 years younger, disgraceful decision
Following Mark\'s logic we should sign a 12 year old who is 12 years younger than Doug Loft - would that 12 year old be you Mark????

everybody is allowed an opinion but the the only one that matters is DW! he has given us a finishing place in the div that most of us could only have dreamed of before the start of this season! that done on a limited budget and not helped by contract problems midway through the campaign that ripped the heart out of the side( which was nothing to do with him)!
so he deserves our support, i dont understand why he kept loft and got rid of rents< but we dont see what happens behind closed doors at the training ground! they may see some hidden potential in loft yet to come through but think rents wont progress! whatever happens they will all be wilkins players next season exept MK so we shall judge them next season on their merits, but lets get behind DW and however plays 100% and hopefully we will have a good season watching a good team!

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mark, brighton says...
3:12pm Tue 6 May 08

well according to his interview with andy naylor he is 23? interview about sussex cup final. only qouting the players own interview,

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katie, eastbourne says...
3:20pm Tue 6 May 08

anyway loft was born 25th dec 1986 checked it on internet, makes him 21 we signed him at 18!
personally i think rents has performed better for us but hopefully the right decision has been made for the club only time will tell

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Harpo, says...
3:20pm Tue 6 May 08

When I saw the story about Doug Loft I had to double-check the date; surely this was a wind up. Nope - it's not April 1st, so what possible logical explanation can there be for offering this complete non-hoper another year? Nothing against the lad, as I don't know him personally, but he is clearly out of his depth at this level (evidenced by yet another inept performance on Saturday). Shocking decision.

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gully, hove says...
3:31pm Tue 6 May 08

Well DW has made some outrageous decisions - rents , cobbs and another left back mayo all gone - lets hope richards stays or dean is f***** i think the decision to let rentzey go is disgusting he is a talented player and who ever signs him will benefit. obviously dw is making way for larger wages at the expense of some of the talent he discovered in the first place. shame on you dean and good luck to all released especially rentzey- i understand wingy is on his way as well-another club interested

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Disgraceful, Nowhere near Burgess Hill says...
3:35pm Tue 6 May 08

Any news on the other youngsters out of contract so far ?

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James, Dartford says...
4:19pm Tue 6 May 08

Seagulls website shows that additional players to leave are Cobbs, Winterton and Skinner and players to be offered new deals are Fogden, Gargen, Sullivan Chamberlain and of course Loft.

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Neil, Eastbourne says...
4:26pm Tue 6 May 08

I'm pleased to see Scott Chamberlain offered a new contract but releasing Sonny Cobbs is a huge mistake which will return to haunt Wilkins and White. As for Loft, at best he should be at Hastings with White.

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rocky, saltdean says...
4:30pm Tue 6 May 08

well are we signing the great jabo ibhere from orient with harty goin the other way i know who i would sooner have ...cannot believe the decision to keep doug loft and let cobbs and rents go, heard damien hilton and mark farrington are coming out of retirement to help out , lets see who we bring in to see if the men with the money are really pushing for promotion so we can begin the follwing season at the dick knight stadium in the championship !!!

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mick, brighton says...
4:41pm Tue 6 May 08

what a joke rents and cobbs going, i see no mention of hinshlewood? his contract is nearly up, expect the club to do a deal in secret . loft and hinshlewood!! its about who you know, not what you know.

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andy, Nottingham says...
4:58pm Tue 6 May 08

As usual we are all experts but the only opinion that matters at the end of the day is Deano's and the budget he has been given to work with.
We should not forget the contributions that Mayo,Butters,Hart and Reid have made to the cause and I wish them all well.
As to the younger players,Rents,not sure i think he failed to take his chances.Never saw enough of Cobbs to have an opinion on him though Sam Gargan has been getting good reports at Welling.
As for Doug Loft he'll know this is his last chance and will hopefully push on his level performance and the same with Chamberlain,don't forget how that short term contract Hammond got from McGhee did the trick!!!
The best estimate is that there will be nearly 600 players available for transfer during the summer.
Before you all start slagging Bazza off i'm sure we will have a list of targets in place that along with the loan returnees from last season like Richards we will be up there again next season.
Come on guys let's all try and be a bit more positive about things.
Whatever all the cynics may say we have a well run club(you could be supporting say Bournemouth,Rotherha
m,Luton(all 10 point deductions) or Mansfield or Wrexham out of the league and in Mansfields case heading for oblivion!!!
We have a youth setup that produces good players we have sold on for big money(Harding,Virgo)
and those we will in the future (Elphick and Lynch.
At least our chairman backs our youth setup unlike a previous regime(guess who!!) where the manager had to buy a new bus for the youth team!!!
I for one find the next few weeks really boring and cannot wait for the next season to start!!!
UP THE ALBION!!!

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oliver, brighton says...
5:31pm Tue 6 May 08

mark wrote:
this is black tuesday, lets hope loft and hinshlewood get the elbow too, as it seems rents is better bet than either of the two knight puppets,

hmmm is there something you know? seems one got a contract and adam is not mentioned! in the players contracts.

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king wombat, uk says...
5:45pm Tue 6 May 08

i bet all you whingers would have stilled whinged on if we hadn't released any of those players.

get behind the team and the manager.

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terry, somewhere in West Sussex says...
6:04pm Tue 6 May 08

Why keep Loft and not keep Martot?

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ali g, staines says...
6:36pm Tue 6 May 08

terry wrote:
Why keep Loft and not keep Martot?

the silly loft decision has dean white's fingerprints all over it because of the hastings connections. i don't care how much loft is earning, he shouldn't be in a league 1 squad.

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Martyn, says...
7:09pm Tue 6 May 08

Pleased to see Hart, Mayo, Butters and Reid off the wages bill hopefully this would free up some wages to bring some much needed quality into the squad.

He was signed on loan so how can he be out of contract?

But why have Loft, Hinshelwood, Sullivan, Chamberlain, Fogden, Gargan, Gatting and Dixon been kept? Hinshelwood is never fit. Loft is rubbish. The rest are never in the first team!

Hopefully we can secure the services of Richards and Westlake on a permanent basis.

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doug loft, youth hostel, brighton says...
7:37pm Tue 6 May 08

hi all, thanks for your positive comments! i would like to say that i know im useless, but would advise you all to consider im only 12 and built like a flyweight and my mum said that i should avoid tackles from big nasty men with stubble. i feel i can offer lots to the albion and will prove it by starting three games next year...
sam rents is much better than me but uncle dean told me i can dribble better than him. i can run around cones in training much faster than him. i am prepared to play wherever uncle dean wants me to as long as im allowed to do kick ups and penalties in pre match. i got to 32 without dropping the ball last in my nans back garden.
i have been told to put on weight so the bigger boys don't hurt me next season and have been told to eat bananas, but i dont like them very much so i will drink nesquik instead.
with my £15.20 wages per week next year i fell i can now buy my own christmas presents without the help of my auntie now.

thanx for listening everyone, and remember - you're the best!!!

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mick, newhaven says...
7:46pm Tue 6 May 08

martyn-------- as chas and dave once sung there aint no pleasing you --what a mug

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Martyn, says...
7:56pm Tue 6 May 08

I don't see the point in keeping eight players who are never in the first team!

In Elphick, Lynch, Cox, Forster, Murray, Thomson, El-Abd, Robinson, Fraser, Whing and Kuipers we have 11 excellent players and a solid basis on which to build upon for next season.

If we can secure the services of Richards and Westlake on a permanent basis, a goalkeeper and a striker we will be there or thereabouts next season.

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smudge, San Fran today. says...
12:48am Wed 7 May 08

Never seen Sam Rents have a bad game. I thought he was an excellent prospect who put in a great cross with his left foot. Don't know enough about Cobbs to comment, but letting Rents go is a bad move I think.

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gully, hove says...
8:28am Wed 7 May 08

Martyn- You have got more chance of getting leprosy than signing Richards - he is on mega wages at Ipswich and have you seen the headlines today? NO MONEY.....Letting Rents go? BIG MISTAKE
2 clubs already interested....good luck to him and good on Reid for standing up for him in his article this morning..Good luck to Reid and all the others as well no doubt DW will regret some of the decisions but hey as long as Loft has been sorted out by white and Hinsch as well no one will care!!!!

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Martyn, says...
6:52pm Wed 7 May 08

Of all the players released Sam Rents is the one that might come back to haunt us.

Gully they must be pretty certain of signing Richards as thye have just released all three left-backs.

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