RIP Courtney's Cambridge United career - hello Simon Russell

Today my friends is a sad day in the history of CUFC, up there with the day we sold the Abbey, the day we got relegated to the Conference, and the day we decided to appoint Steve Thompson as manager.

Because just hours ago Courtney Pitt's departure was confirmed, with the little winger joining York on loan for the rest of the season.

For me this is the first bum note Lingy has played in the transfer market so far. Courtney isn't the most consistent of players, and his ability to look like Leo Messi one minute, Kingsley Mbome the next, has always divided the opinions of supporters. But if he was brilliant all the time he clearly wouldn't be at this level, and if you look at the assist charts over the five years he has been at the club I'm sure he would always feature near the top.

Above all, his departure leaves badly us lacking what the Spanish call a "fantasy" player, someone who can come up with an unexpected moment of magic. Quite often during our stay in the Conference a Pitt run or shimmy has been the only thing to light up a dreary match, and I think now he's gone we might truly realise what a dangerous player he is at this level. All the best Courtney.

In his place we appear to have acquired a younger version of Hatswell, a blonde cockatoo by the name of Simon Russell, who played a lot last season for York when they were rubbish, but hasn't featured much since they've become decent. And when you add in the fact that Lingy himself describes the new man as "versatile" (ie not very good at anything), then the early signs don't look promising if you ask me. But I'd be a fool to write off a player before he's even pulled on an amber shirt, so let's hope he shows himself to be worthy of a longer stay.

*Don't forget I want your 20-word match reports on the York match tomorrow. Details below.