31 year-old goalkeeper Hovaness Noubaryan arrived today on a bargain-basement S$94 000 deal with newly-formed Tbilisi side Trad <__> Love, becoming the first player to be sold by the club, and the first Georgian to be registered with the Birds.

The move should ease Grilled's scarcity of options between the sticks, with 36 year-old reserve stopgap Alvaro Silvera understood to be awaiting a move, which would leave 58 year-old goalkeeping coach Cheung Huel-sheng as the only trained custodian at the club. While Cheung has been trying to convert midfielder Hilal Bakhtiar to the position, and Bakhtiar has been doing okay in the few friendlies he has started there, both are happy at the arrival of an actual goalie.

"It was a new experience, but to be honest I much prefer being in the outfield." Hilal said. "The staff have told me that I will have to get my fitness way up to be effective in the middle, but I am okay with being in the defence too."

"Having a new guy to work with would be great!" Cheung added. "Hilal, well, his heart's not really in it, and Silvera's mostly interested in attempting free-kicks and looking for his next job these days. And don't get me started on Stacey - I have barely been able to get him to acknowledge me!"

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