Scott Brown in as Mills plans Ben Swallow move (From York Press)

Scott Brown in as York City boss plans Ben Swallow move

11:50am Saturday 7th January 2012 in News By Dave Flett , Sports reporter

BRISTOL Rovers winger Ben Swallow could be the next player on his way to York City following the arrival of Fleetwood Town midfielder Scott Brown.

Brown is in contention to make his City debut at Lincoln this afternoon having signed until the end of the season at Bootham Crescent with his contract at the Cod Army having expired.

But Andre Boucaud could be moving in the opposite direction with the Minstermen mulling over a bid from Fleetwood for their Trinidad & Tobago international’s services.

Liam Henderson, meanwhile, has rejoined Forest Green Rovers on loan for the rest of the campaign, paving the way for the possible addition of Swallow next week.

City boss Gary Mills had been hoping to recruit Swallow in time for today’s Sincil Bank encounter but the process has not been helped by the Pirates being without a manager since the sacking of Paul Buckle.

Welshman Swallow has scored two goals in 42 outings for Rovers and also spent two months on loan at City’s Blue Square Bet Premier rivals Bath earlier this season.

On the possibility of a deal for the 22-year-old attacker, Mills said: “Ben Swallow is somebody I am interested in trying to get in. We haven’t been able to do that in time for this weekend because the down side to getting him here is that they haven’t got a manager at the moment.

“That doesn’t make things easy but, hopefully, something can be sorted out next week now.”

Brown became Mills’ first transfer window signing yesterday, ending a five-month spell with Fleetwood where he made nine league appearances, eight from the start.

The Runcorn-born, 26-year-old played in the same youth team as Wayne Rooney at Everton and is a former England schoolboy international but failed to make a senior appearance for the Goodison Park club.

He went on to sign for Bristol City after being handed a brief trial by former City boss Martin Foyle at Port Vale, whom he later joined after leaving Ashton Gate.

Following a spell with Cheltenham, Brown then moved to Morecambe, where he scored three goals in 33 appearances last season before teaming up with Fleetwood in August.

In total, he has 137 Football League games and nine goals to his name with Mills pleased to add a player boasting his quality and level of experience to his ranks.

The Minstermen chief added: “He’s my type of player because, one, he’s very good on the ball and, two, he has Football League experience.

“He’s somebody who I feel will come in and do well.

“He became available because he was out of contract at Fleetwood and is somebody I’ve been talking about and looking at for a while. He has a good chance of making his debut at Lincoln.”

Mills did not want to elaborate too much on the implications of Fleetwood’s bid for Boucaud, simply saying: “We have had an offer from Fleetwood for Andre and that’s as far as it’s gone at the moment.”

On Henderson’s departure, meanwhile, he said: “Liam’s played the last two games and all I would say is he’s done okay. Forest Green, like myself, are looking around in the transfer window and showed an interest in taking him until the end of the season.

“I wanted a little bit more from him so was willing to let him go as it might give me the opportunity to bring in somebody else who would be right for the club.”