DARREN Currie is looking to rain on Brighton's parade on Saturday and help Town take three points while the Seagulls celebrate getting a new stadium.Albion are hoping to get the go-ahead to build a new ground in the next 48 hours, which would spark mass celebrations in the south coast resort.

By Derek Davis

DARREN Currie is looking to rain on Brighton's parade on Saturday and help Town take three points while the Seagulls celebrate getting a new stadium.

Albion are hoping to get the go-ahead to build a new ground in the next 48 hours, which would spark mass celebrations in the south coast resort.

And, while the £250,000 signing from Brighton would be delighted for his old club, he remains focused on helping the Blues find their first win in four games.

Although Currie spent just six months at the Withdean Stadium, after Mark McGhee signed him from Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer, the 30-year-old enjoyed his stay and was grateful to the club for revitalising his career.

But he will be glad not to have to play at the sports centre again and would be delighted if the club's dreams are realised and permission is given by John Prescott to build a new arena at nearby Falmer.

He said: “Every club deserves their own stadium. The one thing going against Brighton at the moment is not having its own stadium. A 30,000 all-seater ground would be brilliant for them and, without doubt, they would fill it because they have a massive fan base. The supporters there have been excellent, very patient and loyal, and really deserve this. So, I would be chuffed for them if it comes off this weekend.

“It is a lovely club all round, they are a great bunch of lads with a terrific management. Mark McGhee certainly helped me and I will always be thankful to him for that.

“But, despite all that, my priority is Ipswich Town and, while Brighton are hopefully celebrating, I will be going there looking to bring back all three points.” Currie believes this coming week could revitalise the Blues and, after the lows of last week, a decent run against Brighton, Derby on Wednesday and then at home to another of his former clubs, Plymouth, would put a whole new complexion on Town's season.

He said: “Despite all the doom and gloom of late, I can't help but look at where we are in the table and see it is not that bad.

“If we can get a couple of wins, and then put together a run of five or six good results, then we will shoot up the table.

“These are all very winnable games and, if we can take nine points this week starting against Brighton, the whole mood will change.

“For us to do that, we need to go back to basics. We have been working on that, and the importance of sticking together and producing a team performance. From that the natural individual skills will come through.

“We are good enough to win all three games it is up to us to go out and show it.”

Incentive, if any was needed, is the memory of missing out on automatic promotion last season, when a 1-1 on the last day meant Town finished third while Brighton survived relegation.

It is a day that still hurts Currie, although he was pleased for the Seagulls. He said: “A point would have been enough if Reading had won at Wigan but they were well beaten and that made our result irrelevant.

“We had a sense of what was going on and that really flattened everything and we felt the disappointment during game.

“But we are over that now and we face another task and another season. I refuse to be negative, because I agree with gaffer when he says we are close to being a very good side.

“We have had a dip in confidence but we are not as bad as I hear and read and we are not that far away from being a very good side.”

Town will also take hope from Brighton's poor home record, in which they have won just one in 10 at the Withdean, while the Blues have won two and drawn one in six away days.

Currie warned: “The statistics are good for us but they only count until 3pm and then it all goes out of the window. Brighton are a solid side that are difficult to break down. They are not a team which will allow us to build up pressure although, if they are struggling at home, they may sit back a little and that may give us licence to play a bit more.

“We do seem to be doing a bit better away. although personally I enjoy playing at home.”

Currie also faces another of his old clubs next week when Plymouth Argyle visit Portman Road.