COLCHESTER United smashed their club record transfer fee twice on the same afternoon in a dramatic few hours at Layer Road yesterday.Rocked by the news of defender Wayne Brown's transfer request in the morning, the U's then completed a double swoop with Clive Platt and Mark Yeates both arriving on permanent deals.

By Carl Marston

COLCHESTER United smashed their club record transfer fee twice on the same afternoon in a dramatic few hours at Layer Road yesterday.

Rocked by the news of defender Wayne Brown's transfer request in the morning, the U's then completed a double swoop with Clive Platt and Mark Yeates both arriving on permanent deals.

Winger Yeates, a key member of the U's successful promotion campaign of 2005-06, when he was on loan from Tottenham, was the first to put pen to paper.

It was then the turn of target man Platt, who eclipsed the six-figure fee spent on Yeates to complete his move from MK Dons.

Both are undisclosed fees, although the EADT reported last week that United had made a bid of £300,000 for experienced front-man Platt.

That is believed to be the final figure.

The previous club record had stood at just £50,000, for the purchase of Neil Gregory from Ipswich in 1998, and the arrival of Adrian Coote from Norwich in 2001.

Former Walsall trainee Platt, who has also played for Rochdale, Notts County and Peterborough, has been recruited to fill the boots of departed centre-forward Chris Iwelumo. Both men stand at 6ft 4ins.

Platt, 29, formed a lethal partnership with Izzy McLeod at MK Dons last season, helping the Milton Keynes club to reach the League Two play-offs.

Platt contributed 18 goals, making him the third joint leading scorer in the division.

He told the Colchester United website last night: "I've been a target man at every club I've been at, and I think I have the build and the game for it.

"I believe that Chris Iwelumo did well here and the club plays to its strengths, so I hopefully can benefit from that.

"MK Dons are a great club but it is completely different being able to come to a club in the Championship," added Platt, who played for Dons against the U's in the Carling Cup last August.

Irishman Yeates is already a familiar face at Layer Road after missing just two league games in the U's automatic promotion from League One two seasons ago.

The 22-year-old endured a frustrating time last season, during further loan spells away from Tottenham at Hull City and Leicester City.

Yeates said: "It's good to be back. By the start of next season we should be looking strong.

"I kept an eye out for every (Colchester) result last season, and I must admit that I was envious about how well the lads did."