CHARLIE GRIFFIN thinks that a blend of both his own and his brother Alan’s strengths could have produced a successful Championship player.

“I’m not saying either of us is a better player, we are both quite different,” said the Cirencester Town manager who signed his four-year younger brother this week from Chippenham.

“Al can finish but I would say I’ve always been the more natural goal scorer. He’s a better target man and can hold the ball up better than me.

“Since I took over I have been looking for someone who can occupy centre halves more than we have been. Al brings something different to what we have got.

“There are big centre halves in this league and the ball has been coming back too quickly.

“Aidan (Bennett) and Ross (Langworthy) are not natural target men – both are better playing off someone.

“When our centre half Ben Brown played against my brother last season he said he had never come up against anything quite like him. It was impossible to get around him.

“Our attackers and defenders will all learn from Alan.

“He’s very passionate about the game and he wants to be involved 110 per cent.

“He’s sat there patiently on the bench at Chippenham because he knows the two strikers in front of him are going to score 30/40 goals between them this season. “We are not breaking the bank to bring Al in, it is all within my budget but he will be a great signing for the club.

“He has the experience to help us out of the situation we are in.”

Having been foiled of his Ciren debut by a frozen pitch at Frome on Wednesday night, Griffin jnr will lead the line on the visit to Redditch United on Saturday.

He met up with his new teammates at training in the Cirencester Arena on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Redditch boss Darren Byfield, the former Aston Villa and Walsall player, has like Charlie Griffin been introducing a lot of new faces to his squad, including his old mate and former England international Lee Hendrie.

Hendrie’s media work does, however, rule him out of some Saturday games. Hednesford Town striker Gurjit Singh also joined today.

Griffin will not be able to see his two new striker signings working in tandem, however, as Jamie Chamberlain has today joined Scott Bartlett’s Weston-super-Mare in the National League South. He was in any case ruled out of the game with a hamstring tear.

Having joined on a dual registration from National League side Torquay United Chamberlain scored two goals on his debut in the 4-1 home over Dorchester, a performance which alerted a number of other interested clubs.

“We found Jamie from nowhere and he has suddenly been taken from us,” said a frustrated Griffin.

“He would have worked really well playing alongside Al, but we will continue to look for someone similar with pace who can get in behind defences.

“I have no problem with players trying to get to the highest level they can so good luck to him.”

Right back Kieran Diaz-Benitez, who broke his nose in the match against Biggleswade recently, had his nose reset in hospital this week and may play in the Redditch match in a protective mask.