These are frightening times if you are a Nationwide League footballer who happens to be out of contract. Just ask Bradley Allen.

The former England under-21 striker goes into Albion's friendly at Sutton tonight and Saturday's trip to Crawley knowing he faces an uncertain future in the First Division.

His week's trial with the Seagulls has already brought him his first 45 minutes of action since last season, thanks to his first-half outing at Worthing on Tuesday.

Now the junior member of one of football's most famous families waits to see whether he will be offered a deal by Martin Hinshelwood, another contract at Grimsby, where he has played for three seasons, or be forced to admit his Division One days are over.

For the people whose job it is to balance the finances of the nation's football clubs, the heat has been on this summer like never before.

Allen is one of the relatively lucky ones. Albion are clearly interested in him, Grimsby would love to offer him another year and Oxford and Bristol Rovers are willing to take him into the Third Division.

It is still an unenviable position for Allen, and hundreds like him, to face with the new season less than a month away.

The 30-year-old Londoner spoke frankly about those worries after Tuesday's 4-1 win at Woodside Road.

He admitted: "It's absolutely frightening what has gone on this summer.

"Every club's budget has been affected, managers have been refused permission by their chairmen to sign players where in previous summers they have done that.

"I don't know how the next couple of weeks are going to pan out, whether there will be a mad rush or whether teams are just going to go with squads of 18 or 20 players, see how they start the season and then at the last minute maybe get new personnel in.

"It was nice to play a game. It was the first run out I have had so far this pre-season.

"I'm still not finished at Grimsby but because it's such a mess financially the manager Paul Groves has not been able to come back to me and offer me further terms.

"I started pre-season with them ten days ago but I was left with no choice last Thursday but to say to Paul it was all very well me training with them but at any stage if I was to get injured the first thing he would say was he wouldn't offer me anything.

"My contract finished at the end of June. Grimsby have continued paying me but I really want to get fixed up.

"If that is to be here that would be fantastic."

Which means what would normally be routine friendlies against non-league opposition can suddenly become make or break occasions for a pro with 13 years of service behind him.

He admitted: "I sincerely hope I can get fixed up.

"In terms of location it is perfect, me being a London boy and having my career at QPR and Charlton.

"I haven't come to take anybody's place. I just hope I can add to the enthusiasm of the young players here."

Experience and a goalscoring track record are the two qualities Allen hopes will keep him in the First Division.

Run-all-day midfielders and do-a-job centre backs may be ten-a-penny but a tally of 53 league goals, half of them in the top flight, can help you stand out from the crowd.

The plight of Grimsby, and others like them, backs up Dick Knight's assertion that Albion are among the better off clubs in their new division.

If it did come down to a survival battle, however, Allen believes he could be the man for the job.

He said: "Speaking with the staff, they need a bit of experience.

"They need someone who can cope with the First Division because, let's be honest, it's a very, very tough division this season.

"In my last two seasons at Grimsby we have been fighting to stay up.

"How we stayed up last season was like ten great escapes rolled into one.

"It was unbelievable. We won something like seven of our last 12 games and we beat the likes of Palace and Wimbledon who were going for the play-offs.

"Paul Groves got senior players fit again and the loan signings he made were of experience or higher quality. That was the key factor."

The transfer rumour mill be working overtime, not least around Brighton, over the next few weeks as clubs hunt for last minute signings.

No doubt some Albion fans who saw Charlton's John Robinson watching at Worthing on Tuesday were convinced they had a tasty bit of gossip.

A return to Albion for the Welsh international is surely wishful thinking but there are bargains out there for Hinshelwood to snap up.

Allen just hopes he is one of them.