| Date: 23-05-25 A time to stay and a time to leave |
Today was one of the days that we both look forward to and also to dream. It’s the day of the retained list when the players that we either love or hate get to know their future with the club. With us, earlier today, most of what came out was expected.
Here’s the full list and I’ll discuss it as best I can afterwards:
The following players, having existing contracts or having had contracts extended, are tied to the club for the 2025-26 season.
Tom Palmer, Alex Penny, Reece Devine, Amari Morgan-Smith, Ashley Hemmings, Joe Foulkes, Christian Dibble ,Seb Thompson, Josh Bishop, Samson Hewett, David Davis.
The following out-of-contract players have been given offers from the club for the 2025-26 season.
Caleb Richards, Reiss McNally, Zak Brown, Kyle Morrison, Kam Kandola. Luke Summerfield has been invited back for pre-season.
The following players will leave the club following their contracts ending at the finish of the 2024-25 season.
Paul Downing, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tope Obadeyi, Kobe Hall, Noah Rubio.
The following loan players, signed to the club as of the last game of the season, return to their parent clubs with our thanks and best wishes.
Dave Worrall, Maz Kouhyar, Ben Beresford, Charlie Lutz, Jim Kellermann, Ryley Reynolds.
So let’s start at the top of the list.
I fully agree with new contracts for Ashley Hemmings and Josh Bishop. Ash must have another year in him and to score thirty odd goals in a season is not to be sniffed at. If we were to have let him go there would be a queue all the way down Hoo Road in both directions with everyone banking on a repeat of that feat for them. Newly promoted Macclesfield Town have already been mentioned and they would probably have Robbie Savage at the front of both queues.
Bishop I would keep because he looks to have potential and is just the right age at twenty years old. Where would that leave Tom Palmer? I’ve said before that he seems to be lacking in ambition and at twenty six he should really have found a new, regular, team that he could play for week in week out. What is wrong with the man? Surely he cannot be satisfied sitting on the bench every week and coaching Josh Bishop.
Already on contracts are Alex Penny, Christian Dibble and Joe Foulkes. The last two are obviously keepers but as for Alex he seems to still be getting over his fractured vertebrae and still may not start next season. As an aside I also have the same injury now, for the past six weeks, and it shows no sign of getting any better. Believe me it’s very painful and affects the Dorsi muscle that is attached to the base of the spine and then goes round to the side and up. It seems cruel but I think Alex will eventually find himself released anyway.
Of the other four keeping Devine and Thompson was the right thing to do even though the latter did fall out with Phil Brown. It seems that our new man at the helm Adam Murray has to decide for himself and not go on word of mouth. Davis is the strange one with a new contract at the age of thirty four you would think his career is coming to an end and maybe it’s only a short term deal because of an experienced head around the place.
Samson Hewitt is one that I was told by a regular at going to games in strange towns that he would never make the grade. Whereas Noah Rubio (released) had loads of potential and would have most certainly been kept on. What do we know though?
The out of contract players are self explanatory and I fully agree with but the question that stands out is why they weren’t given new contracts in the New Year. That’s when those kind of things are discussed. The problem because of that oversight is that all of those in that list could be leaving us for nothing when, at least, on a contract we would have got something for them.
Luke Summerfield being given a chance is a good move though because a broken leg at his age could be career ending and July should give us enough time to assess his future with us.
Of the leavers then we already know now of two that are going. Rubio has already been mentioned while Kobe Hall let the cat out of the bag last night. Wherever they go to then good luck to them both and we’ll keep an eye on them to see how they do.
Paul Downing, Tope Obadeyi, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain. The first two have not really impressed the Aggborough faithful while the Ox had a brilliant season long loan at Truro City and helped them gain promotion into the National League which is more that our lot did for us. I fully expect him to sign for them on Monday morning before someone else snaps him up.
The loanees aren’t ours so it’s not worth worrying about them. Worrall is about to sign a new contract at Barrow AFC that includes a coaching role while Beresford and Kellermann have already been released by Birmingham City and Ebbsfleet Utd last week. We’re waiting on York City’s list to come out for the news of Maz Kouhyar while it’s very doubtful that Ryley Reynolds will be released by Notts County. The have let Sammy Austin go already though so maybe there’s a big clear out going on at the County Ground.
Did I mention Charlie Lutz? No, I won’t bother.
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