Media Reaction....

Last updated : 12 May 2006 By Editor
Nottingham Evening Post:


Peter Shirtliff has axed eight out-of-contract players at Mansfield Town, with veteran keeper Kevin Pressman the biggest name released.

The 40-year-old is joined by centre-half Rhys Day, who has been plagued by injury this season, utility player Gus Uhlenbeek and striker Adam Rundle.

Fraser McLachlan, Jason Talbot, Kyle Jacobs and Adam Russell have also gone. Highly rated 20-year-old Laurence Wilson has signed for League Two rivals Chester City, rather than the Stags, after being released by Everton.

Shirtliff said releasing players was part of his rebuilding plans.

"I'm moving in a different direction now so I can't see the point in keeping a player hanging on if there isn't much chance of them getting first-team football," he said. "I've offered new deals to all the other players who are out of contract."

Mansfield have frozen season ticket prices for the 2006-2007 season.

Adult tickets are £300 for the West Stand upper tier and £280 for the lower tier and Quarry Lane stands. OAPs and students are £195 and £175 respectively and juniors £80 and £60.

A family ticket (one adult and one under 10) is £305 in the Quarry Lane stand. Prices are valid until June 9.

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Mansfield CHAD:


Stags - Shirtliff axes eight in Mill clearout

STAGS boss Peter Shirtliff showed the door to eight players today as he began his rebuilding for next season.

Kevin Pressman, Rhys Day, Gus Uhlenbeek, Jason Talbot, Fraser McLachlan, Adam Rundle, Kyle Jacobs and Alan Russell were all told they would not be offered new deals.

Everyone else on the books is either already under contract or has been offered a new deal.

Shirtliff said he had been given an initially positive response by those players that they wanted to stay. They now have until 20th May to officially accept.

He will also speak to players still under contract, inlcuding top scorer Richie Barker, to discuss extensions.

However, it has been reported today that Lawrence Wilson, who impressed on a three month loan deal from Everton at the end of the season, has rejected an offer from Stags to join on a permanent basis and signed for League Two rivals Chester City nearer his Merseyside home.

The clearout leaves Shirtliff with 15 players, including inexperienced teenager Nathan Arnold but doesn't include three youth team players who have been given pro deals of varying lengths in Danny Sleath, Chris Wood and Austin McIntosh.
He will be looking to add another three or four new names to that squad.

Shirtliff said it wasn't an easy job releasing the eight first team players.

"I am pleased with what they did for me and the club and we wish them well," he said.

"There was nothing personal involved. It's just that I am moving in a different direction.

"There is no point in keeping players if I don't think they can play for the first team and that's the direction I've gone in.

"I have been honest with them and told them straight. Good luck to them and I hope they can go on and have successful futures.

"It wasn't a pleasant thing to have to do. But all I could be was honest and straightfoward and I think they appreciated my honesty with them."

He added: "All the players I have spoken to about new deals were quite positive in terms of staying at the club.

"I am confident that we have the nucleus of a good squad and I just need to tweak it here and there.

"I am looking to bring three, maybe four, new faces in though I have nothing to report on that front right now."

Shirtliff confirmed one of those players will be a goalkeeper.
Jason White was given the chance to show what he could do in the final three games of the season and, with Pressman now released, Shirtliff said; "I will bring in a keeper. Then it's up to Jason and whoever to compete for the No.1 spot."

Central defender Jon Olav Hjelde intimated a while back that he would be returning home to Norway at the end of the season.

But Shirtliff feels he might still persuade the experienced defender to play another season and has offered him a deal.

"Jon is away in Norway right now visiting relatives.

"I know he has said in the past that he may pack the game in at the end of this season. But I have told him I think he is too young at 33 and reminded him you only get one career.

"I am hopeful he will decide to have another season with us.
"He missed a lot of pre-season last year and I think that affected him at the start of the season.

"But once he got in a run of form I thought he formed good partnerships with both Alex John-Baptiste and Jake Buxton."

Stags are back in for pre-season training on 28th June.