Liam Watson hints at AFC Telford departures
AFC Telford United boss Liam Watson today hinted winger Sean Cooke and striker Tony Gray may want to leave the New Bucks Head this summer.
Cooke is expected to be sold after a training ground spat with Watson at the end of last year, seeing out the campaign on loan at old club AFC Fylde.
His former employers could yet be back for the 21-year-old on a permanent basis but, if he stays in Shropshire, Watson insists he will be treated fairly.
Gray left Chester last summer because of the travelling obligations associated with Skrill Conference Premier football and faces the same situation again.
Watson said: "We still have things to sort out and we don't know what the future is going to be with Sean or Tony, even if they are under contract for another year.
"I haven't had a conversation with Tony, so I don't know what he wants to do, but he left Chester last summer because he didn't want to play in the Conference Premier.
"Football is a strange game and you never know what is around the corner, so I have an open mind. If Sean comes back to us in pre-season, he does so with a clean slate.
"He would have force his way back into the reckoning and that's a good time to do it, I would be daft not to give him the opportunity but he has his work cut out.
"He spent the end of last season playing two leagues below the Conference Premier, he was promoted with Fylde which will, no doubt, be part of the equation.
"But I know that, in the latter part of the campaign, he wasn't actually in the team and was coming off the bench. It's not too big an issue to me."
Watson returned from a two-week holiday this week to find midfielder Russell Benjamin sold to Conference North club Stockport County, a deal he put in place.
The Bucks boss was also pleased to see defender Dan Preston, who he released last month, has been signed by another non-league second tier side in Tamworth.
He said: "I am pleased Russell got a good move, he's a nice kid and I think he's gone to the right club. Joining Tamworth is good for Dan, too, and I am made up for him.
"You only learn in football by playing matches and I couldn't guarantee them that here."
