The following players remain under contract for the 2018/19 season:

Ryan Catterick
Aaron Cunningham
Josh Hawkes
Scott Loach
Carl Magnay
Kenton Richardson

The following players remain under contract but have been made available for transfer or loan:

Jake Cassidy
Ryan Donaldson
Scott Harrison
Louis Laing
Jack Munns
Conor Newton

The Club has taken up the option on the contracts of the following players:

Lewis Hawkins
Michael Woods

Offers of new contracts have now been made to the following players:

Liam Donnelly
Nicky Featherstone
Devante Rodney

The following players have been released:

Blair Adams
Luke George
Rhys Oates

Ohhhhhhhhhh


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This is huge. Abotut time too.

Oates is the big surprise for me and i thought Newton impressed in the second half of the season.

Hawkins getting his contract extended though ...

Hawkins is cheap and relatively reliable. The rest must be on expensive contracts or just not wanted

I thought Hawkins would get a deal as like MisterB says he'll be on low wages, doesn't get injured and can cover a number of positions, an important factor with a smaller squad. Apart from Loach I think everyone of Craig Harrisons signings has been put on the transfer list or released, I bet some of them are on big wages for this level.

This is a good signal of intent, about time we had a big clearout. Lets hope someone comes in for those offered on transfer, though Munns hasn't really been given a fair crack of the whip in my opinion and Newton improved dramatically - to the point where I'd have given him another year I think.

Rodney undoubtedly has potential with good coaching and could make us some cash in future, so I'm pleased he's been offered a deal.

Oates is a surprise but I'm sure we'll soon get over it. I don't think we'll lose any sleep over Adams and George either.

Wow. This is a massive clear out. Starting again with the forward line if Cassidy finds another club. Apart from Rodney, who is lucky to be offered a new deal given that he made only limited progress last season. Agree that Rhys Oates is unlucky.

It definitely looks like the main issue with the Harrison/Watson signings is their wages. They're not all equally gash. That said some of them - the worst ones - are unlikely to get a similar offer elsewhere, so we might be stuck with them.


And Scott Harrison is going nowhere. FACT.

Got to say it looks fine to me and the odd ones i would query (Cassidy) may be on decent wages and we could get better.

Looks overall pretty good choices to me as well (I'm sure there will be one or two differences of opinions on individuals). I like the signal of intent putting the list of players up who are available for release/loan, at least it shows what is thought about them!!!

Nathan Thomas transfer listed by Sheffield united, Season long loan for us maybe?

Can't see him dropping down that far.

Wishfull thinking, same for Jack Baldwin.

So we got rid of three players from the worst squad in the clubs history.

Was anybody expecting anything else? To a great extent Bates's hands are tied. Harrison making signings last summer of players on 2 year deals will haunt us, I cannot see anybody taking players off us that are avaiable for transfer.

Hopefully Hignetts contacts can uncover some frees or loans to add some quality to the poorest squad in Pools history as said ny pittingtonone.

Was anybody expecting anything else? To a great extent Bates's hands are tied. Harrison making signings last summer of players on 2 year deals will haunt us, I cannot see anybody taking players off us that are avaiable for transfer.

Hopefully Hignetts contacts can uncover some frees or loans to add some quality to the poorest squad in Pools history as said ny pittingtonone.

Was anybody expecting anything else? To a great extent Bates's hands are tied. Harrison making signings last summer of players on 2 year deals will haunt us, I cannot see anybody taking players off us that are avaiable for transfer.

Hopefully Hignetts contacts can uncover some frees or loans to add some quality to the poorest squad in Pools history as said ny pittingtonone.

It's all well and good putting people on the transfer list if they are decent

I'm happy enough with that, I'd have let Hawkins go but I'd imagine he's a cheap option as squad player.

Newton's improved a lot and has looked a good player for this level but along with Munns and Donaldson are reportedly top earners so it's understandable they've been listed.

From my understanding we had to offer contracts to Rodney and Donnelly to be entitled to development as it shows the intent that we wanted to keep them.

I was really looking forward to seeing Luke George run out for 14 and a half minutes next season.

I guess Bates had seen their attitude to graft and getting on with it over the difficult last season. Players would have put on a positive spin to a new manager coming in but he already had insite, I wander if there is any lazy twats and wasters in the released bunch?

I’m happy enough with that, can never expect it to mirror what I’d have done myself.

It does look though as if the plan is for a season of consolidation while they rebalance the books by trying to get all or most of the biggest earners off the wage bill.

As far as I know, for Donnelly and Rodney we would be entitled to compensation if they moved elsewhere provided we had offered them a deal on equal or greater terms than their current one because they're under 21.

Not saying we'd get much, and personally I hope Donnelly stays, but it makes sense to offer them new deals anyway.

Bates put plenty of graft in as a player like!!!!

I agree with much of the above but I would defo have kept Oates, he may run around like Scooby Doo for much of the time but he’s proved that he can assist with the ‘goals for ‘ column. Also it’s all very well releasing or putting up for sale (ooh me ribs) players who are no longer required - PROVIDED that superior quality replacements can be attracted to what was let’s face facts a badly struggling Banarama League club last season. OK so Higgy brought one or two decent players to the club but he also brought in a number of duck-eggs. AND he is also paertly responsible for Scott Harrison still being at the club after he failed to attract a decent centre back.

Oates scored 12 League goals for Pools in 99 appearances, 7 of those were last season in the dreadful National League he seems to be a canny lad with a great attitude but if we actually want to get back to where we need to be players of his ilk need moving on.

I'm quite partial to a duck egg myself. And there is absolutely no argument that most of Hignett's signings were good quality, which is why they are still playing in the Football League - 2 of them are currently with Championship clubs.

The thought of another season with Woods and Featherstone as the mainstays of our "midfield" horrifies me.

I expected a lot more out of Oates this season. He is a strong lad but for some reason didn't seem up to it physically - either that or he didn't fancy it. He rarely seemed to play a full game - it's the correct decision to release him for me.

Higgy certainly won’t be attracting Championship-class players to Pools in the club’s current position however he must presumably be reasonably confident of securing better players than those released or transfer listed otherwise Bates would have surely been reined in when compiling his retained list. Time alone will tell how many of Higgys first choice targets actually sign on the proverbial bottom line.

My fear is that many of those on the for sale list will still be with us come the start of the season. Bit awkward isn’t it... yeah, we wanted rid of you but let’s crack on anyway.
I suppose some might want to prove Bates/Hignett wrong.

Rhys Oates certainly 'fancied it' - he ran his arse off every game, pressed like good 'un first half but invariably ran out of gas fairly early in the second. There's nothing wrong with his attitude but a big question mark over his stamina.

Presumably Pools' coaching and fitness staff could see it too, so whatever his stamina issues are they're not an easy fix.

I guess if they have been made openly available for sale / loan and nobody takes them it lets them know next season is potentially the end for their careers. May spur them on to work extra hard to make sure they secure their future. Just to look at it from another perspective.


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I felt Oates had the desire but he didn't strike me as someone who will develop much more. His game is all about running and is pretty one dimensional. Good luck to him as can't fault his effort, hopefully he still has a career at this level or near to it.

Hawkins retained?, 110 appearances and 2 goals scored, both in the same game, so 109 games for us without scoring. Just think if he'd managed at least 2 or 3 the season we were relegated from the league we'd have probably stayed up, that's the difference......baffled by that one.

Flinders had a similar record didn't he and we got shot of him.

Flinders usually played slightly deeper than Hawkins, although not quite as deep as Featherstone.

Imagine being a professional midfielder with 2 goals in 110 games, absolutely embarrassing

Worse still, having such a record for Pools.

They were 2 good goals if it’s any consolation,(I suppose not)

Great idea. Now if we could just sign Nietzsche as well, we could outsmart every team in the league.