Archived News from January 2008
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BOOTH-18MONTH CONTRACTS WOULD BE FINANCIAL SUICIDE
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Audio interview with Stephen Booth from Mansfield 103.2 recorded on Friday 18Jan2008 http://www.stagsnet.net/mp3/stephenbooth180108.wma">here Thanks to cmk for the recording ----------------- '18-month contracts would be financial suicide' CHAD.co.uk, 18 Jan 2008, by Tim Morriss STAGS chief executive Stephen Booth has defended the club's policy of not offering 18-month contracts to prospective new players. Manager Billy Dearden has been frustrated in the January transfer window as transfer targets reject a move to Field Mill - but Mr Booth told Chad on Friday morning that it would be 'financial suicide' to offer 18-month deals with the club in its current predicament. Mr Booth gave a full interview with Mansfield radio station 103.2 on Friday, talking about why he refuses to elaborate on takeover talk and the FA Cup windfall. Listen to their Friday evening sports show Sport On Friday from 6 to 7pm tonight. Dearden, talking about the eventually failed bid for Peter Gain, told Chad: "It helped that they (Dagenham) offered him an 18-month contract while all I could offer him was this season with another year if we stay in this league. "The people here are 'iffing and butting' which league we will be in and not letting me offer 18-month deals, but this needs looking at in the next couple of weeks, not just with players I want to bring in but also with players already here who I want to keep. "I feel we have to be positive and believe that we are going to be okay." As well as being unable to bring players to the club on long-term agreements, Dearden has also been unable to start offering new deals toexisting squad members he wants to keep at Field Mill for next season. But Mr Booth said on Friday that offering 18-month contracts would be 'financial suicide', given the uncertainty of which League the club would be in next season. He said: "I have said before that Billy has been given a budget to work with and nothing has changed. "I am very wary of saddling the club with long-term liabilities without a clear idea of which League the club will be playing in next season. "That would be financial suicide. Any prospective owners would be very, very wary of a club committed to long-term liabilities. "I know it is frustrating, but that is the way it is." Last week he told Chad: "It would be remiss of me to speculate lots of money on players and wages. I have to balance what is right for the club in the long-term. "This industry is littered with clubs who have thrown money at problems and got nowhere. "I would not jeopardise the future of the club by speculating and buying players we can not afford and which would not do anyone any good." ------------ Billy Dearden told Evening Post: "Dagenham offered him (Peter Gain) an 18-month contract and we could not. Players will usually go for the guaranteed longer deal. People at the club are hedging their bets as to what league we are going to be in next year. But we need to be positive and believe we are going to be okay and get people in on 18-month contracts. There are also players in the building who I want to sign up for next year but I can't do it until something is sorted out. I have a couple of irons in the fire and the phone could go at any time. I expect to hear very soon from two lads. I may leave one of them until next week because he would only be able to play against Darlington and then have to sit out the cup game." Full interview and story at http://www.thisismansfieldtown.co.uk |
Latest | January 2008