Shape Up Or Ship Out! - Furneaux Gets Tough!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 28/06/2002

PAUL Groves will be meeting the chairman today to discuss the plans for the forthcoming season and Peter Furneaux will be telling him to look for new players and that those out of contract do not have a preference.

The Grimsby Telegraph reported that although some out of contract players are in contract talks, they have the same status as the hundreds of other professionals that have become available.

Furneaux met with his fellow directors yesterday to discuss the budget available for the playing staff and was today meeting Paul Groves to look his at his wish list for the new campaign.

Michael Boulding, Bradley Allen, Danny Butterfield, Wayne Burnett and Simon Ford have come to the end of their contracts but Boulding is reported to be having a pre-season trial at Middlesbrough, Butterfield's agent has been talking to other clubs and Allen has turned down an offer from Bristol Rovers.

Terry Cooke and Robert Taylor will also be in the melting pot and Groves has previously said he would like to sign Cooke.

".…People seem to be talking about who we are going to re-sign. But I would like to see some new faces!!…."

It has now been made clear to players that new contracts are likely to be a lot lower than their previous ones and Furneaux was quite adamant that they will have to set their sights lower.

"We will be talking to the players and listening to them. But we want them to show that they want to play for Grimsby Town." He said. "People seem to be talking about who we are going to re-sign. But I would like to see some new faces, I think the club needs that. We want to take the club forward and I think we will be going forward."END

Billo: From what has been said it seems that the directors, quite rightly, would like Paul Groves to look at other players who are available since clubs started shedding players in light of the TV money shortage.

It makes sense to see if he can get better players at the same price and Peter Furneaux seems to be looking for a stronger commitment from those who might be offered a new contract.

This is a good opportunity for Groves, who knows he cannot afford to carry passengers, to form a squad that have a chance of competing in the first division and he will only get one chance to do that with the tight budget he is on.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of weeks and Groves will be making an announcement about Ford very soon.

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