Retained List

Being announced at 6pm tonight. Players out of contract include Ehmer, Fuller, Pringle, Charles-Cook, Byrne and Hanlan amongst others.

 

Will the new season start ontime, if it does in what format regarding people attending. Therefore can we afford to keep players with no revenue coming in. Albeit the season ticket money would have been paid up front. Difficult times, difficult decisions. Maybe a thread bare squad on the books, risking relelgation to L2, but a lessor risk than the season not starting at all, with outgoing wage bills. What would you do if it was your business....jeez did I just say that dreaded word! Don't tell @alwaysright

 

Ben Pringle, Ousseynou Cisse and Mark Byrne have been released. Byrne has however been invited back for preseason training to prove his fitness and then may be offered a deal.

Simon Royce will leave his position as Goalkeeping Coach due to a staff reshuffle.

Max Ehmer, Mikael Mandron, Brandon Hanlan, Regan Charles-Cook and Henry Woods are likely to be offered new contracts but terms are yet to be decided which won't happen until a club board meeting on 19th June.

Barry Fuller triggered a clause in his contract to activate another year however has been told he can find a new club if he wants to as Evans is going down the younger route. Lee Hodson has been told to continue talks with St Mirren and one other EFL club to move on.

 

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19th June is that when Scally does a runner and social distances himself from the club.

 

Well it's the date of the EFL clubs next board meeting which is when they should decide when next season can start.

 

Offering new contracts is very unlikely until we know when the new season might start, why pay wages for players to sit at home until October.

 

Exactly my thoughts. That's why I said i'd rather gamble with relegation to L2 as club owner, then throw money away we can ill afford. I think any thought of building a side for promotion in this current climate is crazy. It's like booking a holiday with British Airways for a week in August, would anyone do it!? Whatever they decide in June, still does not mean it is guranteed go ahead in August, a second wave would see to that, let alone social distancing, only selling every third seat.

 

Can't see a start before September

 

Think we will again looking at loanies to keep costs down.

 

Max Ehmer is close to joining us, according to our local rag.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/max-ehmer-jack-baldwin-bristol-4268502

 

Been confirmed that Charles-Cook has turned down the offer of a new deal and has accepted an opportunity to play in Scotland. Shame really as I always thought he looked bright in the games he played.

As he's under 24 we are entitled to receive a fee from his prospective club however.

 

I won't reinvent the wheel for this...

Sadly our fans need dragging into reality. The season finished 11 games short of the season, so virtually a quarter of a season match day revenue lost, and all the marketing that goes with that. While still paying wage bills.

Steve Evans came into us along with a renewed energy that saw us finish not too far short of the play-offs, that will all have cost money, that we had no return on.

Then what about the new season, you can't even market something, when you can't guarantee what extent of measures are going to be in place.

I've said prior to the Ehmer news, we need to get players off the wage bill, regardless of their quality. I'd rather face the threat of relegation than my club going under, you've got to budget accordingly, and if we do happen to remain in L1 at the end of the next season, then it's long term win, win.

Problem is with modern football, some fans are not used to having to get real.

 

I will be surprised if he comes to us as from what I've read about him is he is championship quality.

 

Reality hurts especially when we were starting to get somewhere again instead of languishing in the swamp of potential relegation........

 

I don't think we will get anything as gone to Ross County in Scotland

 

I feel we may have to sell Tucker to highest bidder. I saw a West Ham young prospect turn down a new deal there . This could lead to Tucker being replacement.

 

Ehmer has officially signed for us now

 

Got yourselves a good defender for League One there. Probably had his best season in a Gills shirt last season. Ideally needs a competent partner to get the best out of him but good nonetheless.

 

A good league one defender, don't see him playing any higher.
He is slow across the ground and was often caught out of position, Tucker would often bail him out.
I will miss him but don't think he is irreplaceable.

 

Paul Scally seems upset with us about signing Ehmer. Not sure why as we are debt free . Sounds like sour grapes to me but you know the guy better than me... https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...gillingham-chairman-paul-scally-takes-4349595