Not For Sale

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 29/12/2007

GRIMSBY are not planning to allow any of their players to leave Blundell Park when the transfer window re-opens in January, despite some interest in their players from other clubs. Peterborough have expressed an interest in Tom Newey in the past and Ryan Bennett has also been watched we are told.

Peterborough went public earlier this year about Tom Newey, even going so far as to state on their web site that Newey was a target of theirs in the January Sales. However Town chairman John Fenty has consistently stated that Grimsby want to hang on to Newey, recently telling the Grimsby Telegraph:

"I don't see anything changing because he is a player we want to keep at Grimsby. He has a contract and Alan [Buckley] sees Tom as an important member of the squad. There was an initial approach from Peterborough but that's all it was."

With Newey under contract at Blundell Park until the end of the 2008-2009 season, there is no urgency to cash in on the left back, but often when a player is near the end of their deal Town may be tempted to sell, as in the case of Rob Jones who was sold a few weeks before his contract terminated

"But there could come a time when a player looks like he may stop playing for you, like we had with Rob Jones," said Fenty. "It is not always within our control that a player stays."

Ryan Bennett is also under contract until the end of the 2008-2009 season, and as a former Town Youth player he would command a fee even beyond that until he is 23, provided the Mariners are willing to offer him a new contract when his old one expires. Bennett has been reported to have been watched by scouts, but no clubs have come out and stated an interest in the 17-year-old. That may of course change in January.

So basically Fenty's comments about Rob Jones don't really apply to these two players at least as they still have 18 months left at Blundell Park.

Grim Rob says: In Town's financial situation every player will of course have their price, as all fans know. However Grimsby should be looking to strengthen the defence during January. Atkinson and Hird have been valuable additions to the squad but they are only on loan and it would be great to secure their - or similar players' - services permanently. If we had to release anybody then about the only area where we do have an excess of players is strikers.

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