Highly rated players should be on contract (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Highly rated players should be on contract

4:14pm Thursday 15th December 2005 in Football

PERRIN PENS IT STRAIGHT: I GAVE some of the players who have not been regular starters this season a match against Swindon Supermarine.

That included new signing Nick Stanley who I thought was outstanding he was the best player on the pitch.

I'm delighted he's got his first game out of the way, or one and a half after extra time, and he's settled in fine.

I do not know if he will play against his former side Cirencester on Saturday, although he has done his chances no harm and is likely to be in my squad. There is certainly no agreement between us and Cirencester for him not to play.

I understand a few Cirencester fans are annoyed with us signing Nick. I think they see the comparisons between that and when we signed James Constable.

I think they wanted us to pay a fee but he was not under contract and we did everything above board.

If you rate someone highly and want to keep hold of them, then you put them on contract.

Nick is on a contract with us until the end of next season and I know there's certainly no animosity between myself and Ciren boss Bryan Hughes.

Nick could be joined by his brother at Hardenhuish Park next week.

We have put in a seven-day approach to Alex Stanley, who plays at Yeading and was in the side that played Newcastle in the FA Cup last year. He will certainly add another body to our defence.

But I do not know yet if he is even interested in coming to Chippenham Town. I will speak to him on Friday and find out.

After the Supermarine game I released Nathan Bailey as myself and Adie did not think he was any better than the players we have got.

Another player I got to really watch for the first time was Mark Draycott.

I felt he did okay but he knows that to make it at Chippenham he needs to be better.

At times the service into Mark was poor, which made it harder for him to make an impression.

But he showed some nice touches and skills and he could do a job for us.

Against Cirencester we will be missing two of our most influential players in Ian Herring and Gary Thorne.

Ian is suspended after picking up five yellow cards and Gary is suffering from his injury.

It is always a blow to lose your captain. Gary epitomises most things about Chippenham Town. He's a leader and he's been outstanding for us in both penalty areas this season.

But Gary's injury should heal in around 12 days.

After Cirencester we have a ten day break so it will give us a chance to give him some physio and get him back for the Bath City game on December 27.

Cirencester on Saturday will be a tough game. They have a good manager and with their budget and their players they have underachieved this season.

But they had a good win against Gloucester City in the Southern League Cup on Tuesday night and drew against Merthyr on Saturday, so they are still a team to watch out for.

With Nick playing it will add a bit of spice and set us up for the Christmas festivities.

The players will be training on Christmas Eve but they will be allowed to have a drink over the holiday. People have to remember football is not the be all and end all and they all have families.

They all deserve time to celebrate.