King’s Lynn Town will not play financial hardball over contracted assets

King's Lynn Town have not tied their hot prospects down on contract as part of a money-making exercise.

Lynn manager Gary Setchell. Picture: Matthew Usher. - Credit: Matthew Usher

Young talents George Thomson, Chris Ward, Dan Quigley, Sam Mulready and Ryan Fryatt all penned deals last term keeping them at The Walks until the end of the forthcoming season. However, Thomson could leave before his agreement runs out having enjoyed a two-game trial with Chester.

Linnets boss Gary Setchell revealed this week that the Conference Premier side have activated a release clause in the midfielder's contract – rendering the paperwork he signed practically worthless. Yet that fact will not change the club's ethos behind why they are keen for players to pledge their future in writing to Norfolk's biggest non-league outfit.

Setchell said: 'George signed a contract but these contracts are not for the club to make loads of money. They're to stop the Worksops, the Ilkestons, the teams that are throwing money about at this level (Step Three) nicking our players basically.

'They're not to stop players going to play full-time football because I'd never want to do that to a young lad. But hopefully we'll get something at the back end of that if he does move on.

'We don't put players on contracts to make tens of thousands of pounds out of them. We do it to try and protect ourselves from clubs who can double players' wages. We do it to try and protect our football club, not to make money out of them. We're trying to protect our interests but we're certainly not trying to stop a young player who has got ambitions about playing full-time football from doing that.'

Setchell is now playing a waiting game to find out if he will lose the services of the 22-year-old.