Aboard The Departure Train

7th May 2008

Its been a week of departures as five players will not be at Lincoln City FC next season.

First aboard the departure train is midfielder Jamie Hand who has had the final year of his contract cancelled by mutual consent. Hand spent the past two months on loan at Oxford United, where he had hoped for a permanent deal. However, Oxford ruled this out but that could now change as Hand is a free agent.

Joining Hand on the train is Gary Croft, Alan Marriott, Adie Moses and Mark Stallard as all four have been released due to their contracts expiring. The list is pretty much as predicted but to see Marriott's name on that list still registers as a shock.

Marriott has spent nine years at Sincil Bank and another one-year contract would taken him to the magic ten-years and therefore qualification for a testimonial. Very few recent Lincoln City players have qualified for a long-servant testimonial - in fact, Grant Brown is probably the only player to have qualified for one in the past 25 years. There has however, been testimonials for players who have had to retire through injury.

A Lincoln City fan, called Mike, has set up a petition regarding the release of Marriott. We will let you decide whether to sign the petition or not but you do not have to give a donation to sign; just ignore that section.

Croft and Moses are no surprise as both have suffered an injury-hit time at Lincoln City. Plus age is not on their side. Stallard was one of the players who aided Lincoln's play-off qualification of the 2006/07 season. Unfortunately, age and injury has impacted on his 2007/08 season causing him to lose his place to Ben Wright.

Three players who might be staying are Shane Clarke, Ayden Duffy and Jamie Forrester as all three have been offered a new deal for the 2008/09 season although they have let to sign.

One player who has agreed a new contract is captain Scott Kerr. The Imps have invoked a clause in his current contract that extends Kerr's contract by a further year.

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