Who's on their way out of Sincil Bank?

By Nathan Jackson
May 19 2007

Now that Lincoln City's season is over, the time has come to start reviewing the players who contract's are up this summer and what their chances of staying are. Ryan Amoo, Shane Clarke, Ayden Duffy, Martin Gritton, Paul Mayo, Leon Mettam, Simon Raynor, Ollie Ryan, Andy Toyne, Owain Warlow, Phil Watt and Tom Wilkinson all have their contracts coming to an end, so who will go?

One of the near certainties to leave is Simon Raynor. The goalkeeper hasn't started a league game since October 1st 2005 and has reportedly grown extremely frustrated with life at Sincil Bank. After his successful loan period at Torquay had expired, he declared to them that he would be extremely interested in signing for Torquay, a club he described as having an excellent chance of an immediate return to the league.

With Shrewsbury Town also amongst his reported admirers, it seems extremely unlikely that Raynor will accept a new contract, assuming he's offered one.

Another player who recently completed a loan spell away from Sincil Bank was Martin Gritton. The striker has started only a mere handful of games since joining from Grimsby just over a year ago. Just before returning to Sincil Bank, he was quoted as saying that joining any club would be better than rotting on the bench at Sincil Bank. Mansfield Town told him that he wasn't going to get a contract there and then Gritton suddenly wanted a new contract at Sincil Bank, erm, very interesting.

The two John's have stated once or twice that they think that Gritton could still do a job for City, but it'll be interesting to see if Gritton really does want to stay given that he will more than likely spend next season "rotting on the bench" behind Stallard and Forrester.

Ryan Amoo will more than likely stay for another year. A clause in his contract means that we have to offer him a new deal due to him playing a certain amount of games. Given that no-one was interested in him after ehe left Northampton, I doubt Amoo would want to reject a new deal at Sincil Bank and risk going back into non-league.

Paul Mayo is one who looks almost certain to leave Sincil Bank and it's a real shame because you will see very few put as much passion into the game as Paul Mayo. Unfortunately, he has been treated like crap under the new management and the fact he was our best player in the final few weeks of the season, only to then get dropped shows exactly the sort of faith the management have in Paul.

If I'm honest, I would prefer it if Paul left the club but not in a vicious way, it's because it would be better for his career to find a different club. If he leaves it would mean that he can go to a club that actually wants him to play for them and will give him the chance he deserves, something he won't get here.

Out of all the rest, it's hard to say how many will get new contracts but the vast majority would be surprised if Ollie Ryan gets a new contract after hugely disappointing after so much promise.

It'd be surprising if any of the others left though as some have made the odd appearance in the first team this season.