More set to leave Silverlake

By Wendy Gee -

THE mass exodus of senior players from Eastleigh may not be over yet.

Eleven of last season’s Blue Square Bet South squad have already left the Silverlake with Luke Byles due to return to Australia and Tony Taggart accepting a better deal at Paul Doswell’s Sutton United.

Nine others – Anthony Riviere, Peter Adeniyi, Warren Goodhind, Richard Graham, Shaun McAuley, Brett Poate, Jamie Brown, Jason Matthews and Ian Herring – were all released by the club.

Central defender Chris Holland may also be on his way having rejected the offer of a new contract and there is a question mark over utility man Ross Bottomley.

On a positive note striker Richard Gillespie is still under contract, versatile midfielder Danny Smith has confirmed he will stay and skipper Tom Jordan, leading scorer Jamie Slabber and goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot have all agreed terms for next season – albeit that they have yet to sign.

Keeping Jordan and Slabber is vitally important to manager Ian Baird who needs some experienced ‘old’ heads to guide the influx of young pros joining Eastleigh’s new full-time development programme.

“We need a cornerstone of experienced Conference South players and if we can keep Tom and Jamie then I’ll know what I’m looking for in the younger players,” said Baird.

“I wanted to keep Tony Taggart too, but he’s moved on, and I gather Chris Holland has had better offers from Havant & Waterlooville and Woking.

“Ross Bottomley wants more money and claims to have had better offers from Bashley, Totton, Salisbury and Havant.

“Some of our current players seem to have a pre-conceived idea of their value and, unfortunately, Eastleigh can’t stretch that extra yard any more.

“Because we’re going full-time people assume we’ve got loads of money, but we haven’t.

“Some of the players forget how they got this far and, for the sake of a small amount, they might move on. But we will not pay over the odds for players. “It’s a shame, but in six years of managing and 20 years involved in professional football, nothing ever surprises me.”

Of Eastleigh’s released players, Riviere has joined Sutton, ex-Saint Brett Poate looks like returning to Havant & Waterlooville, winger McAuley is interesting Maidenhead United, Hampton & Richmond and Ebbsfleet, while experienced defender Warren Goodhind has Boreham Wood on his trail and is also chewing over a player-coach’s job in the Ryman League.

Although Eastleigh’s shift from experience to youth will be tough in an unforgiving league like the Conference South, Baird is determined to rise to the challenge.

“Albeit that it’s a massive change, people have got to try and buy into it,” he said.

“We’ve got to be positive about what we’re doing and anyone who knows me will know that we’ll be competitive.

“We’ve got to view it as something different and something exciting.”