McAughtrie's urge for unsung heroes

Defender Craig McAughtrie has urged Stafford Rangers to tie up the signing of the unsung heroes at Marston Road after putting pen to paper on his own contract.

Rangers moved quickly over the weekend to make last season's loan star their first summer capture on a one-year contract, even with manager Chris Brindley out of the country on his summer holidays.

It sealed an emotional permanent return for the 29-year-old, who spent five years at Marston Road between 2002 and 2007, returning to the club for three months at the end of January with his contract running down at Blue Square North rivals Eastwood.

Now McAughtrie must sit and wait to see who of last season's squad will join him for next season, but is urging Rangers to act quickly in tying the squad players that put a round peg in a round hole whenever the cause requires.

Players like Andre Francis, who came back for a second spell in 2008 and is now the club's second longest serving player behind captain Nick Wellecomme.

And that is the sort of player McAughtrie believes need to be kept on.

He said: "Lads like Andre are great to have around, he was at the club when I left the first time and was still there when I got back, so he has been there for some time now.

"On the pitch, he can play right-back, right-wing and I think he has played really well, from what I seen of him in the three months I was back at the club.

"Utility players like that are always useful."

Rangers, like many clubs in the Blue Square North, also rely on dipping into the loan market to bring in young players from the Football League who need valuable first-team experience.

Such a path has been walked by the likes of Tom Thorley, Ross Davidson and Danny Glover in the past, with McAughtrie hoping it will come into play again.

He said: "The key to next season could be getting players in on loan again from the likes of Burton Albion, Port Vale and Stoke.

"You rely on their help in times of hardship with the budget at Stafford Rangers."