Rangers sign Nick Wellecomme

Stafford Rangers will today sign Nick Wellecomme and complete a dramatic turnaround after originally losing the services of their talismanic striker.

Last season's captain and 13-goal top scorer rejoined the squad for the start of pre-season training last week - just three weeks after signing for Blue Square North rivals Corby.

But Wellecomme had a change of heart and asked the Steelmen to release his registration, allowing him to become a free agent again and paving the way for a return to Marston Road.

Much of the reasoning behind the 26-year-old leaving Corby was work-related, as his job as a scaffolder had led to him working away from the area up in Southport for the forseeable future, which would have made travelling from Merseyside to Northamptonshire for training difficult.

There was only one club where the Rugeley-based forward was headed after that, after reserve team boss Andy Bates had initially acted as a go-between between the player and manager Chris Brindley.

Now it's head down for Wellecomme as the build-up begins to the new season next month, with boss Brindley looking forward to pairing his 'new' signing with Ben Mills, who himself returned to the club this summer after a spell at Alfreton.

And the manager believes the two will again shine in the Rangers attack.

He said: "Nick is signing today, we are pleased about that because you can never have enough strikers. We had lost him and is back here because he had a change of heart, but I know what I am going to get from him so his commitment doesn't worry me.

"With him and Ben on board, that is an area where we will be alright next season."