Rangers could offer players contracts

Stafford Rangers can today start signing players to non-contract forms - but manager Greg Clowes will also be able to offer long-term deals.

The registration paperwork for the Evo-Stik Premier League is available to clubs from today, giving Clowes the chance to pin down his transfer targets.

Rangers currently have no-one under contract after the one-season terms of Craig McAughtrie and Ben Mills, who have both left the club, expired.

But Clowes, who took charge at the start of this month, revealed that he was planning to put his former protege at Newcastle Town, Jordan Johnson, under a deal, only for the winger to reject his advances in favour of a move to the Blue Square North, with AFC Telford and Hyde both interested.

The Rangers boss also wants to utilise the loan market next season and plans to use his contacts to forge links with full-time clubs Kidderminster Harriers, Tamworth and Mansfield.

And the board at Rangers have told Clowes that putting players under contract can be done, provided it falls in line with his playing budget for the new season.

But the manager is still hesistant to go down that road unless the player is too good to refuse, having encountered problems with such situations during his four years in charge at Newcastle Town.

He said: "If I want somebody on contract here, the board have told me that is not a problem.

"But if you have got a group of contracted players, sometimes you don't get the same workrate as someone who is trying to stay in the side because they won't get paid otherwise.

"They know they have got their money and they think you have got to play them because you pay them.

"I have gone down that route in the past and failed with it - and learned very, very quickly."