Rangers face competition to land duo

Stafford Rangers were today facing competition from other clubs in their efforts to bring strikers Spencer Weir-Daley and Mark Danks to Marston Road.

But manager Greg Clowes has touched base with former Rushall Olympic and Chasetown forward Chris Morris, after his club Romulus waived the seven-day approach rule.

However, with Clowes only putting non-contract terms on the table for the trio, clubs offering a firm deal have an instant advantage in negotiations.

And Weir-Daley has been approached by a club closer to his home in Leicester, while Danks is also a wanted man after leaving Hednesford.

Clowes admits he could be beaten by geography in his bid to land Weir-Daley, the biggest name from his days as a pro at Nottingham Forest.

The Rangers boss said: "The money that we have offered to these players is what we can afford and I won't go above that.

"I think the Weir-Daley one has been dropped out of the water because of where he lives.

"If he has had an offer from a club close to him, then it's a win-win situation for him.

"The deal that we put to him was a good one, taking his travelling into account, and the offer is still there."

Danks has a proven record at non-league level and Clowes has made a big offer to get the 27-year-old to Marston Road.

But Morris could be the more realistic of targets, having drifted down a level from Rangers' division since the summer.

Romulus boss Richard Evans wants a quick resolution so has allowed the player to speak to Clowes, who tried to sign him for Newcastle Town.

He said: "We have got to sort the right deal out for Chris, but he's definitely interested. He has the ambition to play as high as he can.

"And, if you look at people who have got a good goalscoring record, Mark Danks stands out.

"He's been offered an extremely good deal, by our standards, to come to this football club and I have had a good chat with him.

"But, even at the time of speaking to him, he had already received offers from elsewhere."