Rangers boss set a playing budget

Stafford Rangers manager Greg Clowes has upped his recruitment plans after being given a budget for next season at a board meeting.

Clowes is refusing to disclose the figure but confirmed he was told on Tuesday what he has to work with for the upcoming campaign.

The Rangers boss then attended the 'exit trials' at Walsall's Banks's Stadium yesterday, staged by the League Footballers Association.

Non-league managers were out in force to scout the potential talent that will soon be leaving their current full-time clubs.

Clowes said: "I have been very busy this week, I have made a lot of inroads and spoken to a lot of players.

"I have touched base with a lot of my targets and I shall be having more in-depth talks with some of them."

Unless players arrive at Marston Road on contracts, Clowes will have to wait until July 1 to make signings.

That's when non-contract forms are made available to clubs, which is expect to apply to most of Rangers' squad.

But Clowes left Tuesday's board meeting convinced that the club are still pulling together after his first year in charge.

He said: "I have had a really positive meeting with the board of directors this week and I am pleased about that.

"They are happy with what we are trying to achieve and their ambitions and targets seem to match our own.

"We have agreed on pretty much everything but I won't disclose the budget, because I would never blame that for anything.

"There's always going to be grey areas that you have to come to a compromise with."