Hereford FC boss wants club's contract policy reviewing

Jaanai Gordon, who was on a non-contract agreement, left the Bulls this week after a seven-day approach was made by Brackley Town.

Only some of the Bulls squad are currently on permanent contracts including Ryan McLean, Brandon Hall, Harry Pinchard and Tom Owen-Evans.

Gowling would like to see the policy changed, but understands why it is in place.

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"We have a recruitment policy that I have to adhere too,” said the Bulls manager.

"The reality is when you've got players on non-contract anyone can take them. When they hit form people can put seven days in and take them so.

"That's something the football club needs to look at. Whether or not they want to change the policy or not I don't know. That's a conversation I'll have with the board.

"It's frustrating because ideally we would want all our players on a contract, but that's not how we do things.

"The reality is many years ago before I was here the club spent a lot of money, everyone was on contracts, they got to Christmas and were in a relegation battle.

"They couldn't do anything about it. I've come in and now we need a portion of players on that.

"So if we don't do well and are in a relegation battle then we can move funds around.

"I understand the premise behind that, but I'd like to think I've proven my worth and what I can bring as a manager to the club.

"We have to look at that moving forward.

"So we're going to lose players from time to time, and I've just got to adapt. I've always got my finger on the pulse anyway, always on the lookout for players.”

Harry Pinchard. Picture: Steve Niblett

Harry Pinchard was one player who initially joined the Bulls on a trial and then non-contract agreement in August.

The Wales under-19 attacking midfielder impressed enough to earn a two-year contract at the club in October.

"What Harry did do was he absolutely ripped it up," added Gowling.

"So then you turn around and go to the board. We need to sign him up, because if we don't then he's going to go.

"Now Janaai (Gordon) did well, in the last three games he's done well but he's probably had six games and scored two goals.

"He's been in and out the team. He hasn't set the word alight in a sense I can go to the board and say 'let's have a look at it' because he's scored three or four in five matches.

"We're just not in position to start throwing money around and throwing contracts around this late in the day when the budget has been spent.

"Brackley have got a chairman so he can just dip his hand in his pocket and get that extra cash.

"We're a fan-run football club where the money we raise through commercial and crowd gates, that's it.

"We haven't got a sugar-daddy for extra cash. We've just got to identified good players bring them in and develop them.

And if they move like they have now it's my job to go out, find somebody else and do it all over again."

Having players on non-contract has also allowed players to leave Hereford with that money then being used to sign other players.

"George Forsyth has gone and Keenan (Patten) has come in, it freed up that money," added Gowling.

"Jaanai has gone, we got Mo (Touray) in just before that but it frees up a bit of extra money. Earlier in the season we had Nykah (Liburd-Hines) that freed up some money to do other things.

"That's why you have a certain portion of players on non-contracts.

"Of course, there's a risk for that."

Ryan McLean. Picture: Steve Niblett

Gowling added that he wants to develop young contracted players like Ryan McLean and Harry Pinchard with the view that they can then be sold.

"I want to get to a point where we started developing players and selling them," added Gowling.

"It makes the club money rather than letting players go for nothing.

"And then we can get some return from it. We need to be looking at that as a football club now."