With 14 playing contracts up in the summer there was always going to be plenty to sort out for Blues boss Greg Abbott, and starting early last week he had already released two first-year professionals, in frontman Ben Mckenna and left-sided defender Steven Swinglehurst. Another two players feeling the Brunton Park axe today too as striker Craig Curran and another left-sided defender, in Stephen O'Halloran were not offered another deal with United.
So, with ten players left to sort eight have been offered fresh playing contracts this morning with the Cumbrians which they have a maximum of 30 days to chew over, that octet being goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, defensive quartet Danny Livesey, Lubomir Michalik, Peter Murphy and Frank Simek, midfield duo James Berrett and Tom Taiwo, and frontman Francois Zoko. Only Berrett, Gillespie and Taiwo of the eight being players who can't leave Brunton Park for pastures new for nothing on a Bosman deal as they are all aged under 24.
As for the two remaining players, in Tony Caig and Paul Thirlwell, we start with holding midfielder Thirlwell who has triggered an appearance clause in his contract this season and so he automatically gets another year tagged on to his current Brunton Park deal. Meanwhile, 38-year old goalkeeping coach Caig's future, presumably at both coaching and playing level, remains unknown at present.
Current Player Contract Lengths : click here