Hinckley United manager Dean Thomas has signed Team Bath midfielder DAN DILLON and also agreed new contracts with several of last season's squad. Chris MacKenzie, Connor Franklin, Andy Gooding and Andy Hall have all agreed new deals at the club.
Neil Cartwright, Nick Pollard, Leigh Platnauer and Richard Lavery will also be staying, as will Adam Webster, who still has a year left on his contract. Thomas is also looking to bring in a new centre-back in the near future. But the Knitters will be without defender Dominic Roma who has joined Blue Square North rivals Alfreton Town.
Albion boss Russell Slade is to offer new deals to three out-of-contract players; and will also launch a bid to sign Irish midfielder Gary Dicker on a permanent basis from Stockport County. Slade and chairman Dick Knight will open negotiations with Andrew Whing, Gary Hart, Lloyd Owusu and Dicker, although to sign Dicker Albion will first have to reach agreement with Stockport's administrator.
However, there are no new deals for Tommy Fraser, Adam Hinshelwood, Doug Loft and John Sullivan. Stalwart Kerry Mayo is also being released, ending a 14-year association with the Seagulls, along with Jake Robinson, who spent the last few months of the season on loan at Aldershot.
Trinidad & Tobago international CHRIS BIRCHALL, French winger Seb Carole and midfielder Jason Jarrett all signed for Albion on short-term contracts in January, but none of the trio will be offered fresh terms. Five young pros Sam Gargan, Kane Louis, Andy Pearson, Dan Royce and Kane Wills are also being released; while the loan trio of Calvin Andrew, Al Bangura and Gary Borrowdale have all returned to their parent clubs.
Preston North End have released five members of their development squad after they failed to earn new deals at Deepdale. PHIL APPIAH, Andrew Murphy, Dean Stott and Rob Turner are all looking for new clubs after spending much of the season in North End's reserve ranks.
Nathan Fairhurst was another member of Preston's development squad but having spent much of the season on loan with non-league Wrexham, the Eccleston born youngster has now signed a permanent deal with the Welsh club.
Queen of the South boss Gordon Chisholm has made his first signing for the new season. 30 year old DEREK HOLMES, a striker, joins the club from St Johnstone and has signed a pre contract agreement on a two year deal. Derek, originally from Lanark, began his career at Hearts before playing for Carlisle, Ross County, Bournemouth and Rotherham United in his long career in the game.
Former Carlisle United favourite TONY CAIG has not ruled out a move to Workington Reds. Caig, who spent the end of last season at League Two side Chesterfield, has spoken to Workington Reds boss DARREN EDMONDSON about moving to Borough Park but needs to assess his options first. The 35-year-old has set up a goalkeeping school in Cumbria in a bid to unearth some young gems yet to be picked up by clubs and said that could work in Edmondson's favour.
Unsurprisingly, ANDY PREECE has shaken hands on a deal to become Northwich Victoria's next manager, despite being unable to save them from the drop out of the Blue Square Premier. The former Bury boss agreed a one-year contract with club owner Jim Rushe, tasked with the job of building a promotion-winning team next term. Andy Morrison will stay at the Marston's Arena as his assistant.
Defender JOE WIDDOWSON has joined Grimsby Town on a permanent basis from West Ham United. The 20-year-old impressed while on loan with the Mariners over the last few months and has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Blundell Park. Boss Mike Newell told the Evening Telegraph: "Joe has done really well for us and I'm pleased he's agreed to join. It was always in our plans to make him an offer.
AFC Telford United have exercised an option contained in the contracts of both Lee Vaughan and Andy Brown keeping them at the club for a further season. Ryan Young, Liam Blakeman and STUART WHITEHEAD are also signed to the club for next season.
Ashington's new manager Gary Middleton has wasted no time as he aims to put his own stamp on things with the Skilltrainingltd Northern League club. For Middleton admitted that the activity had been "non stop" at the club as he prepares to embark on a new season in August with his home-town side after three years as boss at West Allotment Celtic.
Middleton has snapped up central defender Iain Nickalls from Morpeth Town and LEE HAMILTON from Tow Law Town, whilst LIAM ATKIN, David Colvin, Keith Douglas, Mark Minto, Andy Carr, Andrew Johnson, Glen Taylor, Marc Walmsley and Steve Locker have all put pen-to-paper after being with Middleton at West Allotment.
Inverness boss Terry Butcher has offered contracts to seven players as he prepares for life in Division One. Brian Kerr, Filipe Morais, Roy McBain, David Proctor, RICHIE FORAN, Lionel Djebi-Zadi and Eric Odhiambo have all been asked to stay on. But Zander Sutherland, Richie Byrne, Pavels Mihadjuks, Garry Wood, Iain Vigurs, Thierry Gathuessi and Andy McNulty have been released.
Shrewsbury boss PAUL SIMPSON has released seven players after their League Two play-off final defeat. Striker Nick Chadwick and left-back Neil Ashton, who both started the 1-0 Wembley defeat by Gillingham, are amongst the players to go. Frontmen Michael Symes and Moses Ashikodi, keeper Jasbir Singh and defender Ben Herd and STEVEN HINDMARCH are also out of work.
Andre Gray and Harry Hooman will both have been handed first year professional contracts similar to the one given to Jasbir Singh 12 months ago. Manager's son JAKE SIMPSON - who has recently left Blackburn's academy and has been training with Town - has joined the staff on a similar deal.
On Steven Hindmarch: "He is a frustrating one because I still do believe there is a footballer in there but we can't keep waiting all the time. There has been a massive improvement from when he left Carlisle United but, in the end, it was a person who was blocking up the system and I need to look to try and improve it with players who are able to compete at first-team level."
On Jake Simpson: "Jake has been training with the first team every day for about two-and-a-half months and has done well enough to earn a year and now it's up to him. Jake has had two years full-time and two years as a schoolboy at Blackburn Rovers. He's done well enough over the time he has been here to make myself and the other staff think he deserves a year and we will see how he goes. He can play either central or right side of midfield."
Under-fire manager SIMON DAVEY will remain in charge of Barnsley for next season, reports BBC Radio Sheffield. Davey's future has been the subject of speculation after the club only avoided relegation from the Championship on the final day of the season. But he is due to meet Reds owner Patrick Cryne next week and is expected to be told that his job is safe.
Workington Reds boss DARREN EDMONDSON says he will continue talks with former Blackburn striker MATT JANSEN when the player returns from holiday. Edmondson and Jansen are former team-mates at Carlisle United where the two played in the 1990s. "We will have some more discussions early next week," Edmondson told BBC Radio Cumbria. "He's obviously got offers but I'm sure he'll give me more of an idea of what he's looking for."
Edmondson has also opened talks with former Carlisle midfielder STEVEN HINDMARCH following his release by Shrewsbury Town. "He's in a situation where he is a little bit down after another knockback in a career that hasn't really kick-started for him," Edmondson said.
"He knows the situation regarding us and I've spoken to him a few times over the last three or four months trying to get him out on loan. He knows the door's open for him with us... I'm hopeful that we may see him come down and train pre-season with us."
Edmondson also confirmed an interest in transfer-listed Barrow striker Nick Rogan and former midfielder SHAUN VIPOND. Rogan turned down the offer of a new deal at Holker Street last week in favour of concentrating on his full-time studies while Vipond has returned from a spell playing in Sweden after breaking his collarbone. "I've spoken to Shaun and - fingers-crossed - he'll be pre-season training with us as well."
Accrington Stanley will concentrate their efforts on signing 'two or three' strikers this summer - and DANNY CARLTON is understood to be one of their main targets. Stanley scored just 42 league goals during the 2008/09 campaign - the lowest in League Two - and have now had to put key striker Paul Mullin on the transfer list because they can no longer afford his wages.
The Reds are considering bringing loan forwards Craig Lindfield and Michael Symes back to the club next season and are also believed to be interested in Carlton, who was a loan target in January but chose instead to sign a temporary deal with Darlington.
The 25-year-old former Morecambe forward was recently released at the end of his contract with Carlisle and Darlington's financial troubles, together with the departure of manager Dave Penney, may scupper his chances of moving there permanently.
Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman is closing in on his first summer signing in Carlisle midfielder LUKE JOYCE. The 21-year-old has had limited opportunities with the League One side and was released at the end of the season. The Bolton-born youngster had been out on loan at Conference National sides Barrow and Northwich last season after starting his career at Wigan alongside Reds defender Phil Edwards.
"He is the type of player I want. He has played in the league and is desperate to get back to playing regularly," said Coleman. "He is hungry and wants to prove himself. By all accounts, he has done well at Barrow and Northwich and we are keen to sign him." Negotiations are still ongoing and Coleman was also in talks with a striker and a centre half today with hopes of boosting his squad ahead of their return to training in late June.
JOHN WARD is adamant that he is the right man to take charge at League Two Port Vale. The 58-year-old has been out of the game since leaving Carlisle United, but is hopeful of being successful with his application at Vale Park. He told The Sentinel: "We all know the financial situation, which has been made public. There is no hidden agenda.
"People have got to make a decision now. People make different choices and they have a right to do that. It is up to other people as to whether I have a great chance of getting the job. Micky Adams and people like that are good guys who are good at their jobs. The club are doing the right thing by taking their time and trying to bring the right man in for the job."