FC Halifax Town: “We would like to build on what we’ve done this year” - Wild putting plans in place for next season

The Shaymen are still waiting to hear whether they will be able to compete in the National League play-offs, with the decision hinging on the conclusion to the Football League season.

But in the meantime, Wild has been assessing which of his out-of-contract players he would like to keep.

“Everybody’s still under contract until there’s a resolution to the season,” said the Town boss.

“All the contracts run until the last competitive game, so everybody remains under contract until we know about the end of the season.”

Should the play-offs be scrapped altogether, Wild said he would “sit down with the players and tell them who we would keep and who we wouldn’t keep”.

The Town boss says the club will be doing things “a little bit different” next season.

“It’s going to be a long job but an exciting job,” he said when asked about working his way through the list of out-of-contract players, with only Matty Brown, Sam Johnson, Jack Earing and Jacob Hanson contracted for next season.

“There’s a lot of players who have done very well for the club this year.

“We want to change our working practice and how we do things next year, how our working week is and players will have to buy into that next year.

“That might be a sticking point for a few but we need to try and close the gap and we have certain ways we want to do that. And we only want players who want to work under a new working week.”

Wild says he has two lists of players he would like to keep, depending on the outcome of any play-off campaign.

“As soon as we know more about what’s happening we’ll be able to speak to the players, including the ones under contract as well,” he said.

“Whatever league we’re in I don’t see our budget being much different.

“But we’re quite sold on what we want to do.

“We don’t want to rip it up and start again.

“We would like to build on what we’ve done this year.

“Look at Fylde, who ripped it up and started again and the trouble they’ve had, or Notts County, when they lost in the League Two play-off final they brought in 16 new players and ended up getting relegated.

“There’s so many examples of ripping it up and starting again being a problem.

“However, we need to find ways to close the gap to the teams that have got bigger budgets than us and are full-time.

“We need to work differently and that’s what we need to plan for next season, but we’re going to need buy-in from the players, signing up to work differently.

“That might have it’s own issues.”

Wild says loanee Devante Rodney is contracted until the end of any play-off campaign.

When asked about the possibility of signing him permanently, Wild said: “He’s done alright for us. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of suitors in the summer.

“If Rodney was to stay I think finances would be the sticking point. That’s something that, if we did pursue him, would probably be one of the potential issues.”