WELLINGTON’S football manager Clive Jones has already stepped up his search for new players for next season.

“I’ve watched seven or eight matches and invited players to pre-season training,” said Jones who begins his fourth term in charge.

“I have told my players I want them all to stay but I know that a couple want to move on and one is considering playing at two levels higher.

“I’ve always said I would not stand in the way of any player who wants to play at a higher standard. But I get annoyed when players leave to play for a side at this level for, say, a tenner.

“I regard this as the funny season. All I ask of the players at the moment is to keep themselves as fit as possible.”

“This time last season I spent far too much time in trying to persuade players to stay. The players have two or three weeks off before I get in touch again.

“At the moment I’m looking at players at the lower leagues. That’s all I can do at the present time.”

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.