Crewe Alexandra Release Eight In Squad Cull

The club have released eight players today, offering only a further five players new contracts.

As already announced, Clayton Donaldson and Byron Moore are two of those out of contract players to have been offered a new deal. They are joined by defenders Adam Dugdale and Harry Davis today after the club moved to retain their services. Young Antoni Sarcevic has also had his deal extended by a year.

Leaving the club will be…

Winger Joel Grant after three years with the club. A �130,000 buy from Aldershot in Stev Holland’s reign, Grant failed to really live up to his price tag. Making over 75 appearances for the club, his best season came last year with 41 starts and 9 goals to his name. However, with a high wage and little return, his departure was expected.

Patrick Ada also leaves the club after a stop start couple of years and is possibly the heighest profile release. Having signed under Gudjon Thordarson, he was raw talent from non league Histon. He found himself out in the cold upon Dario’s return just three months into his stay at Gresty Road. Ada however seemed to win the veteran manager over this season with a string of superb performances at the back and showed his versatility when covering at right back with some faultless performances.

However, with Ada reportedly seeking a move back down South and Exeter City apparently interested, Ada’s future seemed sorted a long time ago. The same can also be said for striker Calvin Zola who leaves the club three years after arriving in a �200k deal. Zola spent the tail end of the season on loan at Burton Albion despite finishing last season as the club’s top scorer. It was always a case of getting his high wages out of the club for Dario.

One of the more suprising releases is that of Danny Blanchett, who leaves the club after just one year despite a relatively solid season in which he played over 40 games at full back. It leaves the Alex short of full backs with Dario admitting the release of Mat Mitchel-King was one he was unsure of, Dario felt the former Histon man could well have made a good full back but lacked the attacking instinct.

The club have also let go fringe players Bartek Fogler and Lewis Short after just a year. Goalkeeper Fogler originally arrived to play back up to Rhys Taylor at the start of the season but with Steve Phillips returning to fitness the Polish keeper found even a spot on the bench hard to come by.

The final release is 34 year old Ashley Westwood, who, despite doing a relatively solid job on his short return, is clearly not a player the club wish to take long term.

Released
Bartek Fogler, Patrick Ada, Danny Blanchett, Ashley Westwood Snr, Mat Mitchel-King, Lewis Short, Joel Grant

New Contracts Offered
Harry Davis, Adam Dugdale, Clayton Donaldson, Byron Moore.

Andy White, Oliver Turton, Danny Ting, Casper Hughes, Michael Koral, Harry Clayton, Jason Oswell

2012
Steve Phillips, Kelvin Mellor, David Artell, Carl Martin, Danny Shelley, Antoni Sarcevic, Ajay Leitch-Smith

2013
Ben Garratt, Brendan Daniels, Luke Murphy, Jordan Connerton, Shaun Miller

2014
George Ray, Matt Tootle, Ashley Westwood, Nick Powell, Max Clayton