STAN TERNENT today paved the way to a close-season of recruitment by releasing eight of Town’s out-of-contract players.
While talks with goalkeeper Matt Glennon are ongoing, teenagers James Berrett and Joe Skarz have also been offered new deals, while Alex Smithies, Danny Broadbent and Daniel Codman will graduate from the academy to become first-year professionals.
But out go experienced duo Frank Sinclair and Chris Brandon, and so do Lucas Akins, Mitchell Bailey, Aaron Hardy, Luke Malcher, Danny Racchi and Matt Young.
Town have also released second-year academy scholars Tom Jackson and Curtis Roberts.
Former World Cup player Sinclair, 36, was recruited on loan from Burnley by Peter Jackson in February 2007 with the move made permanent by Andy Ritchie last summer.
Ritchie gave the ex-Chelsea and Leicester man a 12-month deal and had opened negotiations over another contract before his departure from the club last month.
The centre-back or right-back, who played in the 1998 World Cup for Jamaica, made 47 starts for Town and came on once as a substitute.
The departure of midfielder Brandon, 32, breaks a four-year association with Town.
A late starter in league football when he joined Torquay from Bradford Park Avenue at 23, he was signed by Jackson on a free transfer from Chesterfield in the 2004 close-season.
Loaned out to Blackpool at the end of last season, his hopes of a permanent move to the Championship club fell through.
Brandon returned to the Galpharm and forced his way back into the first-team frame, his 32 appearances (three of them from the bench) this season taking his total Town tally to 131 starts and 17 outings as a substitute.
Brandon, who became a stand-in striker under caretaker manager Gerry Murphy before his season was cut short by a hamstring injury, scored 14 goals for Town including the winner against Premier League Birmingham in the third round of the FA Cup in January.
Of the other six released players, midfielder Young, 22, has made the most appearances (21 starts and 21 as a substitute).
Twice a Town scorer, he recently had trial with League II Rotherham.
Right-back Hardy, 21, played 19 times, six of them from the bench.
Striker Akins, 19, who was loaned to Northwich this season, and left-sided utility man Racchi, 20, each made six substitute appearances.
Neither midfielder Bailey nor striker Malcher, both 19, made the first team.
“Telling players they have been released is the most difficult part of a manager’s job,” said Ternent, who with Danny Schofield already making his own decision to leave and Rob Page heading for Chesterfield is left with 20 full professionals.
“But it’s not personal, it’s business, and my job now is to set about building a good, strong squad and then preparing them for next season.”
