A message from Manager Hayden Bird.

Following a number of lengthy conversations with Dave Tarpey over the last few days, I am sad to announce we have agreed to cancel his contract.

With Dave being our Club Captain and such an influential player in the dressing room, I thought the supporters deserved to know the reasons behind this decison.

During our conversations, Dave spoke openly and stressed at 35, he simply wants to play. As much as I would like to, unfortunately we cannot give him these guarantees.

Dave is fully aware that as the Manager I really wanted him to stay. However, I then went on to explain that while “the Manager in me” is selfish and only wants to play great football and win, “the person in me” wants what is best for Dave, which included considering his feelings and how to move forward.

With this in mind, he thought the best solution was to leave. In order to respect Dave’s wishes and acknowledge his immense contribution to the Club, I have agreed to respect his decision.

Dave is an absolute professional and a really great guy. As disappointed as we are, as a Club we should respect his wishes and his desire to play consistently.

Good luck Tarps! It’s been an absolute pleasure and you will be sorely missed.

You can watch Dave’s interview recorded tonight with Simon here CLICK HERE