Weymouth: Who should Terras retain or release for 2024/25?

At least, if you don’t work in football.

For most of us invested in this intoxicating sport, the end of the season is synonymous with sunshine, holidays and good times.

Spare a thought then, for the dedicated staff at football clubs for whom the end of the season is, counterintuitively, one of the busiest times of the year.

There are player deals to sort out. Who stays and who goes?

READ MORE: Meet the Weymouth FC unsung heroes - Nigel Rogers

There are new players to bring in. Who’s the perfect fit and whose skills are inflated by a pushy agent?

How about pre-season fixtures? The new home kit? Season-ticket prices?

All of this and a catalogue of other tasks need organising and completing.

One of the most public offerings to supporters from clubs these days is the ‘released and retained’ list.

Here, clubs avoid gossip on the future of players by announcing who’s under contract, whose time is up and who might be in talks for a new deal.

Weymouth are yet to unveil such a list, but below is a quick summary of their summer work so far.

IN: Charlie Rowan, Tom Bearwish, Keelan O’Connell, Josh McQuoid.

OUT: Teddy Howe, Joel Rollinson, Anthony Cheshire, Tyrique Clarke.

LOAN EXPIRY: Harvey Wiles-Richards, Harry Parsons, Harry Jones.

So, we’ve decided to do our own ‘released and retained’ list based on our opinions only.

Who gets the boot out of the remaining Terras players?

RELEASE

Olu Durojaiye, midfielder (28 games, one assist)

Olu Durojaiye took time out of the game for family reasons late last season (Image: MARK PROBIN)

THERE is no doubting Olu Durojaiye’s contribution to Weymouth’s 2023/24 season.

The combative midfielder shored up the Terras’ midfield after the season-long losses of Max Hemmings and Josh McQuoid to injury.

Not only did he impress fans with his work rate, he did a fine job of intercepting passes and disrupting other teams’ rhythm during his 28 appearances.

However, a major point with Durojaiye is his base in the South East, together with family commitments.

He missed two months of Weymouth’s campaign before returning for a sole game against Truro in April.

It therefore makes sense for both parties not to pursue Durojaiye’s services, freeing him up to join a club in the London sphere of influence.

Max Hemmings, midfielder (eight career appearances)

Max Hemmings was injured in the very first game of the season, his only appearance of 2023/24 (Image: MARK PROBIN)

DEPARTING with a midfielder of Max Hemmings’ quality may seem a silly idea, but as with Durojaiye it makes sense for all concerned.

Hemmings was back in light training towards the end of the season having suffered a serious knee injury in the opening day defeat at St Albans.

There is no doubting his value to the Terras in midfield.

However, with Tom Bearwish and Josh McQuoid already confirmed and Charlie Rowan a capable deputy, Hemmings may be best placed to search elsewhere.

There is talk of him joining former Weymouth boss Bobby Wilkinson at Hemel Hempstead and, for a player who has previously played professionally, he will be better suited to that environment than the ‘hybrid time’ scenario at the Terras.

RETAIN

Gerard Benfield (42 career appearances)

Gerard Benfield was Weymouth's number one for most of the season (Image: MARK PROBIN)

KEEPING Gerard Benfield at Weymouth would be good business for new boss Mark Molesley.

Benfield knows the club inside out and has been a loyal performer for the Terras at National League and National League South level, making a string of crucial saves.

Weymouth know that Benfield is good enough to be their number one, or a super-strong back-up keeper for the bench.

Exactly where he would figure in Molesley’s plans would be up to the ex-Bournemouth midfielder but Benfield is definitely worth securing for 2024/25.

Calvin Brooks (337 career appearances, 31 goals, 30 assists)

Calvin Brooks could reach 350 Weymouth appearances next season, should he stay (Image: MARK PROBIN)

WERE it not for injury, Calvin Brooks would have chalked up 350 Weymouth games by the end of last season.

Brooks, having worked extensively with Molesley before, will be a heavy favourite to remain with the Terras, a club at which he is tipped to end his career.

His stance as vice-captain last season underlined his importance to Weymouth and a series of commanding displays at centre-back confirmed his enduring quality.

How he recovers from a bad knee injury will be central to how he figures next season but missing out on his services would be bad PR and a key loss in defence.

Brandon Goodship (177 career appearances, 95 goals, 47 assists)

Brandon Goodship is within touching distance of 100 career Weymouth goals (Image: MARK PROBIN)

LAST season’s joint top-scorer Brandon Goodship is one of the first names on our retained list.

Goodship scored 13 goals and recorded 12 assists last season, topping both the goals and assists charts.

Should he stay with Weymouth next season, he could well reach 200 games, 100 goals and 50 assists. That wouldn’t be the first scintillating hat-trick in his record books, either.

More than statistics, Goodship is integral to Weymouth and will undoubtedly be a player Molesley is desperate to sign given his goal gluts in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Leo Hamblin (45 appearances, three assists)

Leo Hamblin enjoyed a stellar season at left-back (Image: MARK PROBIN)

WEYMOUTH should be doing all they can keep this gem of a left-back.

Arguably one of the finest young prospects in the entire division, Leo Hamblin shone at Weymouth last season.

Still only 21 years old, he has plenty of room for improvement and it would make excellent business sense for Weymouth to award him a two-year contract, in order to cash in when a higher-league club inevitably comes in for his signature.

Distance from his South East base and the availability of Harry Hutchinson, although Step 2 is a big jump in standard for the latter, would be the only sticking points for the defender.

There are also rumours of a reunion with Wilkinson at Hemel, but based purely on managerial styles Molesley’s is likely to coax the best out of him and Hamblin would do well to stay put.

Frankie Monk (16 career appearances, one assist)

Frankie Monk, left, is one of Weymouth's brightest young talents (Image: MARK PROBIN)

ONE of Weymouth’s brightest young talents in Frankie Monk should be an easy decision to keep.

Weymouth have already lost Matty Burrows, albeit for a healthy sum, to AFC Totton where he has flourished.

They cannot afford to lose another of their most prized young assets.

Monk is the type of player whose all-round play and confidence would benefit hugely under the man-management skills of Molesley.

He would also provide competition on the wings for Keelan O’Connell and Goodship.

The one concern is his end product, although his one assist has come amid a spate of substitute appearances.

Should he stay, he will be expected to kick on to cement his place in the team.

Dan Roberts (43 appearances, four goals and five assists)

Dan Roberts will need to add more goals to his game, provided he stays at Weymouth (Image: MARK PROBIN)

PROVIDING probably the toughest choice is Dan Roberts.

We’ve elected to keep him at the Bob Lucas Stadium but, if we were manager, we’d be asking for a better goal return.

Roberts runs his socks off and does plenty of the dirty, unseen work up front, often chasing lost causes and harrying defenders.

However, nine goal involvements in 43 games is not the kind of ratio a striker should settle for.

That said, he does know where the goal is and is a good finisher on his day. It may take a manager of Molesley’s ilk to breathe confidence into him and surely then the goals will come.

Roberts is another who travels long-distance so the decision to keep him is based on potential, rather than logistics.

Jordon Thompson (35 appearances)

Jordon Thompson looked more assured and confident as the season progressed (Image: MARK PROBIN)

JORDON Thompson deserves another shot at Weymouth after an up-and-down first season.

The former Coventry City man has brilliant technique and dominates in the air.

He also has a big-game mentality, treating Weymouth fans to one of the performances of the season when he kept Yeovil’s potent attack quiet in the abandoned derby.

Thompson also seemed to flourish under Molesley’s guidance at the end of the campaign.

Barring any issues with travelling, he would be a key signing for the Terras.

Ezio Touray (37 appearances, 13 goals, three assists)

Ezio Touray scored 13 goals in 37 appearances for Weymouth, 18 of which came off the bench (Image: MARK PROBIN)

IT’S not been a bad first season for Ezio Touray, has it?

Despite being largely restricted to substitute appearances, the ex-Watford hitman displayed all of his finishing prowess to net 13 goals.

He tied with Goodship for the Terras’ golden boot and is another player who, if Weymouth can keep him given his distance to travel, could have a significant impact next season.