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PFA not involved at PNE says chief
What's all the fuss? Graham Westley and Peter Ridsdale
Preston North End chairman Peter Ridsdale says the club have done nothing wrong in asking some of their players to report back for pre-season training a week late.
The Daily Mail carried an article on Saturday which included a leaked text message sent by Lilywhites boss Graham Westley to the players involved, asking them to stay away until Tuesday and informing them they would be training separately on their return.
North End say they have very little issue with the article, save for the fact the players’ union have been called in.
Ridsdale said: “The PFA aren’t involved to my knowledge and I’m not sure if it’s a PFA matter to be honest.
“It’s up to a club when their players start pre-season training – a lot of clubs aren’t back anyway until this week because the season starts a couple of weeks later than usual.
“We aren’t stopping any player training, the lads who were given the extra time off will be back on Tuesday.
“All we did was give those on the list or who want to go, a bit longer to try and find a new club.”
Ridsdale added that he didn’t see anything amiss in Westley communicating with the players by text – something he commonly does.
He said: “Graham informed them by text message which is not unusual in football.”
The players who were asked not to turn up last week were Iain Hume, Paul Coutts, Craig Morgan, Jamie Proctor, Danny Mayor, Barry Nicholson, Keammar Daley, Darel Russell and Juvhel Tsoumou.
Nicholson, Daley, Russell and Tsoumou had all been transfer-listed in May, with Tsoumou subsequently leaving the club last Wednesday after an agreement was reached with him to contract his contract.
Coutts was subject of a bid from Peterborough recently, which PNE accepted.
But the midfielder rejected the switch after failing to agree personal terms.
Pre-season training last week was limited to the signings made since Westley’s arrival in January, together with Thorsten Stuckmann, Bailey Wright and Will Hayhurst.
The Lancashire Evening Post has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on iPhone and Android devices.
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
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Wind direction: North west
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