Magpies loan policy to be scrutinised by boss Andy Preece over the summer
Magpies have been forced to sign seven loan players this season
Chorley’s use of the loan market will come under review this summer, according to boss Andy Preece.
The Magpies ended a challenging season on a high last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Worksop Town at Victory Park.
The result meant Preece’s men leapfrogged above their opponents to finish in 15th spot in the National League North.
It was the club’s worst final league placing since they won promotion to this level of football in 2014.
Usually challenging for a play-off spot, the Magpies spent the final few weeks of this season nervously looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.
While they have never been in any real danger of going down, they did only finish five points above fourth-bottom Curzon Ashton.
Injuries to key players have played a significant part in the team’s difficulties with Kole Hall, Jack Sampson and Scott Wilson all missing large parts of the campaign - with Hall, of course, missing the entire season with an unspecified health condition.
As per normal, the Magpies have utilised the loan market, although there is an argument to suggest that they have relied on it too heavily this season.
Players such as Lucas Weaver, Taelor O’Kane, Angola Popoola, Harry Ibbitson, Max Wilson, Owen German and George Pratt have all made significant contributions for the club over the course of the season.
Ibbitson - on loan from Bradford City - remained with the Magpies for the vast majority of the campaign.
O’Kane had two different spells with Chorley from AFC Fylde, while Weaver and Popoola enjoyed impressive stints before they were needed back at Altrincham and Accrington Stanley respectively.
Wilson also played a major part this season. The teenager arrived on loan from Preston North End and went on to win the club’s young player of the year award.
Central defender Pratt returned from his spell at Chorley to Blackburn Rovers and promptly went straight into their starting XI for the Championship derby clash against PNE at Deepdale.
German was another borrowed play who impressed before going back to Altrincham.
“It’s something that we are looking at,” said Preece, who thanked all of the loan players for their contributions this season.
“We’ve been looking at the loan players that we’ve had; the cost of those loan players; how much we’ve had to rely on loan players.
“It’s just something which sometimes can’t be helped. I think I said at the start of the season that we had 20 or 21 players and that we won’t be having to rely on loan players.
“Of course, we would look at bringing a loan player in to give us a boost which would add to us and help kick us on.
“If you could keep everybody fit and then add a Max Wilson or a Ang Popoola or a George Pratt to it; I think the problem we have had is rather than adding these players, we’ve had to rely on them. They are young lads. Taelor O’Kane, for example, has been a long loan.
“In the past we’ve been able to get a loan in to give us that kick, like a Frankie Maguire, who came in from Sheffield United a couple of years ago; Kieran Glynn from AFC Fylde; the lad we got from Coventry - Marco Rus.
“Those players came in previously to give us a boost where as this season, we’ve had to rely on these young lads like Harry Ibbitson who has been with us all season.
“It’s a lot to ask those lads to do it week in, week out. We’ve definitely had to rely on the loan lads a lot more but how we change that I don’t know.
“Like I said at the start of the season with the squad we had, we probably thought that we wouldn’t need too many loans but ultimately through injuries, we’ve had to.”
Two players who will be permanent fixtures next season are Warren Clarke and Sam Bird.
The pair have signed new deals to join Mike Calveley, Mark Ellis and Adam Blakeman in extending their stays at Victory Park