AFC Fylde's determination to keep their star players

Fylde boss Dave Challinor says the club has received no enquiries about star striker Danny Rowe.
Fylde have had no contact over star striker Danny Rowe says manager Dave Challinor    Picture: Steve McLellanFylde have had no contact over star striker Danny Rowe says manager Dave Challinor    Picture: Steve McLellan
Fylde have had no contact over star striker Danny Rowe says manager Dave Challinor Picture: Steve McLellan

And amid rumours that he too could be a target for other clubs, the manager says they would not be doing their jobs properly if they were not on the radar of rivals.

But Challinor does not expect a club like Fylde, with ambitions of getting out of the National League, to part with a pivotal player like Rowe during next month’s transfer window.

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Fylde brushed off bids from League Two side Cheltenham Town in the summer window.

And with his side sixth in the table, Challinor is not expecting his top scorer to depart as they prepare to host Stratford Town in the FA Trophy tomorrow.

Speaking about Rowe, the Fylde boss said: “I’m not expecting anything.

“There has certainly been no contact.

“From our perspective, January is always a tough window. You look at the teams up there in our division with something to play for.

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“There is rumoured interest in Macauley Bonne at Leyton Orient (the 16-goal striker has netted one more than Rowe) but there is no way they are going to be letting their top scorer – someone who really holds the key to potentially helping them back into the Football League – go in January unless they are desperate for the money.

“I think most clubs that have got something to play for are trying to keep hold of their best players, especially in this window more than the summer.”

Challinor himself has been linked with the Cambridge and Wrexham jobs in recent weeks.

But he says he has things to achieve at Mill Farm, namely securing that promotion to the Football League by the club’s target date of 2022.

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He added: “We spoke about it when I first came to the club. We said that if other clubs were not mentioning me and my players, then I am not doing my job and they are not doing theirs.

“To have some recognition that we are doing OK is great but the players and myself all have stuff here that we want to achieve.

“I am in the same boat as them. Until you get told otherwise, then you just keep doing your job day in, day out.

“We have our own ambitions and objectives here and hopefully we can achieve them.”

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While the transfer windows do not apply to non-league clubs, they do dictate when clubs like Fylde can do business with Football League clubs.

And Challinor says next month’s window will be a “strange one”.

He added: “With us having no window you are always looking at what becomes available.

“I suppose what it means from our perspective is that the Football League clubs all of a sudden become busy.

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“Potentially players from those clubs can come out because ultimately they are trying to get players in themselves and balance budgets.

“We will see where we are. We have got some loans that are up in January (such as Arthur Gnahoua and Danny Williams)

“We have to make decisions as to whether we extend those deals or whether their clubs call them back.

“We are looking and we do have targets but again it is about making sure we get the right ones in.

“We do want to strengthen while we can and I’m sure we will get a few in but there’s nothing concrete yet.”