Dartford history-maker Brendon Cass is one of three players released by the club as manager Tony Burman prepares to wheel and deal in the transfer market ahead of next season.

Cass, who was the first Darts player to score a goal for the club at Princes Park when the ground opened in November 2006, joins Craig Carley and Steve Butterworth in leaving Dartford.

Burman needs room for manoueuvre within his budget to sign the three or four players he believes are needed to mount a serious promotion challenge in the 2009-10 campaign.

Burman admitted that releasing the prolific Cass (pictured above) had been a difficult decision.

The striker moved from Chatham to Dartford towards the end of the 2005-06 season where he had been the Medway club’s leading scorer.

He became Darts’ top-scorer for two seasons and won the Ryman League Division 1 South Golden Boot award for the 2006-07 campaign.

"I can’t begin to describe what a difficult decision it was in deciding to release Brendon," said Burman.

"He has served this club superbly and his goal-scoring tells its own story.

"But he needed to be the No.1 striker and I could not offer him that. Brendon leaves with our best wishes for the future and I know he will do his next club a big favour."

Cass had been on loan at East Thurrock from March until the end of the season.

Fellow striker Carley leaves the club after a brief spell following his arrival from Met Police just before the transfer deadline in March.

"That was a bit financial because I needed to create room within my budget," Burman said.

Butterworth, the third player to leave Princes Park, joined the club last season from Redbridge.

Burman added: "He had fallen behind Ryan Hayes in the pecking order for that position and he needs to be playing regularly. That’s why I decided to release him."