GRAVESEND’S transition from part-time to full-time football has claimed high profile casualties in Andy Drury and Jay Saunders.

Neither were able to commit themselves full time and have been released on free transfers by the club, along with four others.

Also leaving Stonebridge Road are club captain Steve McKimm, long-serving Justin Skinner, Mark Rawle and Bobby Bowry – with the prospect of more to follow.

Manager Liam Daish said: "Andy was offered full-time terms at the start of the year but it wasn’t the package he was looking for.

"It was the same with Jay, who recently had another addition to his family. He felt he couldn’t afford to give up his job."

McKimm, a huge favourite with supporters, moves on with the club’s best wishes after battling back from a serious knee injury.

"Steve’s done fantastically well to come back from serious injury," said Daish. "Now he needs to be playing regularly, which I couldn’t guarantee, while he could not commit to full-time training."

Rawle, signed on loan from Woking, failed to live up to his goalscoring pedigree and his release comes as no surprise.

Bowry, the 35-year-old former Crystal Palace, Millwall and Colchester midfielder who skippered the side this season, has moved to Bromley as a player-coach.

The exodus is set to continue with Fleet secretary Roly Edwards confirming there will be more departures.

He said: "Talks are on-going with a number of players but there will be more leaving the club."