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Gillingham’s second year scholars are facing an extended wait to see if they have won professional deals.
The coronavirus crisis comes at the time when many of them will be either taken on as full-time players or released following their scholarship.
Gills boss Steve Evans was expected to be making the decision on the youngsters this week but any decision may now have to wait.
Second year scholars include Toby Bancroft, Jay Hards, Harry Laing, Jimmy Witt and Tommy Lamb.
Bancroft was on target for the Gills in their Kent Senior Cup thrashing of Dover Athletic last month and has been out on loan at Isthmian Premier Division side Wingate & Finchley.
Witt and Hards have both been out on loan at Sittingbourne.
Isthmian Premier Division side Margate later took Witt on loan where he played alongside Gills team-mate Lamb.
Laing, meanwhile, had a spell at Southern Counties East side Sheppey United.
Evans said: “Myself and Paul Raynor (Gillingham’s assistant manager) have made sure we have been watching the youth train over the last three months. There are different youth players who have stepped up to train with the first team.
“We were in the throws of sitting down with Bryan Bull (academy manager) and Craig Stone (youth boss) and making the decisions.”
With money tight - even more so now - the manager admits they can’t be taking any gambles.
He said: “At Gillingham we have to adopt probably a more stricter criteria than before. Before if it was, ‘well if they have a little chance then we sign them.’
“We need to bring in what I call the Fergie model. First team recruitment was simple. A yes is a yes, in terms of players you want to bring in, pass it on to the finance people and see if you can get it done.
“If it is no, you don’t pass it anywhere, it is no. You make your maybes a no. If you have a doubt, when things are not going so well you will beat yourself up because of the doubt.
“You can’t afford time in today’s football, or any sport. Those decisions would have probably been made this week but we will need to wait until we are back now.”
Goalkeeper Joe Walsh, who has just turned 18, was part of the same group of players but is already on a pro deal. He has been understudy to Jack Bonham in the first team this season.
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