Chesterfield plan to have 'different' strategy for player recruitment in future

Chief scout Paul Lemon left the club last week after less than a year in the job.

The new approach is yet to be fully finalised but going down the ‘regionalised’ route is something they are looking at.

Rowe told the DT: “Paul’s deal ran until the end of the season, he was not on a rolling contract or anything like that.

“But for the value of what we can get out of that at this stage in the National League, because there aren’t many teams that carry chief scouts, we want to have a different strategy with our recruitment and we are doing that a different way going forward.

“I can’t go into that at the moment because nothing is confirmed. However, we are looking perhaps at a more regionalised way of doing it.

"I have got some good contacts around the country from previous positions and we really just need eyes on games.

“I have been at this level for five years so I am clued up on most players so to have a salary going out for perhaps little value makes no sense to me.

"It is never personal, I wish Paul all the best, he is a good guy, got along with him fine, and he is always welcome at the club in the future.”

When asked whose decision it was to let Lemon go, Rowe added: “It was a club decision, everything is a club decision.

“These players that are outgoing, yes, I have the final say, but I work in an all inclusive way. My staff will have opinions about certain things and so will the board and I will accumulate the opinions and then come to a measured decision.

“I am only a custodian of the club. As my position as manager, I have got to make sure it is in a better position than when I depart. I keep saying that but that is not because I am going anywhere. I am happy here, I signed a long-term contract at the club.”

Rowe’s assistant last season, George Foster has been offered an ‘alternative’ role within the club but there is no update on his decision yet.