For the likes of Gary Hart and Kerry Mayo the final few weeks of the season could prove vital in securing their futures at the club.

Despite great service from both players over the years their involvement in the first team has been far from regular this season.

Gary Hart in particular has found it hard to force his way into the match day squad at all until last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Crewe let alone into Dean Wilkins starting 11.

The fans favourite has made over 300 starts for the Seagulls since 1998 and along with Kerry Mayo he is one of the longest serving players in the clubs recent history.

But as proved with Richard Carpenter already this season you’re past record at the club isn’t enough to assure a contact for next season.

Mayo’s position at the club is perhaps slightly more secure as the left back has made 23 starts this season. Although at times he hasn’t been first choice Mayo has battled his way back into Dean Wilkins plans. Something over his career he has become used to doing. 

With a long over due testimonial game planned for the summer it would be a great shame if Mayo was offloaded this summer.

In the past few seasons many of the longer serving plays have had clauses written into their contacts that if they reach a certain number of first team appearances they will be offered a further year on their current deals and Mayo could well earn a new deal this way.

But Hart has only made 15 starts this season making it vital he makes a big impact in the season run in if Wilkins is to offer him a new deal.

Ask most Albion fans who they would rather the club kept hold of and 90% of them would answer Hart who over the years has given so much effort to the cause something which has endeared him to supporter. That’s not to say Mayo hasn’t given a similar effort, but although most Albion fans appreciate all the efforts of Kerry over the years many believe its time for him to move on.

Other players our of contract in the summer include Charlie Oatway, Adam Hinshelwood, Paul Reid, Guy Butters, Alexis Bertin, Michel Kuipers, Sam Rents, Chris Breach, Wes Fogden, Paul Hinshelwood, Doug Loft, Richard Martin and Georges Santos.

The reason that many of the players in the list above haven’t already entered into contract negotiations with the club is the fact the future of Albion manager Dean Wilkins also remains up in the air.

Wilkins was only offered a contract until the end of the season when he took over from Mark McGhee earlier this season and until his future at the club is sorted he is reluctant to open negotiations with his players.

Speaking in the Argus on Saturday Wilkins said: “I don’t think I can,” he said. “I’m not in a position myself to look beyond that, so it would be wrong of me to actually look at the players in that light.

“I just want to make sure we get as high up in the table as we can and then those sort of decisions will be made later.”

The sooner the future of Wilkins is resolved the better. Surely he has shown the powers that be at the club he is more than capable of doing a good job.

Added on Wednesday, March 7th, 2007 at 6:38 pm under Features by Wilka.