Lee Mapals asks to leave Knights

10:30am Thursday 10th July 2008

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YORK City Knights boss Paul March says want-away top try-scorer Lee Mapals can leave the club – but only at the right price.

The 22-year-old has been placed on the transfer market at his own request after showdown talks with club management, and The Press understands Featherstone, Batley and Oldham are already interested.

However, the Knights would want either a player-exchange or cash in return in their bid to regroup and push for play-off success in National League Two.

They have moved fast to bring in a short-term replacement, signing Dewsbury Rams youngster David Clayton on a month’s loan. And they are now optimistic full-back Danny Ratcliffe has not broken his wrist as feared and will be available soon.

But winger/full-back Mapals, pictured above, has been a key strike-player for two seasons and while the Knights accept he is to leave, they would be loathe to let him go for nothing having given him his chance at National League level. If no deal is reached, he would remain at Huntington Stadium but out of the first-team picture.

March said: “I still feel he’s got a lot to offer, but if his head’s not with the club he might as well go elsewhere.

“He came in (to the meeting) and said he wanted away. But he knew he was contracted. He’s an asset to the club. The only way he will get to go is with a player-exchange or if someone pays cash.”

Mapals has bagged 39 tries in 51 appearances since joining from local amateurs New Earswick in 2006. He is also leading the 2008 Press/K Walker & Co Player of the Year standings, having scored 18 tries in 18 appearances this term, including equalling the club record of five tries in a match in the win at Swinton in May.

However, he was dropped from the team for the home game against London Skolars later that month and again in the away game at Gateshead on Sunday having failed to attend training on a number of occasions. He had claimed starting a new job in Leeds and moving back there had made it hard to get to the sessions on time.

March said: “Myself, James Ratcliffe (assistant-coach) and the lads have bent over backwards to accommodate his travelling to and from training, but we can’t do anything about that. He does not want to be here so that’s the end of it.

“He’s made his mind up. If he doesn’t want to be at York, there’s no point forcing him to be here. We’ve got players at the club who want to be here.”

Mapals told the club both NL2 promotion-seekers Oldham and NL1 side Fev had already been in touch with his agent. Batley, also of NL1, are other potential suitors.

Asked if he thought the player had been “tapped up”, March replied: “I don’t know. That’s just speculation. At the end of the day, we’ve got to get on with it and we will do that without Lee Mapals if we have to.”

Asked if he had any players in mind for an exchange, he said: “Once a club starts talking to us we can start looking at who they’ve got and who we could take. I’m sure there’ll be an agreement (as regards a transfer).”

A statement by the Knights added: “Lee informed the club he no longer wanted to stay at the Knights. Lee was given approval by the Knights to speak to any clubs interested. The club will be requesting a player exchange or cash payment for the player.

“Lee did not fall out with the management. They simply asked him to fulfil his contract, i.e. turn up to training. Despite the efforts of the coaching staff and other players to provide him with lifts to training, Lee was still missing on a regular basis and the club felt there was no other alternative but to agree to his request and will not keep a player against his will.”