@thewashbag: Why are you still only ‘Interim Chairman’ and why has the club not held their AGM?
JW: We have an AGM coming up soon and that will be sorted out then. Hopefully, if all goes well, we will be able to drop the interim part of it. The meeting will come either at the end of this month or at the start of May.
It is not happening until then because of the organisation of some administrative processes, but we are sure we will hit all of the deadlines that we need to.
@ollietanswell: Have the management already got any deals in place for any players out of contract at the end of the season?
JW: We have got a couple of targets where we have had informal talks with some players, and we would like to get them in at the earliest opportunity.
@nigelslater10: Are any of the players on loan here lined up for permanent deals already?
JW: I think it is highly likely we will sit down and talk through a deal with some of the players we have got on loan here, and we will be looking to do that when the time is right.
@TJClarke: Have any of the current players been offered new contracts.
JW: All of our players’ contracts will be reviewed at the end of the season, as it can often be quite destablising to have those conversations during the season. Paolo has a clear idea of who he wants to keep at the club in the long term, and we will sit down and go through that at the end of the season.
@philrees12: When are the pro contracts going to be offered to the scholars? How many are likely to be offered one?
JW: Again, that is something that needs to be discussed at the end of the season. We will talk with Paul Bodin and see who he thinks needs and deserves a contract and then from there we will make sure those contracts are offered.
@mark_wix: When is Paolo Di Canio going to sign a new contract?
JW: Paolo has said he does not want anything to deflect from his focus on promotion and winning the title. But at the same time, having spoken with his agent we are keen to get it resolved as quickly as possible because getting the players he wants in and things like that takes time, and we want to be as well prepared as possible for next season. At this stage I am very encouraged from the talks we have had.
@andrewlincoln97: Will the Stratton Bank be open for the Port Vale game?
JW: There are certainly plans in place for the Stratton Bank to be open for Port Vale. We hoped to have it open for Plymouth but we will have to see what the take up on away tickets is for that game.
@esanderson: Are there any plans to reduce ticket prices for the Port Vale game in order to draw in a big crowd?
JW: There are many plans at an advanced stage to ensure there is a party atmosphere at the Port Vale game, and parties are only good if they are full of people.
@odernie: Is the club still looking to increase the County Ground’s capacity?
JW: Stadium plans are firmly on track and all discussions are going well. If I were to be held to a time for when work will begin it will probably be this time next year, when we begin work on the Town End.
@tunneler: What are the aims for next season?
JW: We have already had the discussion with Paolo and having assembled the squad we have so far and with the names we are looking to add then we will be focused on winning back-to-back promotions.
@bathtime0: Will you be brave enough to confront Di Canio if the wheels come off in League One?
JW: He will certainly be given time, and I think he would have to lose a lot of games very quickly for his win percentage to drop to anything close to 50 per cent. Other managers can only dream about that, and it is not a scenario I anticipate happening here. But it will be silly to suggest he will be under any pressure if a couple of results do go his way at the start of the season.
@seanquinn0206: Was Danny Wilson given too much time at Swindon?
JW: I think we have all moved on from that. Since he has left here Danny has proven himself to be a very good manager with Sheffield United after having a sticky phase earlier in the season. He shows what can happen if someone is given time. I am a big Danny Wilson fan and I’ll always be sorry it did not work out here.
@garysmee1: How much will promotion mean to the club financially?
JW: Promotion doesn’t mean anything immediately. I think winning the league will only get us £40,000, but what promotion will mean is that we are one step closer to where we need to be. What promotion does mean is that we will be playing against a better standard of opposition with bigger attendances, which will bring in more money to the club.
@phillipbrunnen: Will there be a requirement for the management to be more selective when bringing in players next season ?
JW: I think Paolo would be the first to admit that when he started here his knowledge of this league meant he was not completely aware of what is required. But it did not take him long to realise what was needed and I think the results showed how quickly we addressed that situation. He has very specific knowledge of what is required now, and the players we bring in will be ones who will be able to win promotion to the next league.
@tomgilbert5: Will Di Canio be able to carry on spending?
JW: There is a framework in place this season which we have worked within, and there will be a budget for next season which Paolo is happy with and content to work within. It is all about the balance between ensuring he has the tools to do the job, and managing the books.
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