Chairman Jeff Bonser has explained the reasons behind the release of nine members of the Saddlers squad.

Senior first-team players – including stalwarts Ian Roper and Darren Wrack – were among the departures and Bonser said former boss Richard Money was instrumental in deciding the retained list.

“Most of the decisions on releasing players were made before Richard Money went,” Bonser said. “They weren’t made on the last day of the season.

“They might be announced to the players then, and rightly so, but it would have been discussed when Richard Money was there. So, in general, I would say that most of the players that were freed, those decisions were probably taken before the last two games of the season.”

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Chairman Jeff Bonser has explained the reasons behind the release of nine members of the Saddlers squad.

Senior first-team players – including stalwarts Ian Roper and Darren Wrack – were among the departures and Bonser said former boss Richard Money was instrumental in deciding the retained list.

“Most of the decisions on releasing players were made before Richard Money went,” Bonser said. “They weren’t made on the last day of the season.

“They might be announced to the players then, and rightly so, but it would have been discussed when Richard Money was there. So, in general, I would say that most of the players that were freed, those decisions were probably taken before the last two games of the season.”

The chairman believes that the clear-out will pave the way to bring in players who will help the club improve on this season’s League One 12th-place finish.

“We believe that the players that we released have done a great job for the club, but they’re not going to improve our position next year,” Bonser said.

“If we thought they were going to improve us next season we would have offered them new contracts, but we think we need better players in.”

Former captains Tommy Mooney and Michael Dobson criticised the clear-out on their departure from the Banks’s Stadium, but Bonser said: “That happens in those circumstances.”