Player registration deadline EXTENDED for Hartlepool United, Notts County, Stockport, Wrexham, Chesterfield and National League clubs

With the deadline to register players for the 2020-21 season initially set to be this Thursday, March 25, it has now been extended by a further four weeks until Thursday, April 22.

The extended deadline is in keeping with the current season ending a month later than usual and provides clubs more time to finalise their squads going into the final stretch of fixtures.

But Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor wasn’t overly pleased with the timing of the decision.

“We called the FA weeks ago and asking if the deadline would be extended and we were told no,” he told The Mail.

"Now we’ve just received an email saying that the deadline has been extended by a month to the fourth Thursday in April.

"We’re not in a huge rush to get things done and we give ourselves a bit more time to potentially get some bodies in if we need to but we’re still hoping to have at least one in the building soon.

“It allows us to be more reactive rather than jumping into something that would just be cover for us just in case.

"We were looking to give Fergie [David Ferguson] a bit of cover but now we can bide our time and see what becomes available. A month is a long time in football and lots of things can be decided in the Football League and things over that time. Things will become more clear and if we do need to act then we can do.”

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