Record bid rejected as Bards striker stays
STRATFORD Town have rejected two offers for leading scorer Callum Ebanks, one of which could have set a new league record.
The striker, who is on contract with the Arden Garages Stadium side, led the way last season with 23 league goals and picked up a handful of awards including the Stratford Herald’s player of the season.
He has scored six in the league this season and has been on the radar of a number of clubs.
Bards chairman Jed McCrory confirmed: “There have been two offers for Callum. One was for a reasonable amount but the other offer would probably have broken the league record. With add-ons, it would have been into six figures.
“The player and his agent were made aware of the offers and the discussions but we have always stated that while players and our management team are committed to helping the club succeed in its bid for promotion, then we will do everything we can to keep them at the club.
“We are building something special for the community here at Stratford and players like Callum Ebanks are a key part of that.”
Ebanks signed for the Bards in the summer of 2023 having spent a period on loan from parent club Cheltenham Town for whom he made four appearances. The 22-year-old also had loan spells at National League side Eastleigh and Bath City in National League North.
Saturday saw Town suffer a 1-0 defeat at home to Spalding United courtesy of a Chris Hussey own goal, the first defeat in nine league games dating back to August.
Speaking after the weekend’s game, head coach Paul Davis said: “I don’t think we did enough to win the game but neither did we deserve to lose the game. It had 0-0 written all over it and for the goal, it was a shot going wide which Hussey headed into his own net.
“I have watched the last few games back and we have been creating chances, it’s just that we can’t get the ball in the back of the net. When we do I can see us whacking somebody.
“I thought we were a threat from set-pieces all through the game but at the end of the day it was two good teams cancelling each other out.
“It was disappointing but if we’d said after the Telford game at the end of August that the next time we’d lose was on the 9th November then we would probably have taken that.
“We are in a good place but we need to string a couple of results together because it’s frustrating that we haven’t won back-to-back games in the league since the start of the season.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Sudbury, Davis admitted it won’t be easy against a side he feels are in a false position.
“They have a centre forward in Joe Neil who has spent time in the National League so we need to be aware of him,” he explained. “But we have the second best away form in the league so we need to go there and perform.”
