Youth team boss Eric Kinder has secured another two signings as he continues to look ahead to the 2009/10 season.
He said: "Obviously the current group have got themselves in to a great position in the league, and we all want them to do as well as they can in that, but I always have to start looking ahead to the next campaign when it gets to this stage of the season."
Barrow-born full back James Bonner and fellow Cumbrian midfielder Phillip Towler have both agreed terms that will keep them at Brunton Park on two-year Youth contracts from July 2009.
Kinder explained: "James was at Blackburn for a while, after I had left them to move here, and they rung me to alert me that they had a very good young lad, from Cumbria, that I might be interested in.
"We've had him at our Centre of Excellence for about 18 months now, and he has done extremely well. He is full of energy and gives it everything he has, and I have no doubt that he will do well with us."
"Phillip is another Cumbrian lad," he continued, "and that is fantastic for the club.
"He was at Bolton initially, but they released him about two years ago. Again, a contact I have down there let me know that he was available, and we brought him up here. He is a very versatile player who can play in midfield, up front, or at the centre of the defence, and he is another who has an excellent attitude."
Today's signings mean that four players - including Steve Swinglehurst and Mark Sloan - have successfully come through the Centre of Excellence programme here at Brunton Park to earn themselves a Youth deal for next season.
Kinder told us: "To take four in to our YTS scheme from our U16 age group is above average, and full credit has to go to Dave Wilkes and his team for the work they are doing.
"If we get four every season then we will be delighted. Realistically we would expect two or three. Some years we may get more, and other years we may get less, but it's definitely something for us to be pleased about this time round."
"That leaves me with five places to fill, and work on that will be ongoing. Right now, though, we are looking very healthy for next season, so it should be another one for us to look forward to."
