Wimbledon transfer chief Craig Cope confirms loan clauses for key duo

AFC Wimbledon head of football operations Craig Cope has confirmed Alistair Smith and Joe Pigott do not have recall clauses in their season-long loan deals.

The Dons transfer chief says they also have some protection over potential January recalls of Crystal Palace’s Owen Goodman and Hull City’s James Furlong.

Central midfielder Smith arrived from League One side Lincoln and fans’ favourite Pigott returned to Plough Lane on a season-long deal from Orient.

Goodman, Smith and Furlong have all started every League Two outing this season. Pigott has featured in every game and started the last two matches, scoring the winner at Cheltenham.

Cope told the South London Press: “What we have had in the last few windows is trying to negotiate with clubs who have got recall clauses put in. Usually the player is doing really well and they’re able to be recalled.

“The other club has to agree to it, and rarely people do, but the flip side of that is you can put a non-recall clause in, but the player could get injured or might not perform well.

“You’re then liable for the player for the season, so it’s really hard to get the balance – you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

“Alistair and Pigs don’t have a recall. The other ones do, but we have some protection in place.”

Irish youngster Furlong, 22, was one of 10 summer signings – brought in following the departure of Jack Currie to Oxford – and has seamlessly adapted to Johnnie Jackson’s side in League Two.

Cope said: “He’s a really good character. With Jack Currie leaving, we must have watched 30 left-backs. I’ve been very impressed with James.

“There were a lot of questions thrown at me saying: ‘Why didn’t we get someone in before Jack went? Why didn’t we have James in as soon as Jack went?’ You have to remember that I wasn’t sure that Jack was going to go still.

“I couldn’t have signed another really good left-back financially and then had Jack Currie still stay here. I also couldn’t have done it straight when Jack left, because no-one knew Jack was definitely leaving until two days out.

“James was coming back from a knock as well, so we had to wait for him to go back to training to see how he got on with Hull.

“There were a few other clubs interested as well – a few abroad at a high level – which we couldn’t compete with.

“Naturally, we had to wait for Hull. They came through, and I’m really glad James is down here.”

See next Friday’s South London Press for a feature-long sit down with AFC Wimbledon’s head of football operations Craig Cope.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD