THE notion of seeing their best players move on is nothing new to Warrington Town.

They and others like them understand their place in the food chain – clubs like Town are often used as somewhere for players to catapult themselves higher up the footballing pyramid, or into a position where they can make playing the game their full-time job.

However, recent months have seen a team that was so adored deconstructed. Heroes have left for reasons various and now, another has been added to the list following the completion of Connor Woods’ move to Chester.

READ MORE > Full Warrington Town statement as Connor Woods' move to Chester is confirmed

In the eyes of many, the forward’s departure is the final nail in the coffin when it comes to the club’s National League North status and while that attitude is somewhat defeatist, it certainly will not help their bid to stay clear of the relegation zone.

Put simply, however, Woods wanted to leave and all things considered, Town were powerless to stop him.

Woods scored 29 goals in 93 Warrington Town appearances, including six this season (Image: Sean Walsh) Contrary to what some would have you believe, the club did not idly by – perhaps learning from mistakes made in terms of leaving a move to tie last season’s leading scorer Isaac Buckley-Ricketts to fresh terms too late. As a result, he is now spearheading Curzon Ashton’s unlikely title charge alongside another member of Yellows’ promotion-winning side in Stefan Mols.

The offer made to Woods would have enhanced his terms to the point where he would have been the highest-paid player in the squad, but it was dismissed out of hand and the forward is said to have made it clear that any further offer would receive similar treatment.

At which point, it became a decision between football and business – Woods is the team’s leading scorer but is also one of few saleable assets within it.

Given the club are not in a position to roll the dice with their financial footing, it became clear that offers meeting their valuation would have to be considered.

Transfer fees are kept undisclosed more often than not but both sides have been willing to confirm that around £12,500 was paid to extricate Woods from his Town contract.

In purely business terms, Warrington Town have made a profit on the club-record fee of circa £10,000 they parted with to sign Woods from Southport a little under two years ago, but there will naturally be plenty who will question whether or not they could have held out for a higher price.

Indeed, there will also be those who will say they should have stood completely firm, rebuffed all offers and insisted that Woods honoured the contract he signed.

While that approach has merits including the appeasement of an increasingly disgruntled section of the fanbase, who will have taken such a stance as a message that they are willing to go to any and all lengths to preserve the Step Two status chairman Toby Macormac labelled as “sacrosanct” in a pre-Christmas update to supporters.

Even if Woods along with most of his teammates will likely admit they have not been at their best this season - he may lead the club’s scoring charts with six goals, but a closer look will reveal that none have come from open play – Town are clearly a better side with him in it and letting players of his proven quality leave is not going to help the situation they are in.

However, it is also a dangerous game to play both on and off the field.

Had Woods stayed while continuing to rebuff fresh terms, he would have walked away for nothing in the summer as Buckley-Ricketts and Mols did before him while there is also the risk of the player becoming unsettled and forcing the issue in different, more extreme ways.

Although there is no suggestion Woods would have resorted to such measures, one has to ask the question as to whether you will continue to get the best from a player who has of a mind to leave and has had his head turned.

Because that is what Town need currently - the best of everyone they have at their disposal both in terms of effort and quality.

Either way, the club has lost another popular player and while supporters have been generally understanding of the reasoning, it will only deepen any apathy that is brewing.

If they are still a National League North club when April turns to May, it will go down as good business. If they are not, it will be something people will point to in the post-mortem.

For now, all eyes will be on manager Paul Carden in terms of how he replaces his departed talisman. He and everyone attached to the club knows it is a move they can ill-afford to get wrong.

Woods helped Yellows win promotion to the National League North back in May 2023 before playing a key role in keeping them there last season (Image: Darren Murphy)