Muratti stars off on their travels

Saturday 5th June 2004, 12:00AM BST.

NORTH are set to lose five of their first-team squad to the lure of seeing the world and perhaps two others to Sylvans. Coach Geoff Tardif yesterday confirmed that Muratti stars Simon Johns and Gavin Le Page would miss all of next season as they go travelling, and that first-team regulars Ben Duff and Steve Ozanne, plus reserve keeper Steve Gibson were also off on their travels.

Meanwhile, strikers Matt Le Cras and Carl Wallbridge are being strongly linked with a move to Sylvans and two more could be off to university.

Tardif said: ‘It is going to make the job harder but we’ve still got some good replacements.

‘Thankfully, because of our forward-planning with the youth we’re the best prepared club to come out of the back of this.’