There could be a knock-on effect from the signing of Craig Bentham and Tom Penford as Farsley Celtic look to continue their recruitment drive in what is left of the close season.

The players are due to report back for training a week tomorrow, before Euro 2008 has reached its conclusion, and Celts’ assistant manager Neil Parsley thinks manager John Deacey and himself are in for a hectic week.

“Other players are looking at our capture of Craig and Tom and they realise what ambition that signals on behalf of the club,” said Parsley today, referring to potential signings.

“We did hope to have three players signing on this week - two new and one existing - but that has not happened just yet. Negotiations with Amjad Iqbal are also at a very crucial stage.

“We hope Ammers (Iqbal) will be re-signing for us, like Mark Jackson did last week and most of last season’s squad.

"We might have escaped relegation if Craig had remained with us for the last month instead of returning to Valley Parade so we weren’t far away and we know the lads are capable.

“We recognise that mistakes were made - we are big enough to hold up our hands and admit to that.

"Everyone makes mistakes but the key is to learn from them and we feel, as a club, that we have gained from the experience of being in the Blue Square Premier last season.

“The club is wiser and we are as individuals, which can only benefit all concerned. It is also making us all really keen to get back into it.

"We can’t wait for next week. It’s all systems go and it will be an important seven days because we want to secure another couple of signings.

"There are also one or two away on holiday at the moment, which means they can’t put pen to paper just yet.

“Next week is an early start for pre-season but I have been speaking to some of the lads and they have told me they are meeting up and doing a bit of running and training together already.”