Newport County could become the only Dr Martens Premier League side to have full time players next season as they accelerate their push for Nationwide Conference football.

New Exiles boss Peter Nicholas (right) is desperate to get value for money out of his squad and has drawn-up a blueprint on how to get the most out of the resources available.

His plan is to offer the younger members of his squad - like Nathan Davies, Andrew Thomas and Allan Stevenson - deals in the summer at a time when contracts of some of the current top-wage earners expire.

Those older players have from now until the end of the season to impress Nicholas and his assistant Glyn Jones before the management decide which of the squad members have their contracts renewed.

Nicholas' proposal is to make seven or eight full time next season then do the same the following year, similar to TNS in the Welsh Premier League.

And with County's youth academy thriving, there is young talent coming through the system to keep County managers happy for years to come.

Nicholas believes contracting full time players, training every day, would make the squad fitter, stronger and more organised, and could unearth talent that Newport could sell on for a profit if a bigger club came looking.

Employing full-time players would obviously force the board to rethink the playing budget, but Nicholas believes this step is the way forward for a club like Newport County - and he is due to make his submissions to the club's board and strategic management team on Monday.

Nicholas' draft, which is still in its infancy, is for full time players to train alongside members of the club's academy at Hartridge School.

"The club are seriously looking into that possibility of having full time players," said Nicholas. "It would benefit Newport County 100%.

"The extra training would make players fitter, stronger, better disciplined and more organised as they would not have to worry about work commitments.

"It would make the club more professional and it is the way forward as Newport County strive for Conference football."

Newport are more than aware of Mike Flynn's improvement as a player when he joined full-time Barry Town, then managed by Nicholas, from County in November 2000. Since then, Flynn has moved to Second Division Wigan Athletic.

Newport chairman Wallace Brown admits going full time would help the club enormously.

"It would help improve the younger members of our squad as when players from our youth academy stop training full-time it can inhibit their development," he said.

Meanwhile, County's Newport Stadium ground will meet Conference grading by the April 1 deadline as plumbing for toilet facilities has been installed and servicing for temporary catering units has been put in place adjacent to the new covered terrace opposite the main grandstand.