WITH so much happening off the field at Newport County AFC, it is easy to forget that they return to action this week as preparations for next season truly get under way.

Away visits to Undy and Port Talbot might not exactly represent glitz and glamour, but supporters will nonetheless be feeling excited to see a first glimpse of their new recruits.

For the Exiles it is more like getting a glimpse of an entirely new group, this reporter is already shredding his fingernails at the prospect of working out the team and the subs, especially with trialists a certainty.

However, before a ball has been kicked, it is only fair to note just how well Terry Butcher appears to be settling into his role.

Since his arrival he’s released an entire squad, partially due to budgetary restrictions, he’s seen the arrival of his backroom staff drag on and on, signed eight players, announced all the pre-season friendlies and been at the helm when the chairman announces his retirement. Butcher could already write a book on his time at Newport County.

He’s taken it all in his stride and is resolute in his positivity, which hopefully might become infectious.

Butcher deserves goodwill as he looks to begin a new chapter at the Exiles, as they look to consolidate in the Football League.

It is clear they need to do so with a cohesive plan off the field, but Butcher and his support staff of Russell Osman and Steve Marsella can do their part with careful manipulation of the transfer market.

It is integral as County look to become a sustainable, hopefully fan-owned entity; that they continue to generate funds as they have in recent seasons.

The Exiles must make sales such as Craig Reid, Danny Rose, Lee Evans and Conor Washington the norm if a player departs Rodney Parade, not free transfer losses of saleable assets like we’ve seen with Sam Foley, Gary Warren and this summer, Ryan Jackson.

On their rise to the Championship and ultimately Premier League, Swansea City sold Jason Scotland, Sam Ricketts and Lee Trundle for near enough £2.5 million profit. That’s yet another lesson to learn from our friends down the road.

Butcher and Marsella enjoyed real success at Inverness with player recruitment and Osman has previous too, he’s the man who recommended Tyrone Mings to Ipswich Town. He was signed for £10,000 and sold for £8 million.

To expect anything other than a solid season of consolidation after so much upheaval would be unrealistic, County haven’t instigated the change in management or financial scenario at the club and it is imperative Butcher’s boys are shown plenty of understanding and patience in the coming weeks and months.

Because in the short-term, if Newport are to make a real impact at the top end of League Two, they will need to unearth a gem or two to supplement their income.

New General Manager Jason Turner – who starts in his new role later this week - can hopefully ensure in tandem with the management staff that the club are proactive in ensuring they don’t lose key assets like Jackson on free transfers, while County’s scouting range and youth development policy can hopefully yield financial dividends.

County can’t rely on cup runs or television competitions to ensure extra funds; they need to strive to continue searching for the unpolished gems they can sell for serious money.

In the Football League, the question of ‘who did you sell?’ is as vital as any other in pinpointing success.

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A word to finish regarding persistent online criticism of my presence and/or coverage of Newport County AFC’s AGM.

The criticism is a failure to “ask the tough questions,” or from how it is explained, a failure to turn the AGM into a battle between a news reporter and Howard Greenhaf.

Generally the Argus covers Newport’s AGM from outside in the car park, because reporters aren’t permitted by right to enter a shareholders’ meeting. We have relied previously on David Hando to provide a copy of the accounts after the meeting had concluded.

This year a supporter kindly offered us a proxy vote, meaning I was able to attend the meeting and report on it. The shareholder asked nothing more of me than I provide a fair and balanced account of the meeting in the Argus. I was given no instructions, the invitation was unconditional.

I felt it would be inappropriate to ‘hijack’ a meeting as a non-shareholder, but also decided it would be untenable to not ask any questions, if I felt a key issue had been left uncovered.

Therefore I asked Mr Greenhaf and Mr Scadding if they would agree that the club is too reliant on their contribution and if they felt that was a tenable situation going forward, after no shareholders asked that question. I also answered an enquiry from a supporter about a perceived deterioration of the relationship between the club and newspaper.

I had also intended to ask Mr Scadding about his position, but he had already made clear he stood by his ‘not a jump ship guy,’ comment.

I made a professional decision to attend the AGM as I felt it would be beneficial to the readers of the Argus to get a clearer picture of the meeting. I also made the decision to try and keep my contribution – as a non-shareholder – to a minimum and to ensure it didn’t become a scenario whereby I could be accused of turning the event into a circus.

Perhaps it was a no-win scenario, but I feel our presence at the meeting was in the interests of readers and my taking a detached role was important to ensuring shareholders weren’t disrupted from a meeting they essentially pay to attend.

I have no regrets on how the situation was handled.