There's a difference to being 'retained' and 're-engaged'.......
Retained is when an option is exercised on a contract and agreed between both parties to extend it ~ as United would like to do with Luke Young and players staying to complete an agreed contract as in the cases of Sam Chaney and Damon Lathrope.
Released applies to Charlie Duke, Will Hancox and Ben Gerring who have come to the end of their contracts and not being offered re-engagement terms.
You'll notice then that only retained players remain on the payroll in National League football unless they can negotiate a renewal which commences paying them seamlessly.
Those 'under consideration' are therefore released and off the payroll as things stand from the final whistle of the North Ferriby game and perfectly free to pursue options elsewhere.
I don't know about Hancox, but I am of the understanding that Duke (and possibly Gerring too) had reason to believe they were being re-engaged subject to there being enough in the budget to re-engage them.....obviously this was not the case.
Those who have taken the trouble to watch the video on link I provided re the FLE release trials and those options to players throughout their contracts to make provision for their future, will see that being released at one club in no way finally determines the end of a player's professional career if they don't want it to and the many and varied opportunities available to them. For instance it could well be that Duke or Hancox secure development contracts at higher status clubs than Torquay United where they can be patiently and constructively improved within a proper football infrastructure such as Exeter City for instance.
One option I encouraged a couple of suitable lads to pursue last season was the Scandinavian one where you would be surprised how many have gone over to (say) Sweden; taken up a short (3-4 month) semi-pro contract and settled into staying there, enrolling in education and building a very nice lifestyle.
United physio Gareth Laws was the beneficiary of building a professional career in his field after his playing opportunities came to an end at Plainmoor too.
Integration into the American or Canadian college soccer scholarship scheme is another and very often those who chose that stay and develop a new lifestyle through that. Remember Leon Hapgood anyone? He's been in Calgary for a good few years now after doing that after hacking away on the part-time circuit with Bideford after leaving Torquay United ten years ago. His boss at Calgary Foothills FC is Tommy Wheeldon another Torquay lad who took that path:
http://www.foothillsfc.ca/Default.asp?id=home&l=1
Remember Tommy Sermanni? Look at him now after packing his bags on leaving Plainmoor in 1982 and travelling the world from Australia, to Sarawak, Canada and the USA where he is now head coach of leading US Womens Soccer club Orlando Pride and previously coached the Australia women's national team, and the United States women's national team from 2013 to 2014.
None of these opportunities are denied those who attend the FLE release trials ~ there are scouts there from all over the global world of football and Duke and Hancox were denied the responsible care of duty they were entitled to as young professionals.
Being young, free and single presents a different opportunity to being married with a young child or two where the option of paid work and part-time football nearer home might be the priority and that could well be the road Ben Gerring chooses to go down; who knows but I do know that by his manner and actions in the evening immediately after the euphoric victory over North Ferriby he was not exactly anticipating 'being on the scrapheap' within a week........far from it.
