DEPARTING forward Alfie Flack’s time at Helston Athletic is not up, says Blues boss Steve Massey.

The young striker has joined the Blues’ South West Peninsula League rivals Sticker for the 2020/21 season in a bid for more first-team football.

The move is also one of convenience for Flack, who will also be coaching with his father Steve, who manages Sticker, on Saturday mornings.

Flack scored nine goals for Helston last season as the Blues topped the SWPL Premier West before the abrupt suspension of football amid the coronavirus outbreak in March, including a hat-trick in an 11-0 win at home to Penzance.

While not a loan move in its strictest sense, the Blues boss claimed that the move is merely “a season away from Helston” for Flack to get regular game time under his belt.

Massey said: “Alfie’s very much a real confidence player and I just felt that listening to Alfie that he’d made his mind up really that he’d just like more football, and certainly the option of going with his dad was there, which I didn’t have a problem with at all.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Steve Flack, we get on very, very well, and he took a couple of the boys last year to try and give them more game time.

“I certainly didn’t want [to see him leave] and would have been very happy for Alfie to have stayed here. I think he’s a very talented player and is going to be an even better footballer.

“Its not legally seen as a loan but certainly his dad Steve, Alfie and myself just see it as a season away from Helston this year, that’s all. He will get some valuable game time, and there are certain players like that that need to be playing.

Falmouth Packet:

Flack (right) in action for the Blues against Camelford last season

He added: “He’s certainly not going to cut his ties with Helston at all and even his messages back to me, and from his dad as well, have been really positive and I fully expect that somewhere along the line that he’ll be back wearing the blue shirt of Helston at some stage.

“We’ve got a very strong, big squad which means it’s also possible to do that, and he won’t be the last. [There may be] one or two, three or four players that will go and play their football elsewhere this season.”

Massey also confirmed that the trio of George Roberts, Jack James and Cameron Wheat would be leaving the club this season, although all three remain signed on with the Blues.

Left-back Roberts’ availability will be limited next season with the defender increasing his coaching commitments with Plymouth Argyle’s academy.

“He’s got a great opportunity to further his coaching but that involves Saturdays being with the Argyle side with the under-18s, so his football time will be limited with us,” Massey said.

“But he’s certainly not going to cut his ties with what I like to call the Helston family and he’ll still be signed on for us, but George will not be as involved with us this year.

James will follow a similar path to Flack, with the 17-year-old midfielder to spend the 2020/21 season at St Piran League West side Hayle to continue his development.

“There’s three or four players at least in every position before he can get in at the moment,” Massey said.

“He’s still a young kid, he’s not even 18 yet, and he’s really one for the future as well and he’ll be going to play his football elsewhere as well.”

Wheat completes the departing trio, with the former Wendron United winger moving to Oxfordshire to continue his career with the Royal Air Force.

Massey said: “We spoke at length last week about would I give him a reference to the clubs up there and I said, ‘Absolutely, you’ve got to do that’.

“He has to start making his own life up there and he’ll always be connected here and at home here.

“He’ll certainly stay signed on for us here as a Helston footballer, but he’ll be playing the bulk of his football up where he’s based now.”