FORMER York City defender Chris Smith is hoping to earn a contract at League Two side Notts County after a pre-season trial.

Smith played for County in Wednesday night's 2-2 friendly draw against Coventry City and is now expecting to learn his fate.

The 23-year-old defender returned to his home town Derby after being released by the Minstermen at the end of last season and has also attracted interest from local non-league clubs.

He said: "I have had a couple of lower league clubs interested in me - Burton Albion and Stafford Rangers - but have been training with Notts County for a week and have played three games for them. I want to stay in the Football League and County have told me that they will let me know if there's anything for me by the end of the week."

Meanwhile, Stephen Brackstone, who was also released by City boss Chris Brass in April, is still looking for a new club after being unable to play a trial match for last season's Scottish Division One champions Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

He said: "I have not got a club for next season yet. I had the chance to go to Inverness but it was too short notice.

"I don't want to say anything else at this stage because my agent is busy trying to sort something out for next season."

Only last season's skipper Darren Edmondson has so far landed a contract with a Football League club from the 11 players that were not retained by Brass last season.

Edmondson has signed for last season's Nationwide Conference champions Chester City while Mark Ovendale has been training with League Two outfit Swansea.

Richard Cooper (Burton Albion), Christian Fox (Scarborough), Leigh Wood (Harrogate Town) and Mitch Ward (Alfreton Town) have all spent pre-season at non-league clubs while the whereabouts of Liam George and Stephen Downes is not known.

Striker Andy Bell, who spent the last two months of the season at Bootham Crescent before being released, has been training with City's Conference rivals Northwich Victoria but is now considering offers from lesser non-League clubs.

He said: "I've not got anywhere yet although I have been training with Northwich all summer. The manager Steve Burr has said that he wants to offer me something and has spoken to the chairman but, since then, he has signed Mark Quayle from Scarborough and I'm wondering whether it's time to look elsewhere because they don't want me.

"There's been four or five games but the manager's had a squad of 30 and you only get to play parts of games. I think I've had two halves and 60 minutes in another match and have scored a couple of goals but it's hard when the team changes all the time.

"Eastbourne have asked me to go down there but I wasn't too keen and Worksop and Stafford Rangers have also shown an interest. I think it's tough now for young players who have not played many games to get League clubs.

"They are looking for proven players. I knew Edmo would get fixed up because he's been around a long time and somebody like Leigh Wood would have got another club instead of being at Harrogate if he'd been playing for five years."

Updated: 11:02 Friday, July 30, 2004