Baker in awe of Thomas' wages

Cheltenham chairman Paul Baker has described the financial deal which Wes Thomas has taken at Crawley as "staggering".

The striker, who bagged 19 goals for the Robins last season, was out of contract at Whaddon Road having only signed a one-year deal from Dagenham & Redbridge. Thomas, 24, was keen to move closer to London to be with his young family and rejected the chance to pen fresh terms with the Gloucestershire club, instead opting to complete a move to newly-promoted Crawley earlier this week. Crawley took the Blue Square Bet Premier by storm last season thanks in large to a wealth of investment in their playing squad, and it appears they are set for much more of the same as they start their assault on the Football League. Baker told BBC Gloucestershire: "I've heard the package he (Thomas) is on and he wouldn't get that at a lot of clubs in League One, it's staggering. "It shows the money someone is putting in at Crawley to sustain the wage bill. They're not doing it on gates."