Guiseley manager Steve Kittrick, who has confirmed he is staying at Nethermoor, admits he is still coming to terms with the fact that they will again be playing in Blue Square Bet North next season.

The Lions boss said: “I am still getting over it. I am still hurting. We didn’t get to where we wanted to.

“It doesn’t matter where you go, people say the same thing: ‘You got 91 points but you didn’t get promotion’.

“But the good thing is that things are happening off the pitch, and hopefully in two years’ time we will have improved facilities off the pitch and be playing in the Conference.”

Kittrick, whose sidekicks Chris Holland and Martin Stringfellow have also committed themselves to another bash at getting out of the division, already has five players under contract for 2013-14.

They are Jack Rea, Wayne Brooksby, Phil Marsh, Gavin Rothery and Zack Dale.

The Lions manager also revealed that five others, who he prefers not to name at this stage, have verbally agreed to stay.

“I hope to have more news next week,” he said.

“But we also hope that one or two from our Academy will also be pushing for opportunities as happened last year.

“The players there are a year older, are more structured and more used to the way we try and play.”

Confirmed leavers, however, are Sean O’Reilly, who has returned to the United States, and Kevin Hols-grove, who has been signed by Halifax Town, who beat Guiseley in the two-legged play-off semi-final earlier this month.

As far as off-field developments are concerned, the Lions are using Watson Batty as lead architects.