It's been a tough pre-season as usual. We have a good mix of youth and experience with some of the lads doing their first pre-season and others doing their 16th, 17th or even 18th, and the boys who were here last year have been getting to know the new players.
We have been training at Warminster in Sheffield doing double sessions, starting the first session at 10:30am until around 12.00 then having lunch together. We start back up at 1:30pm until about 2:30-3:00pm.
Training has involved a mixture of small sided games and a lot of running. If we're not at Warminster then we have been at Holmebrook Valley Park and Shinner would make us run round the lake and do hill runs. Not easy!
We injured players have it tough with up to three sessions a day. Some of us could start entering decathlons with the variety of exercises we are doing, using rowing machines, swimming (some drowning!) and Jam even sent us on a 12.7 mile bike ride up what felt like Mount Everest. We also do a bit of running to bring us back to reality.
The lads had two weeks of double session days to build up their base fitness before they started the pre-season games.
Pre-season games are used for a number of reasons, the obvious being so that the lads can all get match practice and match fit before the season starts. It is also good for the manager to bring in trialists to look at in a game situation and also the new players who have joined the squad.
The fans also enjoy friendlies because they get to see the new players and talk about who they think will be in the starting eleven for the new season.
We have had a good variety of friendlies this season, Alfreton, Matlock, Tamworth and Sheffield Club all away and Derby and Barnsley at the b2net Stadium. The results are not the most important thing with pre-season games. As much as we all want to win the main thing is to play well, get fit and try to stay injury free and I think we have done that.
The lads have played some good entertaining football and scored plenty of goals coming from different players, which will give them plenty of confidence. Most of all they have stayed pretty much injury free to the delight of Jam. He doesn't need any more whingeing footballers in his treatment room! He has enough on his hands with Lowry, Gregor and Me!
The Derby game was the first ever at the b2net Stadium and just like they did for the last game at Saltergate the boys put on a great performance. Although disappointed to lose we were happy to score four goals. We are also impressed with how the pitch played. Having a great pitch like we have is definitely an advantage and if we keep scoring four goals a game on it then this season could turn out to be a memorable one indeed!
Now, like I said I would, I am going to put in an Aussie saying or phrase in my blog each game just to keep it interesting because as Jack Lester will tell you, I can talk people to sleep!!
My Stepfather always used to say to people "He's about as flash as a rat with a gold tooth!"
I never really knew what he meant so I asked him and basically it means in English terms "mutton dressed as lamb." So if you are going out and your mate gets him or herself overdressed and looking silly you can tell them they look "about as flash as a rat with a gold tooth!"
Downesy
