Pre-season training will begin for Morpeth Town on July 4th (with social distancing measures in place), manager Stephen Turnbull has announced.
The initial steps towards the new campaign have been pencilled in, with no date, as yet, set for when league action will resume.
It may result in a marathon pre-season stint, but Turnbull is keen to assess the squad and use the extra time to prep his side for the challenges that lie ahead in the NPL Premier Division.
“The situation we find ourselves in gives us more time to get the lads used to what I expect,” Turnbull told the club website.
“Not a lot is going to change but some small things will. It has been a longer break (from the end of the previous season) and this pre-season gives them more chance to get into shape.
“It gives me longer to look at people. Everyone comes back with a clean slate; it gives me a chance to see how everyone’s doing and how much everyone wants it.
“As a manager, I’ll be preparing the players but there’s no point in me running them into the ground when I don’t know when the start date is; it could be September, October, it could be Christmas.
“That is one problem but it gives me more time to prepare so I am not going to complain.”
Turnbull’s chief role throughout pre-season will be to keep the playing squad motivated for when the time comes. That is something the manager is abundantly aware of.
“If the sessions are good, enjoyable and competitive then the lads will enjoy coming,” continued Turnbull.
“Putting my players hat on, I’d be desperate to get back just to get with the lads, have a bit craic and get back to playing football.
“They don’t do it for the money, they do it because they love playing football. No-one really enjoys running but it has got to be done.”
