Aspatria start their pre-season in earnest tomorrow when they visit old friends Tarleton for a warm-up game – very apt in the weather conditions!
Tarleton are know for their fast fluid play and this will be a stern test for the fitness of Aspatria. The Lancashire team operate next season one level below Aspatria in the Lancashire/Cheshire County League.
A week later on Saturday, August 20 home supporters get a first glimpse of Aspatria at Bower Park when Kendal provide the opposition.
Kendal are a league above Aspatria but have ambitions to travel even further up the National League Pyramid.
Entry is free to a game that will provide a bench mark for Aspatria in terms of preparation for their testing fixture list in North East Division 2.
Pre-season training has gone well at Bower Park. Numbers are encouraging and the impact of the recently introduced Leadership Group has had an immediate effect on preparations for the new season.
Aspatria coach Mike Scott has dispensed with the role of a single club captain and introduced the Leadership Group concept.
This will see a change of game management on the pitch with experienced players Jack Clegg and Phil Dixon being jointly responsible for the implementation of the game plan.
As part of succession planning at the club, understudying Clegg and Dixon are Jack Gaskell and Josh Watson. All four will share duties in managing the playing squad pre-match and during the week
