Workington Reds have added another friendly to their pre-season programme.
It is likely to be the last they play before the new NPL Premier Division starts on August 10 as they have agreed to travel to Clitheroe a week earlier, August 3.
The NPL West Division side were big rivals in the Reds successful promotion campaign last year.
Workington beat them in the semi-final at Borough Park before going on to beat Runcorn Linnets in the final.
Clitheroe have a new man in charge, Jimmy Bell, who for over 20 years was assistant to John Coleman at Accrington.
Bell was appointed interim manager towards the end of last season following the late resignation of Danny Caldecott.
He subsequently led the Blues to a hat-trick of wins – against 1874 Northwich and Hednesford Town, then away at Pitching In NPL West Division champions Leek Town on the final day of the season.
Clitheroe finished five points adrift of the play-offs in seventh position, and the club have been quick to tie down Bell ahead of what promises to be a busy summer when he was confirmed at the start of the month.
He said then: “I am coming here to win the league next season. It will be a journey and I just urge the board, the fans and the whole football club to get behind me. Unite everyone and all push in the same direction and I’m sure we can achieve that.
“I see a project, I see a very good football club, one that can escalate and get out of this league and see where that takes us. We’ll take every game and every season as it comes. The crowds hopefully will get bigger and bigger and we can see where that takes us.
“There is a great nucleus of players here. Hopefully I will add even more quality to that. I aim to implement a winning style of football. Hopefully we’ll instil a winning mentality which goes right across the club.”
So, by August 3 and a game in direct opposition, both Bell and Workington’s new manager Mark Fell will have an idea of how their respective team is shaping up ahead of the big kick-off a week later.
